Genetic mean components as selection criteria for identifying promising yellow melon hybrids for inbred line extraction.

Abstract

Estimates of the mean components m + a' and d represent a promising strategy for guiding the selection of populations and lines in plant breeding programs. This study estimated m + a' and d to identify commercial yellow melon hybrids suitable for inbred line extraction to develop new hybrids. The experiments evaluated seven commercial single-cross (F1) yellow melon hybrids and their self-pollinated progenies (F2), for a total of 14 populations. Experiments were conducted in a randomized complete block design with three replications in a split-plot arrangement, with generation assigned to main plots and hybrids to subplots. Evaluated traits included fruit number per plot, mean fruit mass, yield, flesh thickness, flesh firmness, and total soluble solids. The Mulamba and Mock selection index (MMI) provided joint selection across all traits. Individual and combined analyses of variance applied a split-plot model and treated generation and hybrid effects as fixed. In the F1 generation, homozygous gene effects (m + a') predominated and contributed substantially to all traits and the MMI. Estimates of m + a' and d classified hybrids by success probability in inbred line extraction and showed that inbreeding depression was not significant for all melon traits. Hybrids AF-13395 and Goldmine showed the highest suitability for selecting superior inbred lines.