Phenotypic response and SCAR marker for powdery mildew resistance genes detection in 'Gama Melon Parfum'

Powdery mildew is caused by Podosphaera xanthii and Golovinomyces cichoracearum which poses a significant challenge in melon cultivation leading to reduce melon crop productivity and quality. 'Gama Melon Parfum' (GMP) is a hybrid melon resulting from a cross between 'Natsu no Omoide' from Turkmenistan and 'Miyamauri' from Japan. This melon is shown to promise as a valuable raw material for cosmetic products. The use of molecular markers has revolutionized breeding programs and successful in the evaluation and development of disease-resistant melon crops. The morphological observation provided evidence of notable color differences in the qualitative phenotypes of powdery mildew-infected 'GMP' plants. This was accompanied by a decrease in size across all quantitative phenotypic parameters compared to healthy plants (significance level 0.05). 'GMP' melons were categorized as tolerant cultivars, with powdery mildew infection percentages below 50 at the leaf, plant, and population levels. A SCAR marker linked to the powdery mildew resistance gene (Pm-I locus) was successfully detected in GMP melons, characterized by a 1058 bp band. This marker is indicated the presence of the powdery mildew resistance gene, conferring moderate tolerance to the disease. © 2024 Association of Agricultural Technology in Southeast Asia. All rights reserved.