Abstract
Melon is one of the most important vegetable crops in the world. With short cycle in a system of phased planting, phytosanitary control is compromised, and a great volume of agricultural chemicals is used to control vegetable leafminer. Genetic control is an ideal alternative to avoid the damage caused by this insect. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate Cucumis accessions in regard to resistance to leafminer and correlate the variables analyzed. Fifty-four accessions and four commercial hybrids of melon were tested. The study was divided into two experiments: with and with no choice. The following characteristics were evaluated: with choice, in field - subjective score based on the infestation and the number of mines per leaf; and with no choice, in cage - number of mines per leaf, chlorophyll content, and leaf colorimetry. The results showed variability among the accessions and some genotypes showed favorable results for resistance in both experiments. There was correlation between the two variables in the experiment in the field. The accessions CNPH 11-282, CNPH 06-1047, and CNPH 11-1077 are the most recommended for future breeding programs with aim on introgression of resistance to vegetable leafminer in melon.
Highlights
Melon (Cucumis melo L.) is one of the most important vegetable crops in the world
In an experiment carried out by Lima (2012), a proven antixenotic effect for oviposition by L. sativae was observed for the McLaren hybrid
The genotypes CNPH 11-282, CNPH 11-1072, and CNPH 11-1077 did not differ from the least attacked accession (CNPH 98-248) (Table II). These results show that the lower oviposition of L. sativae shown in these genotypes under free choice conditions continued even when the insect does not have the chance of choosing, characterizing stability of resistance of the genotype to the insect
Summary
Melon (Cucumis melo L.) is one of the most important vegetable crops in the world. In 2012, 1.34 million hectares of this crop were harvested, achieving production of approximately 32 million tons (FAO 2015). The crop has a short cycle and a phased planting system is used (Sobrinho et al 2011). Such characteristics hinder phytosanitary control of the crop, increasing the amount of agricultural chemicals necessary to control pests and diseases. Under these circumstances, incorrect management of economically important pests, such as white fly The insect invades new areas mainly through vegetable commercial transactions, and, currently, nearly the entire planted area in the states of Rio Grande do Norte, Ceará, and Bahia is affected by vegetable leafminer, with observed losses of up to 40% in the 2003 crop season due to attack from this pest (Reitz et al 2013, Fernandes 2004)
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