Genetic Diversity and Molecular Breeding of Melon (Cucumis melo L.): A review

Abstract

Cucumis melo L. is an important horticultural crop that is widely cultivated for its edible fruit. The breeding of melon crop in order to improve its qualitative and quantitative yield is the objective of the current research. The recent melon breeding majorly focused on identification of novel genes, novel QTLs, and differentially expressed genes among the various populations. The publication of melon genome sequence in 2012, substantially accelerated the genetic dissection of candidate genes responsible for various desirable traits such as yield and yield contributing traits, fruit quality, disease resistance (Powdery mildew and Downey mildew resistance), salinity and temperature stress, and the genes involving in melon plant physiology. The molecular biology approaches such as whole-genome resequencing, bulked segregant analysis sequencing and the transcriptome analysis have been widely used to explore the genetic basis for the observed desirable phenotypic characteristics of the melon accessions in the germplasm to further aid in future molecular breeding of melon. Here, we summarized such research reports and categorized them under various sub sections. Overall, this current review presents the overview of very recent advances in melon crop improvement and developments in melon molecular breeding approaches as well as it provides the future directions for melon breeding. It would probably provide recent updates on melon crop improvement and help melon breeders to plan for their future breeding programmes.