Exploring phenotypic variability in gamma‑irradiated melon (Cucumis melo) for early-generation putative mutant selection
Article Sidebar
Abstract Views: 229
File Views: 118
Main Article Content
Abstract
Abstract. Paramitha AI, Sugiharto AN, Waluyo B, Adiredjo AL, Arifin AG. 2026. Exploring phenotypic variability in gamma‑irradiated melon (Cucumis melo) for early-generation putative mutant selection. Biodiversitas 27 (3): d270324. https://doi.org/10.13057/biodiv/d270324. The melon (Cucumis melo), an agriculturally pivotal crop globally esteemed for its economic value, faces intrinsic breeding limitations due to restricted genetic diversity. Confronting these inherent challenges, gamma irradiation has emerged as a robust mutagenic agent, purposefully employed to elicit phenotypic variability and strategically advance the enhancement of elite melon cultivars. This investigation systematically explored phenotypic modifications induced by six discrete gamma irradiation doses (0-150 Gy) in two melon varieties, CMA and DKN. Comprehensive assessments of fruit weight, flesh thickness, sugar content, and rind color were conducted in the M2 generation, analyzed via descriptive and non-parametric statistics. Results revealed distinct dose-specific responses. Notably, G5 treatment yielded the highest mean sugar content in CMA (10.75°Brix), with DKN exhibiting substantial variation up to 15.00°Brix at G5. Fruit weight demonstrated considerable variability, exemplified by DKN at G1 (0.28-1.92 kg range). Both DKN and CMA consistently achieved their highest mean flesh thickness at G5. Statistical analyses confirmed significant differences across most irradiation doses for sugar content and flesh thickness in both varieties, while fruit weight showed significant effects exclusively at G4 for both CMA and DKN. Crucially, the study identified four novel putative mutant plants: one from CMA (G1) and three from DKN (G5). These putative mutants represent invaluable genetic resources, integrating dark rind color (absent in controls) with quantitative traits was not more than 5% lower than the control mean, thus proving highly advantageous for early generation selection. These findings unequivocally underscore gamma irradiation's profound potential in inducing beneficial phenotypic variability, offering critical foundations for breeding programs targeting enhanced melon fruit quality and marketability.
Article Details
Issue
Section
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
References
Abebe AM, Kim Y, Kim J, Kim SL, Baek J. 2023. Image-based high-throughput phenotyping in horticultural crops. Plants 12 (10): 2061. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12102061.
Acién JM, Cañizares E, Candela H, González-Guzmán M, Arbona V. 2023. From classical to modern computational approaches to identify key genetic regulatory components in plant biology. Intl J Mol Sci 24 (3): 2526. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24032526.
Alaguero-Cordovilla A, Gran-Gómez FJ, Jadczak P, Mhimdi M, Ibáñez S, Bres C, Just D, Rothan C, Pérez-Pérez JM. 2020. A quick protocol for the identification and characterization of early growth mutants in tomato. Plant Sci 301: 110673. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plantsci.2020.110673.
Amri-Tiliouine W, Laouar M, Abdelguerfi A, Jankowicz-Cieslak J, Jankuloski L, Till BJ. 2018. Genetic variability induced by gamma rays and preliminary results of low-cost tilling on M2 generation of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.). Front Plant Sci 9: 01568. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2018.01568.
Argyris JM, Díaz A, Ruggieri V, Fernández M, Jahrmann T, Gibon Y, Picó B, Martín-Hernández AM, Monforte AJ, Garcia-Mas J. 2017. QTL analyses in multiple populations employed for the fine mapping and identification of candidate genes at a locus affecting sugar accumulation in melon (Cucumis melo L.). Front Plant Sci 8: 1679. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2017.01679.
Arulbalachandran D. 2022. Impact of gamma (γ) irradiation on morphology, biochemical and antioxidant activity of green gram (Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek). Res Square 2022: 1-31. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-2089769/v1.
Badami K, Daryono BS, Amzeri A, Khoiri S. 2020. Combining ability and heterotic studies on hybrid melon (Cucumis melo L.) populations for fruit yield and quality traits. Sabrao J Breed Genet 52 (4): 402-417.
Bammanakatti SM, Rathod V, Gasti V, Naik KR, Chavan M, Evoor S, Prashantha A, Mahantesha NBN. 2023. Effect of different doses of chemical and physical mutagen on genetic variability and character association in M1 and M2 generation of Momordical balsamina L. Res Square 2023: 1-16. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-2975726/v1.
Barreto CAV, das Graças Dias KO, de Sousa IC, Azevedo CF, Nascimento ACC, Guimarães LJM, Guimarães CT, Pastina MM, Nascimento M. 2024. Genomic prediction in multi-environment trials in maize using statistical and machine learning methods. Sci Rep 14: 1062. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-51792-3.
Bharath RA, Prathmesh SP, Sarsu F, Suprasanna P. 2024. induced mutagenesis using gamma rays: Biological features and applications in crop improvement. OBM Genet 8 (2): 233. https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.genet.2402233.
Cancino-Vázquez R, Salvador-Figueroa M, Hernández-Ortiz E, Grajales-Conesa J, Vázquez-Ovando A. 2020. Gamma irradiation of mango ‘Ataulfo’ at low dose: Effect on texture, taste, and odor fruit. Food Sci Technol Res 26 (1): 59-64. https://doi.org/10.3136/fstr.26.59.
Dhasarathan M, Geetha S, Karthikeyan A, Sassikumar D, Meenakshiganesan N. 2021. Development of novel blackgram (Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper) mutants and deciphering genotype × environment interaction for yield-related traits of mutants. Agronomy 11 (7): 1287. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11071287.
Diao Q, Tian S, Cao Y, Yao D, Fan H, Zhang Y. 2023. Transcriptome analysis reveals association of carotenoid metabolism pathway with fruit color in melon. Sci Rep 13: 5004. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-31432-y.
Dwivedi SL, Reynolds MP, Ortiz R. 2021. Mitigating tradeoffs in plant breeding. iScience 24 (9): 102965. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2021.102965.
Eliwa NE, Ahmed MF. 2025. Assessment of the bioactive compounds in gamma irradiated stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni) leaves. BMC Biotechnol 25: 73. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12896-025-01008-x.
Ercan U, Sonmez I, Kabaş A, Kabas O, Zyambo BC, Gölükcü M, Paraschiv G. 2024. Quantitative assessment of Brix in grafted melon cultivars: A machine learning and regression-based approach. Foods 13 (23): 3858. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13233858.
Ernest FP, Noëlle MAH, Godswill N-N, Thiruvengadam M, Simon OA, Bille NH, Martin BJ, Rebezov M, Shariati MA. 2020. Radiosensitivity of two varieties of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) to different doses of gamma irradiation. Braz J Bot 43: 897-905. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40415-020-00659-8.
García-Pérez MA. 2023. Use and misuse of corrections for multiple testing. Methods Psychol 8: 100120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.metip.2023.100120.
Goldenberg L, Yaniv Y, Porat R, Carmi N. 2014. Effects of gamma-irradiation mutagenesis for induction of seedlessness, on the quality of mandarin fruit. Food Nutr Sci 5 (10): 943-952. https://doi.org/10.4236/fns.2014.510105.
Guillermou A, Abraham C, Annesi‐Maesano I, Mollinari N. 2023. Methods of global alpha risk control for multiple hypothesis testing: A pedagogical point of view. SSRN Electron J 2023: 1-15. http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4563902.
Hassan A, Naseer A, Shahani AAA, Aziz S, Khalid MN, Mushtaq N, Munir MA. 2022. Assessment of fiber and yield related traits in mutant population of cotton. Intl J Agric Biosci 11 (2): 95-102. https://doi.org/10.47278/journal.ijab/2022.014.
Hayashi T, Kawashima K. 2014. The effect of gamma-irradiation on the sucrose content in sweet potato roots and potato tubers. Agric Biol Chem 46 (6): 1475-1479. https://doi.org/10.1271/bbb1961.46.1475.
Hooghvorst I, Torrico O, Hooghvorst S, Nogués S. 2020. In situ parthenogenetic doubled haploid production in melon “Piel de Sapo” for breeding purposes. Front Plant Sci 11: 378. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2020.00378.
Huang H, Yang Q, Zhang L, Kong W, Wang H, Wei A, Du S, Yang R, Li J, Lin T, Geng X, Li Y. 2021. Genome-wide association analysis reveals a novel QTL CsFS1 for fruit skin color in cucumber. Res Square 2021: 1-18. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-578494/v1.
Jariani P, Ramshini H, Lotfi M, Amini F, Abtahi H, Ahmadvand R. 2021. Development of cantaloupe (Cucumis melo) lines carrying Vat gene with favorable fruit traits. Eur J Hortic Sci 87 (5): 1-10. https://doi.org/10.17660/eJHS.2022/052.
Kantoğlu KY, İç E, Özmen D, Bulut FŞ, Ergun E, Kantoğlu Ö, Özcoban M. 2023. Gamma rays induced enhancement in the phytonutrient capacities of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.). Front Hortic 2: 1190145. https://doi.org/10.3389/fhort.2023.1190145.
Kawaguchi K, Takei-Hoshi R, Yoshikawa I, Nishida K, Kobayashi M, Kusano M, Lu Y, Ariizumi T, Ezura H, Otagaki S, Matsumoto S, Shiratake K. 2021. Functional disruption of cell wall invertase inhibitor by genome editing increases sugar content of tomato fruit without decrease fruit weight. Sci Rep 11: 21534. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-00966-4.
Kesh H, Kaushik P. 2020. Advances in melon breeding (Cucumis melo L.): An update. Preprints 2020: 2020100149. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202010.0149.v1.
Krarup C, Jacob C, Contreras S. 2016. Pre- and postharvest attributes of muskmelon cultivars for fresh-cut cubes. Cienc Investig Agrar 43 (1): 43-51. https://dx.doi.org/10.4067/S0718-16202016000100004.
Kumar S, Awasthi OP, Pushkar S. 2021. Hormonal changes in gamma irradiated and EMS induced mutants of kinnow mandarin (Citrus nobilis Loureiro × Citrus deliciosa Tenora). Intl J Chem Stud 9 (1): 1137-1140. https://doi.org/10.22271/chemi.2021.v9.i1p.11377.
Kyriacou MC, Leskovar DI, Colla G, Rouphael Y. 2018. Watermelon and melon fruit quality: The genotypic and agro-environmental factors implicated. Sci Hortic 234: 393-408. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2018.01.032.
Lamo K, Bhat DJ, Kour K, Solanki SPS. 2017. Mutation studies in fruit crops: A review. Intl J Curr Microbiol Appl Sci 6 (12): 3620-3633. https://doi.org/10.20546/ijcmas.2017.612.418.
Li B, Zhao L, Zhang S, Cai H, Xu L, An B, Wang R, Liu G, He Y, Jiao C, Liu L, Xu Y. 2022. The mutational, epigenetic, and transcriptional effects between mixed high-energy particle field (CR) and 7 Li-Ion beams (LR) radiation in wheat M1 seedlings. Front Plant Sci 13: 878420. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2022.878420.
Li S, Wang H, Li Y, Jing F, Xu Y, Deng S, Wang N, Zhang Z, Chai S. 2025. Mapping and functional characterization of the golden fruit 1 (gf1) in melon (Cucumis melo L.). Theor Appl Genet 138: 59. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00122-025-04849-4.
Mahajan R, Kapoor N. 2023. Potential of molecular plant breeding for sustaining the global food security. Biosci Biotechnol Res Asia 20 (1): 97-108. http://dx.doi.org/10.13005/bbra/3072.
Naeem M, Zhao W, Ahmad N, Zhao L. 2023. Beyond green and red: Unlocking the genetic orchestration of tomato fruit color and pigmentation. Funct Integr Genomics 23: 243. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10142-023-01162-5.
Nobre DAC, Sediyama CS, Macedo WR, Piovesan ND, Arthur V. 2019. Gamma radiation to produce soybean mutants for better plant performance and chemical composition of seeds. Emir J Food Agric 31 (7): 511-519. https://doi.org/10.9755/ejfa.2019.v31.i7.1983.
Ntsefong GN, Ernest FP, Constant L-L-NB, Kinsley TM, Hervé ZA, Noëlle MH, Martin BJ. 2023. Gamma ray induced mutagenesis for crop improvement: Applications, advancements, and challenges. In: Saleh HM, Hassan AI (eds). Gamma Rays-Current Insights. IntechOpen, London. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.1002997.
Nuñez-Palenius HG, Gomez-Lim M, Ochoa-Alejo N, Grumet R, Lester G, Cantliffe DJ. 2008. Melon fruits: Genetic diversity, physiology, and biotechnology features. Crit Rev Biotechnol 28 (1): 13-55. https://doi.org/10.1080/07388550801891111.
Obok E, Nwagwu F, Akpan S. 2023. Gamma irradiation of eggplant seeds influences plant growth, yield and nutritional profile in M1 generation. Acta Agric Slov 119 (3): 1-13. https://doi.org/10.14720/aas.2023.119.3.13423.
Penna S, Jain SM. 2023. Fruit crop improvement with genome editing, in vitro, and transgenic approaches. Horticulturae 9 (1): 58. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9010058.
Perpiñá G, Bellver L, Esteras C, Picó B, Monforte AJ. 2025. Modulating the fruit morphology of traditional melon varieties: Insights into IL × genetic background interactions. Euphytica 221: 153. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-025-03601-9.
Pidigam S, Kattula N, Amarapalli G, Ravula V, Nimmala S, Dhulam S, Jyothsna, Pandravada SR. 2021. Assessment of per se performance and variability of key fruit traits of oriental pickling melon (Cucumis melo var. conomon) genotypes. J Pharmacogn Phytochem 10 (1): 1121-1125. https://doi.org/10.22271/phyto.2021.v10.i1p.13485.
Pramanik B, Debnath S, Rahimi M, Helal MMU, Hasan R. 2023. Morphometric frequency and spectrum of gamma-ray-induced chlorophyll mutants identified by phenotype and development of novel variants in lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.). PLoS One 18 (6): e0286975. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0286975.
Prasanna S, Jain SM. 2017. Mutant resources and mutagenomics in crop plants. Emir J Food Agric 29 (9): 651-657. https://doi.org/10.9755/ejfa.2017.v29.i9.86.
Priyanka P, Choudhary S, Singh B. 2021. Genetic diversity analysis in muskmelon (Cucumis melo) for yield and quality traits. Indian J Agric Sci 91 (9): 1413-1415. https://doi.org/10.56093/ijas.v91i9.116102.
Puripunyavanich V, Maikaeo L, Limtiyayothin M, Orpong P. 2022. New frontier of plant breeding using gamma irradiation and biotechnology. In: Kumar B, Debut A (eds). Green Chemistry-New Perspectives. IntechOpen, London. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.104667.
Rad MRN. 2022. Melon selection for breeding based on traits and diversity. Curr Agric Res J 10 (2): 39-45. http://dx.doi.org/10.12944/carj.10.2.01.
Raina A, Khan S. 2023. Field assessment of yield and its contributing traits in cowpea treated with lower, intermediate, and higher doses of gamma rays and sodium azide. Front Plant Sci 14: 1188077. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2023.1188077.
Riviello-Flores MDLL, Cadena-Iñiguez J, Ruiz-Posadas LDM, Arévalo-Galarza MDL, Castillo-Juárez I, Hernández MS, Castillo-Martínez CR. 2022. Use of gamma radiation for the genetic improvement of underutilized plant varieties. Plants 11 (9): 1161. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11091161.
Rodge RR, Rajan R, Sharma S, Singh T. 2023. Standardization of suitable gamma irradiation doses 60Co for mutagenesis in strawberry (Fragaria × annanasa Duch) cv. Chandler. Res Sq 2023: 1-23. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3643574/v1.
Rohmatin S, Badami K, Pawana G. 2022. Karakter kuantitatif melon generasi S0-S4. Rekayasa 15 (2): 260-266. https://doi.org/10.21107/rekayasa.v15i2.15109. [Indonesian]
Saadati S, Borzouei A, Rahemi MR, Khiabani BN. 2022. Alteration of physiological and biochemical properties in leaves and fruits of pomegranate in response to gamma irradiation. Sci Rep 12: 4312. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-08285-y.
Saibari I, Barrijal S, Mouhib M, Belkadi N, Hamim A. 2023. Gamma irradiation-induced genetic variability and its effects on the phenotypic and agronomic traits of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.). Front Genet 14: 1124632. https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2023.1124632.
Sanchez D, Allier A, Sadoun SB, Mary-Huard T, Bauland C, Palaffre C, Lagardère B, Madur D, Combes V, Melkior S, Bettinger L, Murigneux A, Moreau L, Charcosset A. 2024. Assessing the potential of genetic resource introduction into elite germplasm: A collaborative multiparental population for flint maize. Theor Appl Genet 137: 19. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00122-023-04509-5.
Sau S, Datta P, Sarkar T, Sarkar S. 2018. Impact of low doses of gamma irradiation on off-season guava at ambient storage condition. Intl J Curr Microbiol Appl Sci 7 (1): 295-307. https://doi.org/10.20546/ijcmas.2018.701.032.
Sharma N, Deol JK, Kaur G, Kaur A, Sharma SP, Sarao NK. 2025. Exploring the role of advanced genomics in melon breeding: A review. Plant Mol Biol Rep 43: 978-1005. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11105-025-01552-y.
Shimono H, Abe A, Kim CH, Sato C, Iwata H. 2023. Upcycling rice yield trial data using a weather-driven crop growth model. Commun Biol 6: 764. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-023-05145-x.
Singh M, Avtar R, Bishnoi M, Kumari N. 2023. Unveiling the molecular basis of Stem-Physical-Strength-Mediated-Resistance (SPSMR) mechanism against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in Brassicaceae: A comparative transcriptome analysis of resistant and susceptible genotypes. Res Square 2023: 1-38. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3406296/v1.
Soneji J, Nageswara‐Rao M. 2018. Breeding and Health Benefits of Fruit and Nut Crops. IntechOpen, London. http://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.69915.
Tarigan R, Hanafiah DS, Sinuraya M, Manzila I, Hutabarat RC, Barus S, Marpaung AE, Karo B, Kirana R, Aryani DS. 2023. Characterization of gamma ray induced mutations in PepYLCV-infecting local pepper in Karo Regency, Sumatra Utara, Indonesia. IOP Conf Ser: Earth Environ Sci 1183: 012021. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1183/1/012021.
Tzuri G, Dafna A, Itzhaki B, Halperin I, Oren E, Isaacson T, Faigenboim A, Yeselson Y, Paris HS, Mazourek M, Burger J, Schaffer AA, Gur A. 2025. Meta genetic analysis of melon sweetness. Theor Appl Genet 138: 68. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00122-025-04863-6.
Widyapangesthi DA, Moeljani IIR, Soedjarwo PD. 2022. Genetic diversity and heritability of M1 cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) local madura results of 60Co gamma iradiation. J Agrium 19 (2): 191-196. https://doi.org/10.29103/agrium.v19i2.7841. [Indonesian]
Zhang F, Shi Y, Ali J, Xu J, Li Z. 2021. Breeding by selective introgression: Theory, practices, and lessons learned from rice. Crop J 9 (3): 646-657. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cj.2021.03.006.