Inheritance of beta-carotene content in melon

Abstract The objective of this work was to determine the inheritance of beta-carotene content in melon (Cucumis melo). The AC-16 accession (Cucumis melo subsp. melo var. acidulus) – with a low beta-carotene content and white mesocarp – was crossed with the Vedrantais cultivar (C. melo subsp. melo var. cantalupensis) – with a high beta-carotene content and salmon colored mesocarp –, to obtain the F1, F2, BC1, and BC2 generations. The AC-16 and 'Vedrantais' parents, the F1 and F2 generations, and the BC1 and BC2 backcrosses of each parent were evaluated. The quantification of beta-carotene was carried out in a high-performance liquid chromatography system. Mean components related to the additive and dominance effects, additive and dominance variances, and heritability were estimated. The beta-carotene content was high in 'Vedrantais' (17.78 µg g-1) and low in AC-16 (0.34 µg g-1). The following results were observed: additive and dominance effects on the genetic control of the character, incomplete character dominance, estimated number of loci close to two, greater variance for segregating populations (F2 and backcrosses), and heritability values in the broad (87.75%) and narrow (64.19%) senses. The beta-carotene content in melon is controlled by a major effect gene, with additive and dominance effects associated with polygenes with additive effects.