Progenies of melon (Cucumis melo L.) cv. Tupã, that associate the favorable fruit characteristics of yellow casaba cantaloupe types, were submitted to artificial inoculation with five virus: Watermerlon mosaic virus (WMV-2), Papaya ringspot virus (PRSV-W), Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV), Squash mosaic virus (SqMV) and Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), in greenhouse. Yield and the fruit quality were evaluated in the field. Progenies of three families showed marked resistance to PRSV-W and to ZYMV, also some manifested resistance to WMV-2. More than 50% showed isolated resistance to PRSV-W (63,15%) and to ZYMV (52,63%). The resistance to both PRSV-W and ZYMV occurred in 42,10% of the progenies and the triple resistance to PRSV-W, ZYMV and to WMV-2 was detected in 36,84%. One progeny was resistant to four viruses (PRSV-W, ZYMV, WMV-2 and CMV). The progenies were very variable on harvesting date, some being very dispersed for harvest, others with no fruits harvested before 80 days, and others presenting a highly concentrated harvest period. In comparison to the yellow casaba melon, the progenies were very late in fruit maturation, but similar for fruit weight, fruit shape, flesh thickness and internal diameter cavity. Flesh firmness varied from 7,78 N to 35,6 N, and 20% of these progenies presented the firmness superior to 20 N, very similar to cantaloupe melon type.
Cucumis melo L.; virus resistance; yield; fruit quality
