ARS | Publication request: Genetic Diversity in Chinese melon (Cucumis melo L.)

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: March 20, 2007
Publication Date: July 28, 2007
Citation: Staub, J.E., Luan, F., Delannay, I. 2007. Genetic diversity analysis of Indian bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.) allows for the development of crop improvement strategies. American Society for Horticultural Science 104th Annual Conference. 42(4):856-857.

Technical Abstract: Melon (Cucumis melo L.; 2n = 2x = 24) is a morphologically diverse outcrossing Cucurbitaceae species. Genetically mapped random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers have been used broadly to define genetic relationships (GR) among melon botanical groups and commercial market classes. Such information is important for developing breeding strategies that incorporate exotic germplasm. Although standard marker arrays (SMA) and reference accessions (RA) have been employed to assess the genetic diversity of melon landraces and cultivars from diverse geographical regions worldwide, a comprehensive analysis of China (CH), a secondary center for diversity and domestication, has not been performed. Thus, a RAPD SMA (32 loci), and several morphological traits were employed to assess the GR between and among 68 CH melons and 97 RA from Africa, Japan, Greece, Spain, Turkey, USA, and Europe. CH melons were genetically distinct from RA, and were partitioned into 3 groups based on geography, fruit exocarp, and culinary uses. CH melons were most similar to India and Africa melons suggesting potential breeding strategies for germplasm enrichment, and routes and sites of domestication.