Morphological and genetic diversity of local Sudanese lines of snake melon (Cucumis melo var. flexuosus)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26832/24566632.2025.1002020Keywords:
Characterization, Clustering, Morphological descriptors, Genetic diversity, PCA, Snake melonAbstract
Snake melon (Cucumis melo var. flexuosus), an underutilized cucurbit with nutritional and cultural significance, is widely cultivated in Sudan but lacks comprehensive morphological and genetic characterization. This study aimed to assess the morphological diversity and genetic relationships among seven Sudanese snake melon genotypes using standardized descriptors and Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Field experiments were conducted during the 2022 winter season in Khartoum North under arid-zone conditions. Both qualitative traits (fruit skin and flesh colour, shape, pubescence,) and quantitative traits (fruit number, weight, size, stem length, and node count) were recorded. Significant (p<0.05) morphological variation was observed among genotypes. Genotype HsD11644 exhibited the highest fruit weight (635.33 g), length (48.57 cm), and vegetative vigor (stem length 181.4 cm), while HsD11555, though compact (stem length 84.67 cm), produced the same number of fruits per plant (11.00) as HsD11644. PCA revealed that the first two principal components explained 97.1% of the total phenotypic variation, with PC1 (81.96%) correlating strongly with fruit size and vegetative traits, and PC2 (15.16%) with fruit number. The PCA biplot showed distinct clustering, effectively differentiating genotypes based on their trait profiles. This study provides the first integrated morphological and multivariate analysis of local snake melon lines in Sudan. The identified genetic variability will support the conservation and genetic enhancement of snake melon in Sudan and similar agro-ecological conditions.
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