Diversity of Cucumis melo L. and its crop wild relatives : a potential source of disease resistance and adaptation to climate change

Issue Date

6-2017

Abstract

Melon (Cucumis melo) is an important horticultural crop across local and global markets. It originates from East Asia and subsequently spread into Asia. The Cucumis crop wild relatives (CWR) are novel genetic resource for melon breeding directed at disease resistance and adaptation to climate change. The most likely impact of climate change is in losses from plant diseases as new strains of pathogens evolve with changing environmental conditions. The present study was conducted in Hortanova Research Center, Lipa City, Batangas, Philippines from 2014-2016. About 100 PI accessions of C.melo and CWR; C. agricanus, C. anguria, C.dipsaceus and C. ficifolius originating from Africa, Asia, Europe, North and South America were grown under greenhouse condition, to evaluate their phenotypic characteristics. In-house seedling screening of 52 PI accessions for two economically important diseases; Papaya ringspot virus (PRSV) and Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV) were also conducted. Results showed that C.melo and its CWR were highly diverse in plant growth habit, sex expression and fruit characteristics. Generally, bushy, intermediate and prostrate accessions with highly diverse fruit color, size, shape, fresh color and aroma were observed. Both monoecious and andromonoecious sex types were present in C.melo while, only monoecious in CWR. CWR were observed to be more resistant to foliar diseases, more vigorous and prolific compared to C.melo. Seedling screening trials identified eight (mostly from Africa) out of 52 accessions, as highly resistant (R score = 9.0) to PRSV and ZYMV. The highly resistant accessions are: PI 203974, PI 275571, PI 299571 (C.africanus), PI 193498 (C.dipsaceus), PI 273192, PI 299570, PI 299572 (C.ficifolius), and PI 161375 (C.melo). These highly diverse and disease resistant CWR can be explored by breeders in developing more productive and resilient melon varieties that can withstand the challenges brought by climate change.

Source or Periodical Title

Philippine Journal of Crop Science

ISSN

0115-463X

Volume

42

Issue

Supplement no. 1

Page

99

Document Type

Article

College

College of Agriculture and Food Science (CAFS)

Language

English

Subject

Melons; Disease resistance of plants; Climate change

En – AGROVOC descriptors

CUCUMIS MELO; GENETIC VARIATION; GENETIC RESOURCES; BREEDING METHODS; DISEASE RESISTANCE; ADAPTATION; CLIMATIC CHANGE

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