Study on the Selection of New Watermelon Germplasm for Resistance to Fusarium Wilt Disease by Introducing Pumpkin DNA

The DNA extracted from the pumpkin leaves was introduced into the embryos of watermelon line through embryo injection after self pollination. The aim of this study was that watermelon and pumpkin should be hybridized in molecular level, and the new watermelon germplasm should be obtained having the pumpkin DNA fragments with resistance to fusarium wilt and not altering the agronomic character of receptor watermelon. In this article the 15 μl extracted liquid of pumpkin DNA was injected into receptor watermelon's embryos after self pollination 24 h. Five new watermelon germplasm of resistance to Fusarium oxysporum sp. niveum had been selected by six generation selfing in the wilt disease field. Two of the five watermelon germplasm have new special rind color and strip, which is different from the receptor watermelon′s and the pumpkin′s. The fruits quality of five watermelon varieties obtained by exogenous DNA introducing have no differentiation from the receptor watermelon line's. This study shows that the embryo injection of introducing exogenous DNA was a convenient and practical method, especially on solving the problem of watermelon genetic germplasm being narrow and limited.