Preliminary Screening of Indigenous Cultivars and a Few Known Marker Lines of Cucumis melo for Fusarium Wilt and CGMMV Resistance

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Cucurbit Genetics Cooperative Report 17:69-71 (article 18) 1994

J. Jain and T.A. More
Division of Vegetable Crops, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi – 110012, INDIA

Fusarium wilt (3,4,6) among the fungal diseases and CGMMV (4) among the viral diseases have been found to be responsible for the total eradication of the crop in Delhi and surrounding areas. In an attempt to identify various accessions of C. melo responsive to nonconventional means of hybridization, a number of known marker lines (Tables 1 and 2) were utilized in the present study to outline their percentage germinability, field sensitivity to Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonis and CGMMV. The percentage germination of seeds under controlled conditions was found to be 40.0 percent or above, except in marker dl (dissected leaf), where percentage germination of seeds was only 4.0. 1.53 percent. The germinated material transplanted to well manured and fertilized soil in the field, at the 4- to 5-true leaf stage, was screened against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonis and CGMMV. Except ‘Pusa Madhuras’ (PM), M4 and ‘Perlita FR’ (Fom-3), all other marker lines succumbed to Fusarium wilt and could not grow beyond 7- to 8-true leaf stage, whereas PM, M4, and Perlita FR (Fom-3) could bear fruits and seeds. Scoring of various horticultural fruit characters and response to prestandardized regeneration medium of various marker lines is under study.

Materials and Methods. In the present study, 4 seeds per bag in replicates of six were sown under controlled nethouse conditions in the second week of February, using various indiginenous cvs. and marker lines (Table 1) obtained from Station D’Amelioration, Des Plantes Maraicheres, Maurice-84140, Montfavet, France, in 1992 and again in 1993. Percent germination of each marker lines was scored at the 2-true leaf stage. Seedlings were allowed to establish in bags up to 4- to 5-true leaf stage under controlled conditions, after which transplanting was done in a well manured prepared soil in the field.

Seedlings were allowed to establish and grow under field conditions with proper care. Sensitivity of seedlings to Fusarium wilt was scored at the 7-to 8-trye leaf stage to flowering stage. The insensitive/resistant lines could bear seeded fruits.

This study was a preliminary step towards identifying the known marker lines suitable for growing, under Delhi conditions, in order to incorporate these marker lines in conventional hybridization or somatic hybridization studies.

Results. Various indigenous cvs. (e.g., ‘Pusa Madhuras’ [PM], M4. and ‘Kakri’) were found to be insensitive to Fusarium wilt and CGMMV. These indigenous cvs. also exhibited percentage germination to be 75 percent and above (Table 2). “h” arela was 100% sensitive to Fusarium wilt at the 7 to 8-true-leaf stage and was not available for scoring for CGMMV resistance. ‘Arka-Jeet’ obtained from Montfavet, France, the percentage germination was 40% or above, except 4.0+ 1.53% in EC-327438 (dl). Almost all the marker lines obtained from France were found to be 100% sensitive to Fusarium wilt and could not grow beyond 7-to-8-true-leaf stage and hence were not available for fruit harvest, whereas EC=327435 (PMR-5) was insensitive to Fusarium wilt and CGMMV and could bear seeded fruits.

Discussion. This study has outlined indigenous cvs. PM, M4, ‘Kakri’, and the marker line EC-327435 (PMR-5) to be insensitive to Fusarium wilt and CGMMV and thus can be replicated for seeds. Further, they can be suitable utilized in conventional and nonconventional hybridization programs (e.g. somatic hybridization). A further study outlining the regeneration response of various marker lines is in progress. PM and M4 have already been reported to be highly regenerative due to the presence of dominant marker G (1).

Table 1. Description of various accessions obtained from Station d’Amelioration des plantes Maraicheres, Domaine St.-Maurice-84140 Montfavet, France.

Accession No.

Variety

Description
ECE-327434 PI 124112 (PM-4, PM-5) Powdery mildeew resistance 4 and 5
EC-327435 PMR-5, (PM-1, PM-2) Powdery mildew resistance 1 and 2
EC-327436 Va 435 (nav) Necrotic spot virus resistance
EC-327437 Charentais (Fom-1) Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonis resistance-1
EC-327438 Marker (dl) Dissected leaf
EC-327439 gf Green flesh fruits
EC-327440 Perlita, FR, (Fom-3) Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonis resistance -3

Table 2. Germinability and sensitivity to Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonis and CGMMV of indigenous cvs. and known marker lines.

S. No.

Accession

Percent germination

Sensitivity to Fusarium wilt

Sensitivity to CGMMV

Fruits with seeds harvested
1. PMz 100.00 + 0.00 –y – Yes
2. M4 83.33 + 07.86 – – Yes
3. Kakri 75.00 + 25.00 – – Yes
4. Harela 50.00 + 8.00 ++x NASW No
5. Arka-Jeet 66.66 + 38.18 +v + No
6. EC-327434 100.00 + 0.00 ++ NAS No
7. EC-327435 83.33 +14.43 – – Yes
8. EC-327436 41.66 + 14.43 ++ NAS No
9. EC-327437 83.33 + 14.43 ++ NAS No
10. EC-327438 4.00 + 1.53 ++ NAS No
11. EC-327439 41.66 + 14.43 ++ NAS No
12. EC-327440 100.00 + 0.00 – – Yes

z Control
yNot sensitive
x 100% sensitive
w Not available for scoring
50% sensitive

Literature Cited

  1. Jain, J. and T.A. More. 1993. Genotypic control of regeneration potential in Cucumis melo. Cucurbit Genetics Cooperative Report No. 16:53-54.
  2. Pitrat, Michel. 1990. Gene list of Cucumis melo L. Cucurbit Genetics Cooperative Report No. 13:58-68.
  3. Radhakrishnan, P. and B. Sen. 1981. Prevalence of Fusarium oxysporum Schlecht and Fusarium solani (Mast/) Sacc. causing muskmelon wilt. Veg. Sci. 8:64-68.
  4. Raychaudhuri, M. and A. Varma. 1975. Virus disease of cucurbits in Delhi. Proc. 63nd Indian Sci. Congr. Part. III, p. 74.
  5. Thomas, P. and T.A. More. 1990. Screening wild Cucumis spp. in the field and with artificial inoculation against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonis. Cucurbit Genetics Cooperative Report No. 13:18-19.
  6. Zink, F.W., W.D. Gubler, and R.G. Grogan. 1983. Reaction of muskmelon germplasm to inoculation with Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonis race 2. Plant Dis. 67:1251.