Eucarpıa International Meeting On Genetics And Breeding Of Cucurbitaceae, Antalya, Turkey, 15 October - 18 June 2012, vol.1, no.1, pp.1-2
Almost all cultivars of melon which are used in greenhouse production are foreign origin F1 hybrid in Antalya. Local hybrid melon cultivars are required to increase production to reduce imports in the seed sector. But, many local cultivars are susceptible to virus diseases. This also leads to serious losses in the production. Viral diseases cause important economic losses throughout the world. More than 35 viruses have been isolated from cucurbits. These viruses constitute complex and dynamically changing problems. Most commercial melon varieties are susceptible to the viral pathogens. Potyviruses form the largest and the most economically significant group of plant viruses. Severe losses in melon production areas are due to potyvirus infection, including watermelon mosaic virus (WMV), zucchini yellow mosaic virüs (ZYMV) and papaya ringspot virus (PRSV) infected melon plants may show vine decline, reduced or absent yield and fruit quality defects. In this study 60 Batı Akdeniz Research Instute (BATEM) melon pure lines were tested for resistance to ZYMV in Kocayatak test compartments. Virus isolates were mechanically inoculated to the cotyledons at the first true melon leaf stage of the plant by rubbing carborundum-dusted with extracts from 1g of infected plant material prepared in 0.02M phosphate buffer (pH:7.0) and added activated carbon. Soft Scorching was used as an alternative method of transmission of virus to the plants. After inoculation cotyledons were washed using tap
water. Plants were left to grow in 16 h light/8 h dark at 25oC. Presence or absence of virus symptoms (mosaic, yellowing, shoestring leaves, stunting, and fruit and seed deformation.) was scored for each plant 3 weeks after inoculation. The accessions, developed visual symptom, were recorded as susceptible and symptom less plants
resistant. The results show that 31 melon pure lines were resistant and 29 lines were susceptible to ZYMV. As a result, the resistant lines can be successfully used in breeding studies.