As a result of many years of domestication, modern watermelon varieties have overall a small root system and are highly susceptible to a wide range of soil-borne diseases. In a recent study, CucCAP researchers in Charleston, SC (USDA, ARS, U.S. Vegetable Laboratory) used a digital imaging technology to evaluate the root systems in 335 watermelon accessions. They found a wide diversity in root size and architecture and identified several accessions that can be used in breeding programs aimed to improve the root system of modern watermelon varieties and their overall tolerance to biotic and abiotic stress.
Read the article:
- Phenotypic Diversity for Root Traits and Identification of Superior Germplasm for Root Breeding in Watermelon
by Dennis N. Katuuramu, W. Patrick Wechter, Marcellus L. Washington, Matthew Horry, Matthew A. Cutulle, Robert L. Jarret and Amnon Levi
Published Online: Jul 6, 2020 in HortScience
DOI: HORTSCI15093-20
