Cucurbit Genetics Cooperative Report 14:45 (article 15) 1991
M. Pitrat, G. Risser, C. Ferriere, C. Olivier, and M. Ricard
Station d’ Amelioration des Plantes Maraicheres, I.N.R.A., BP 94 , 84143 Montfavet Cedex, France
In the course of breeding programs at the Vegetable Breeding Station of Avignon-Montfavet, two natural occurring virescent mutants have been observed.
The first one was a yellow virescent mutant. Young leaves were yellow green and they turned to normal dark green when becoming older. The growth was reduced specially on young plants and there can be some mortality just after germination if conditions (light intensity, temperature) were not optimum. When they were transplanted in greenhouse for pollination and seed production, growth was better and the male and female fertility were good. The F1 hybrid was normal green and the F2 segregated 3 normal vs. 1 yellow virescent (448 vs. 136, Chi-square=0.913, Prob.=34%) indicating a monogenic recessive control.
In the second mutant young leaves were more light green than yellow green with old leaves turning normal green. This mutant looks like the virescent mutants described by Hoffman and Nugent (2). Growth was not very reduced (less than the yellow virescent mutant) and the fertility was normal. The F1 hybrid with a normal plant was indicating a recessive control of the character. F2 progenies have not yet been studied.
Allelism tests must be done in order to know if these two mutants are reoccurrences of v (virescent) (2), v-2 (virescent-2) (1) and yv (yellow virescence) (3) before new names and symbols can be assigned.
Literature Cited
- Dyutin, K.E. 1967. Inheritance of yellow green coloration of the young leaves in melon. Tsitologia i genetika (Russian) 13:407-408.
- Hoffman, J.C. and P.E. Nugent. 1973. Inheritance of a virescent mutant of muskmelon. J. Hered. 64:311-312.
- Zink, F.W. 1977. Linkage of virescent foliage and plant growth habit in muskmelon. J. Hered. 77:363.