Inheritance of Resistance to Zucchini Yellow Mosaic Virus in Watermelon

Abstract

Sources of resistance to the Zucchini yellow mosaic virus-Florida strain (ZYMV-FL) have been identified within the Citrullus genus. Inheritance of resistance to ZYMV-FL was studied in PI 595203 (Citrullus mucosospermus), a resistant watermelon accession. The F1, F2, and BC1 progenies derived from the cross ‘Calhoun Gray’ (CHG) × PI 595203 and ‘New Hampshire Midget’ (NHM) × PI 595203 were used to study the inheritance of resistance to ZYMV-FL. Seedlings were inoculated with a severe isolate of ZYMV-FL at the first true leaf stage and rated weekly for at least 6 weeks on a scale of 1 to 9 on the basis of severity of viral symptoms. A single recessive gene (zym-FL) was found to control the high level of resistance to ZYMV-FL in PI 595203.