Inheritance of beta-carotene content in melon

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 F-1, F-2, BC1, and BC2 generations. The AC-16 and 'Vedrantais' parents, the F-1 and F-2 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 mu g g(-1)) and low in AC-16 (0.34 mu g 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 (F-2 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.