Exploring Heterosis in Melon (Cucumis melo L.)

Heterosis is the superiority of an F(1) hybrid over its parents. Since this phenomenon is still unclear in melon, a half diallel experiment based on eight genetically distant breeding lines was conducted in six environments of Central Italy, assessing commercially important traits: yield, total soluble solids (TSS), and days to ripening (DTR). To estimate the additive (general combining ability; GCA) and the non-additive gene effects (specific combining ability; SCA), yield was analyzed by Griffing’s methods two and four, and the results were compared to the GGE (Genotype plus Genotype by Environment interaction) biplot methodology; TSS and earliness were evaluated only by Griffing’s method four. Overall, GCAs were significantly more relevant than SCAs for all examined traits. Least square means (LsM), mid-parent heterosis (MPH), best-parent heterosis (BPH), as well as Euclidean and Mahalanobis’ distances were calculated and compared with the genetic distance (GD). As a few correlations were found statistically significant (only for TSS), it was difficult to predict the value of a hybrid combination only by knowing the genetic distance of its parents. Despite this, heterosis was observed, indicating either the presence of epistatic effects (additive × additive interactions) and/or an underestimate of SCAs embedded within Griffing’s method. The significant Env × Entries source of variation suggests development of hybrids in specific environments. The results are discussed with a breeding perspective.