Cucurbit Genetics Cooperative Report 13:18-19 (Article 7) 1990
Screening Wild Cucumis spp.
in the Field and with Artrificial Seed Inoculation against Fusarium
oxysporum sp. Melonis
Pious Thomas and T. A. More
Division of Vegetable Crops, Indian Agricultural Research Institute,
New Delhi 110012, India
Wilt disease caused by Fusarium spp. Is a serious problem
of muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.) in the river beds of North
India and other production areas (1,2,5). The Jamuna river bed showed
a higher prevalence of F. solani compared to F. oxysporum,
but isolates of the latter were more virulent (3). The performance
of wild Cucumis spp. in field screening and with artificial
inoculation (5 × 106 spores/ml) against F. oxysporum f.
sp. melonis are furnished in Table 1. All the wild Cucumis spp.
used in this study, except C. melo var. callosus (25%
mortality) showed high resistance under field conditions. In the
artificial inoculation study, C. dipsaceus, C. meeusii and C.
anguria var. longipes failed to germinate in the inoculated
and uninoculated tests and among the others, only C. melo var. callosus showed
good germination. C. figarei, C. zeyheri 1 and 2 and C.
anguria var. longipes, exhibited high resistance (no
mortality), while C. melo var. callosus and the
susceptible check M3 showed 41.7 and 90.0% mortality, respectively,
at 5 weeks after inoculation. The slight mortality observed in C.
myriocarpus 1 and 2 and C. anguria were not definitely
due to Fusarium infection since mortality was confined to
weak plants and was observed in check plants as well.
At the 5 weeks stage, a second inoculation was done by drenching
the soil mixture to saturation with freshly prepared spore suspension
(5 × 106 spores/ml). Watering was suspended for two
days before and after the second inoculation. A fresh set of 3 week
old seedlings of M3 was similarly drenched in spore suspension and
used as susceptible check. No further mortality was observed (5 weeks
after second inoculation) in any of the wild species.
Identification of resistance in wild species opens the possibility
of their utilization in breeding program. This opens the prospect
for developing multiple disease resistant lines, incorporating CGMMV
resistance (4) and Fusarium resistance of C. figarei.
This project is underway.
Literature Cited
- Bhaskaran, R. and N. N. Prasad. 1971. Certain biochemical changes
in two Cucumis spp. in response to Fusarium infection.
Phytopath. Mediterr. 10:238-243.
- Palodhi, P. R. and B. Sen. 1981. Fusarium wilt endangers river
bed cultivation of cucurbits. Indian J. Mycol. Res. 19:51-56.
- Radhakrishnan, P. and B. Sen. 1981. Prevalence of Fusarium
oxysporum and Fusarium solani (Mart.) Sacc. causing
muskmelon wilt. Veg. Sci. 8:64-68.
- Rajamony, L., T. A. More, V. S. Seshadri and A. Varma. 1987.
Resistance to cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (CGMMV) in muskmelon.
Cucurbit Genetics Cooperative 10:58-59.
- Sen, B. and P. R. Palodhi. 1979. A disease of muskmelon caused
by Fusarium solani (Mart.) Sacc. Curr. Sci. 48:166-167.
Table 1. Performance
of wild Cucumis spp. in field and with seed inoculation
against F. oxysporum f. sp. melonis. |
|
FIELD |
SEED
INOCULATION |
Species |
No. of Hills |
% Mortality |
No. of Plants |
%
Mortality |
5 weeks |
*10 weeks |
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. myriocarpus 1
(GBNRa-1676) |
9 |
0 |
9 |
12.5 |
12.5 |
C. myriocarpus 2
(GBNR-1051) |
7 |
0 |
5 |
20.0 |
20.0 |
C. figarei
(GBNR-1084) |
6 |
0 |
26 |
0 |
0 |
C. meeusii
(GBNR-1800) |
6 |
0 |
- |
- |
- |
C. dipsaceus
(GBNR-1774) |
7 |
0 |
- |
- |
- |
C. zeyheri 1
(73252 H 9) |
6 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
C. zeyheri 2
(GBNR-1053)
(Tetraploid) |
6 |
0 |
13 |
0 |
0 |
C. anguria
(GBNR-1970) |
6 |
0 |
6 |
16.7 |
16.7 |
C. anguria var. longipes
(GBNR-1735) |
6 |
0 |
- |
- |
- |
C. melo var. callosus
(Acc. No. 566)b |
8 |
25.0 |
24 |
41.7 |
41.7 |
C. melo M 3 |
- |
- |
12 |
90.0 |
- |
* - 5 weeks after
a second inoculation
a - Source: Wageningen, The Netherlands
b - Source: Tamil Nadu, India |
