Effect of Algae on Melon (Cucumis melo subsp. agrestis var. conomon) Growth and Development under Drought-Stress Conditions

Due to climate change, it is necessary to develop plant varieties that are resilient to climate conditions and resistant to abiotic and biotic stresses. The use of microalgae, which are microorganisms that contain carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and vitamins, against drought tolerance is a new approach. The aim of the current study was to determine the drought-related mechanisms in the conomon melon genotype and develop drought-tolerant melon cultivars. Morphological, physiological, pomological, and molecular analyses were carried out on the algae-treated genotypes. It has been determined that commercial algae application provides the best results in leaf temperature, leaf relative water contents (LRWC), plant height, fruit length, fruit diameter, and yield, while Cag Cag (a special river in the region) stream algae application gives better results in main stem diameter. It was determined that the number of nodes in the control (without algae) plots was higher than in the other two treatments. Yield and LRWC and plant height values of genotype 7 were the best values among other genotypes. The leaf temperature measurement was lower on genotype 9 than on the other genotypes. While the highest fruit length value was measured in genotype 1, genotype 8 was superior in the main stem diameter, fruit diameter, and the number of nodes among the remaining plant materials. In terms of yield, it was determined that the interaction between genotype 2 and the commercial algae resulted in the best outcomes. In addition, the results of the genetic evaluation revealed that the materials used were not genetically distant from each other and more detailed genetic evaluations are needed. The molecular kinship analysis revealed that the genotypes used in the study were divided into three distinct groups, with individuals within each group exhibiting a high degree of relatedness to one another. As a result of the study, it was found that the application of microalgae had significant effects on improving the drought tolerance of Cucumis melo subsp. agrestis var. conomon genotypes.