Snap melon (a non-dessert form of Cucumis melo) germplasm variability and utilization for varietal development under hot arid climate: An output analysis

The significance of genetic diversity is widely accepted for making rapid crop improvement, and therefore, by utilizing the regional variability, we can develop genotypes of greater economic value and cultivation under the defined environmental situations. Kaakdia, phoot or snap melon (a non–dessert form of Cucumis melo var. momordica) is a much-relished cucurbit of rural India. The mature and ripe fruits are used extensively for vegetable culinary and garnishing salad. Still, it is underutilized and grown mixed or self-sown crop of traditional farming systems. Vine plants are short-duration (95-125 days) and bear variable-sized fruits (0.182–3.258 kg) that are edible at maturity, specific in taste with ripening and cracks. Semi-domesticated landraces and local cultivars of Cucumis melons diversity is found in abundance under the dry-land conditions of north-western parts of India. This culti-group is highly cross-pollinated and the lack of standard genotypes in snap melon resulted in mixed quality fruits and thus, low market preferences. Intensive surveys and explorations were conducted in the diverse climatic areas of Rajasthan from the year 1994 to 2001, and about 125 accessions of kaakdia type germplasm were collected. The germplasm was evaluated repeatedly, and purified, characterized, and utilized over the period (1994 to 2012) for the crop improvement work at Bikaner. The short-listed genotypes (65) were categorized based on plant growth and size, shape, quality, and utility of fruits, and maintained for conservation of the native diversity. Based on horticultural traits, genotypes AHS-6, AHS-8, AHS-10, AHS-14, AHS-19, AHS-23, AHS-42, AHS-46, AHS-50, AHS-53, AHS-54, AHS-56, AHS-57, AHS-63, AHS-64, AHS-70, AHS-81, AHS-82, DPY-216, and DKS/AHS/2011-2 were found to be potential. With a strategic work-plan, excellent fruit quality, early harvesting (67–70 DAS), high yielding (222–241 q/ha), and abiotic stress-tolerating genotypes, viz., AHS-10 and AHS-82, were developed for summer and rainy season crop cultivation. Now, ICAR-CIAH is first in the standardization of snap melon technology and recommended for harvesting of uniform quality fruits (0.876–0.942 kg weight) and fresh market availability from March to November with the defined production practices. In addition, commercial cultivation of the variety Thar Mahak (AHS-82) is beneficial and cost-efficient to the growers as climate climate-resilient crop-commodity and horti-preneurship.