Abstract
A collection of melon (Cucumis melo L.) from Kerala state, Southern India, consisting of thirty three accessions was evaluated for 22 quantitative and 14 qualitative characteristics to estimate the phenotypic diversity. The collection showed appreciable phenotypic diversity in fruit related traits. Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to determine the relationships among the populations. The analysis revealed that the variations in stem hair length, number of nodes per plant on 60th day, fruit shape, fruit length, fruit weight, fruit colour at ripening, fruit rind hardness, flesh colour, flesh firmness, quality of flesh, shelf life, seed colour were the principle characters to discriminate melon accessions evaluated in the present study. When the 33 populations were plotted on the first two principal components, accounting for 49.97% of the total variation, three clusters were identified, accounting for 36 morphological attributes used in the study. The greater part of diversity was accounted for fruit diameter, fruit weight, fruit length and width, fruit cavity length and diameter, seed length and colour. Flesh area of fruit, flesh thickness, leaf size, seed weight, seed index did not account for variation in the first six principal components of the melon collection. Scatter diagram segregated the acidulus and momordica into different clusters. This evaluation of fruit trait variability can assist geneticists and breeders to identify populations with desirable characteristics for inclusion in various breeding programmes.
Highlights
Cucumis melo L. (2n = 2x = 24) is an economically important horticultural crop belonging to the family Cucurbitaceae
The melon germplasm of the humid tropics of Southern India has been collected and assessed by Fergany et al [4]. They reported that the collected populations belong to two groups: C. melo var. acidulus Naudin and C. melo var. momordica (Roxb.) Duthie et Fuller. They recommended that additional collections of melon genetic resources should be made from Southern India as this could lead to the discovery of genetic diversity not present in the existing world collections of melon
Thirty three accessions of melons collected from Kerala state, Southern India were evaluated to estimate the genetic diversity among the melon populations
Summary
The cultivated varieties include sweet “dessert” melons as well as non-sweet forms that are consumed raw, pickled or cooked Such a variation provides breeders with a rich genetic resource and there is an increased interest in understanding their genetic diversity. The melon germplasm of the humid tropics of Southern India has been collected and assessed by Fergany et al [4] They reported that the collected populations belong to two groups: C. melo var. They recommended that additional collections of melon genetic resources should be made from Southern India as this could lead to the discovery of genetic diversity not present in the existing world collections of melon. The main objectives of present study were to evaluate the diversity among melon accessions collected from Kerala state, Southern India and to estimate the distribution of shelf life among these populations
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