Collection of local Kyrgyzstan Melon genotypes and determination of morphological relationships between some Anatolian Melons

Authors: HASAN CAN, ÖNDER TÜRKMEN

Abstract: Collection, characterization, and protection of genetic resources are among the high-priority issues of increasing importance throughout the world, especially for the breeding and release of novel cultivars. To understand and describe the characteristics of germplasm, the morphological status of genetic resources must accurately represent their agricultural applications. In this study, the genotypes of melon in Kyrgyzstan were collected by visiting several regions and contacting farmers. The genetic diversity of 35 Kyrgyz and 13 Turkish melon accessions was characterized based on the corresponding phenotypes. The morphological characterizations were largely based on the IPGR and, to some extent, UPOV standards. The genotypes from the collections of both countries were separated into three main clusters using the ward method. It was demonstrated that among the 40 morphological parameters, the fruit-related characteristics contributed most significantly to the separation of genotypes in the PCA analysis, and the results of the PCA analysis also validated the cluster analysis. According to the squared eigenvalues, the accessions Kg-G and C-09 were observed to be the closest related genotypes, whereas the accessions Kav-3 and YYU-13 were the most distantly related. Accessions YYÜ-22, C-02, and C-03 were observed to have the heaviest fruits, Manas-6 and Os-02 were observed to have the highest fruit flesh thickness, and C-08 was determined to have the highest SSC contents among all the accessions. It was observed that the characteristics of melon fruits from both countries differed significantly.

Keywords: Germplasm comparison, local genotypes, melon, morphology, morphologic relatedness

Full Text: PDF