Marker-assisted breeding and vitro breeding in cucurbitaceous vegetable crops

Abstract:

This paper reviews the significant advancements in breeding techniques for members of the Cucurbitaceae family, economically important crops with medicinal and nutritional value. The review highlights marker-assisted selection (MAS) as a powerful tool in cucurbit breeding programs for developing disease-resistant cultivars with improved agronomic traits. MAS has revolutionized conventional breeding by enabling the identification and tracking of valuable alleles across generations through various molecular markers (SSR, SCAR, AFLP, CAPS, SNP). The paper extensively discusses the application of MAS in developing resistance against critical diseases affecting cucurbits, including powdery mildew, fusarium wilt, gummy stem blight, and downy mildew, as well as pest resistance against aphids and viruses such as ZYMV and WMV. Additionally, the review examines in vitro breeding techniques in cucurbits, including embryo rescue, somatic embryogenesis, soma-clonal variation, in vitro flowering, and in vitro pollination and fertilization. These methods have been instrumental in overcoming breeding barriers such as embryo abortion, seed dormancy, and incompatibility issues, thereby shortening breeding cycles and increasing genetic diversity. The integration of molecular markers with traditional and in vitro breeding approaches has significantly accelerated the development of cucurbit cultivars with enhanced disease resistance, yield potential, and quality traits to meet global production challenges.