Establishment of Molecular Identity Cards for Cucumis melo Cultivars Using SSR Markers

Twenty-four representative melon varieties and six parental cultivars were examined in this study. Among 159 pairs of simple sequence repeat (SSR) primers, 18 SSR core primers with rich polymorphic information, a large number of genotypes, and the ability to distinguish different melon varieties were selected. A total of 113 genotypes were detected among the 30 experimental materials, with an average of 6.28 genotypes for each pair of primers. The polymorphic information content was on average 0.6807, ranging from 0.5618 to 0.7885. Specific bands of the primers for the 30 experimental materials were analyzed, and by combining different primer loci, all 30 varieties were identified. Unique barcodes for molecular identity cards for the 30 experimental materials were established using the fingerprints formed with this SSR marker system. Each variety has a unique identity card that can be applied for the registration of the newly bred varieties, the protection of breeders' rights, and the authenticity of breeds after promulgation of the new Seed Law of the People's Republic of China.