LAUSR

Aphis gossypii (Glover) is one of the major pests of melon crops as well as an efficient vector of non-persistent virus such as Cucumber Mosaic Virus and Zucchini Yellow Mosaic Virus among others. Host-plant resistance is one of the best strategies that can be used to control this pest. In this study 14 Tunisian melon accessions were screened to identify new sources of resistance/tolerance to Aphis gossypii using phenotypic and molecular approaches. Antixenosis, antibiosis and tolerance tests were carried out to phenotype those accessions which were also analyzed by molecular markers linked to the Vat gene which confers resistance to both A. gossypii colonization and virus transmission. Results evidenced that only the accession TUN-7 showed antixenosis, antibiosis and tolerance (no leaf curling), at a similar level to that of the resistant control PI414723. Although plants of the accession TUN-13 did not show leaf curling either, the presence of the Vat gene was only detected in TUN-7; its fruit characteristics, of Ananas type, makes this accession as a valuable source of resistance to this aphid that can be used in breeding programs to develop new aphid resistant melon cultivars.