Screening some Iranian Muskmelon Landraces for Resistance Against Fusarium Wilt Disease using Molecular Markers

Fusarium wilt is one of the most destructive diseases of muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.), which is an economically important disease worldwide causes yield losses in muskmelon growing areas. One of the most effective controlling measures to prevent Fusarium wilt is through host resistance by using resistance genes. We used developed molecular markers for Fom-2 gene, which confers resistance to race 1 of Fusarium in muskmelon, to screen muskmelon landraces in Khorasane-e-Razavi, Iran. After validation of the markers on a differential set of resistant and susceptible lines, we identified STS312 marker as the polymorphic and easy-to-score marker. Then we used STS312 to genotype plants from five different landraces. Our results suggest that resistance allele of Fom-2 gene is present in two landraces: Eyvankey and Mashhadi. These landraces can be used by muskmelon breeders to enhance resistance to Fusarium wilt in muskmelon.