RDA Develops 12 Disease-Resistant 'Breeding Watermelon' Varieties... "Will Apply for Plant Variety Protection and Distribute to Private Sector"

Evaluation Meeting at the National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science on the 11th

The Rural Development Administration announced on the 10th that it has developed 12 breeding watermelons resistant to powdery mildew, vine wilt, and anthracnose, which are problematic diseases in watermelon cultivation fields, and will hold an evaluation meeting to introduce them on the 11th at the National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science located in Wanju.

Due to climate and environmental changes, watermelon production volume and quality have declined, increasing interest from farmers and the industry in developing disease-resistant watermelons. According to the Korea Rural Economic Institute, watermelon production in 2022 decreased by 5% due to damage from diseases and viruses, and the price during the main watermelon season (June to September) dropped by 7% compared to the previous year.

An official from the Rural Development Administration explained, "Breeding watermelons refer to watermelons used to create varieties distributed in the market by private or seed companies," adding, "The more diverse excellent breeding watermelons become, the higher the probability of producing watermelons that consumers and agricultural fields desire."

The breeding watermelons developed this time were verified for genetic stability and reproducibility?whether their unique traits are well maintained?through five years of disease resistance evaluation and crossing among genetic resources collected domestically and internationally by the Rural Development Administration.

Powdery mildew-resistant watermelon 'FE 69' (left) and vine wilt-resistant watermelon 'FE 49' developed by the Rural Development Administration.

The 'FE 69' line has a powdery mildew disease incidence index in the 1-point range, which lowers photosynthetic efficiency. The disease incidence index is divided into five levels from 1 to 5, where 1 indicates the highest resistance and 5 means highly susceptible to disease. Additionally, it exhibits edible watermelon characteristics such as red flesh, unlike wild watermelons, so the Rural Development Administration expects it to have high breeding utility.

Also, the 'FE 49' line has a vine wilt disease incidence index in the 1-point range, indicating low susceptibility to stem cracking and decay. With a relatively high sugar content of 10 Brix, it is expected to be used in developing high-quality disease-resistant varieties.

At this evaluation meeting, the Rural Development Administration plans to share opinions on breeding trends after evaluating various disease-resistant watermelon growth and fruit characteristics with variety developers and seed company officials.

Moon Ji-hye, head of the Vegetable Basic Foundation Division at the National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science of the Rural Development Administration, said, "We plan to select watermelons with high field demand at this evaluation meeting, file for variety protection, and then distribute them to private breeding companies," adding, "We will continue to introduce watermelons that are resistant to pests and diseases and can respond to climate change through ongoing research and cooperation with the private sector."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.