Inheritance of Resistance to Powdery Mildew Race 1W in Watermelon

Powdery mildew caused by Podosphaera xanthii is a major disease of watermelon in Israel. In this study, 291 accessions of Citrullus spp. were evaluated for resistance against P. xanthii race 1W. Only eight accessions exhibited high level of resistance. Inheritance of resistance against P. xanthii race 1W was studied by crossing three resistant accession of Citrullus lanatus var. citroides BIU 119, PI 189225, or PI 482312 with the susceptible cultivar 'Malali' or 'Sugar Baby'. Parents, F1, F2, and back cross progenies were evaluated for resistance in growth chambers at the cotyledon stage and the 4-leaf stage and in the field, at the 15-leaf stage. Resistance at the cotyledon stage was controlled by a single, partially dominant gene, whereas at the 4-leaf stage or the 15-leaf stage resistance was controlled by three complimentary, partially dominant genes. Crosses made among these resistant accessions revealed that BIU 119 and PI 189225 carry the same genes for resistance, whereas PI 482312 shares two out of three genes with both BIU 119 and PI 189225. A breeding line with high resistance level and good fruit qualities was developed from BIU 119 × HA5500.