Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Charleston, South Carolina » Vegetable Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #158224
Title: AN EXTEND LINKAGE MAP FOR WATERMELON

Author
item Levi, Amnon
item Thomas, Claude
item REDDY, O.U. - ALCORN STATE UNIV.
item Harrison, Melanie

Submitted to: Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/21/2005
Publication Date: 5/15/2006
Citation: Levi, A., Thomas, C.E., Reddy, O.K., Harrison Dunn, M.L. 2006. An extend linkage map for watermelon based on SRAP, AFLP, SSR, ISSR and RAPD markers. Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science. 131:393-402.

Interpretive Summary: Watermelon is a major vegetable crop grown in 44 states in the U.S. Watermelon production has increased from 1.2 M tons in 1980 to 4.2 M tons in 2003 with a farm value of $310 million. In recent years there is an increased demand for seedless watermelon. Over 80% of watermelons produced in California were seedless, while in the southeastern states of the U.S. over 52% of watermelons were seedless during 2003. There is a continuous need to develop new seedless watermelon varieties suitable to consumer needs. Conventional breeding procedures aimed for development of superior seedless watermelon varieties involve testing large numbers of hybrid varieties in multi environmental trials. Thus, seed companies have great interest to reduce production costs of seedless watermelon and increase the speed with which superior seedless varieties are identified. DNA technology can be useful in identifying and in selecting superior seedless varieties of watermelon. In this study we developed a genetic map for watermelon using an advanced technology 'amplified fragment length polymorphisms' (AFLP) to identify DNA markers. The map developed in this study reveals various regions of the watermelon genome, and can be useful in identifying genes controlling fruit qualities and genes that may be involved in disease or pest resistance.

Technical Abstract: A genetic linkage map was previously constructed for watermelon using a testcross population [Plant Accession Griffin 14113 (C. lanatus var. citroides) x New Hampshire Midget (NHM; Citrullus lanatus var. lanatus)] x U.S. Plant Introduction (PI) 386015 (C. colocynthis). The map contains 141 randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers produced by 78 primers, 27 inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers produced by 17 primers, and a sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR) marker that was previously reported as linked (1.6 cM) to race 1 Fusarium wilt resistance in watermelon. In this study, 114 amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers (produced by 20 MseI -EcoRI primer pairs) were added to the map. This map can be useful for further characterization of watermelon genome, and for development of markers linked to disease resistance and watermelon fruit qualities.