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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Salinas, California » Crop Improvement and Protection Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #300352
Title: Snapmelon (Cucumis melo L. Momordica group), an indigenous cucurbit from India with immense value for melon breeding

Author
item DHILLON, NARINDER - The World Vegetable Center (AVRDC) - Taiwan
item SINGH, HIRA - Punjab Agricultural University
item PITRAT, MICHEL - Institut National De La Recherche Agronomique (INRA)
item MONFORTE, ANTONIO - Consejo Superior De Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC)
item McCreight, James - Jim

Submitted to: Acta Horticulturae
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/2/2013
Publication Date: 11/23/2015
Citation: Dhillon, N.P., Singh, H., Pitrat, M., Monforte, A.J., McCreight, J.D. 2015. Snapmelon (Cucumis melo L. Momordica group), an indigenous cucurbit from India with immense value for melon breeding. Acta Horticulturae. 1102:99–108, doi: 10.17660/ActaHortic.2015.1102.12.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Snapmelon [Cucumis melo L. subsp. agrestis var. momordica (Roxb.) Duthie et Fuller] is native to India, where it is cultivated in various states, and is commonly called ‘phut,’ which means to split. Immature fruits are cooked or eaten raw. In this paper we review the wealth of genetic resources in Indian snapmelon landraces for resistances to fungal and viral diseases, nematodes, insects, and tolerance to drought and soil salinity. Global melon breeding programs have transferred many of these resistance into open-pollinated and hybrid varieties of sweet melon cultivated in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and U.S.A. Indian snapmelons are also sources of high fruit acidity, a trait that has been utilized to breed a uniquely flavored melon cultivar. A high percentage of unique alleles have been identified in snapmelon collections from various parts of India. More efforts to collect, maintain, characterize, evaluate and preserve snapmelon diversity in India in genebank are required to serve as additional source of unique or new resistance genes to combat new pathogens and pests and climate change.