Precise regulation of bitterness in vegetables and melons achieved

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, November 29 (Report) - The internationally renowned academic journal Nature Plants published online on the 29th the research results of a Chinese research team on plant secondary metabolism. These results reveal that Cucurbitaceae plants have a very similar history of domestication of bitterness traits. Using this characteristic, breeders will be able to "precisely" regulate the bitterness in vegetables and melons, thereby cultivating new varieties with better quality and taste.

This research, "Convergent domestication and divergent evolution of bitterness traits in Cucurbitaceae crops," was organized and completed by Associate Researcher Shang Yi and Researcher Huang Sanwen of the Institute of Vegetables of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

By comprehensively applying multiple methods, the researchers revealed that Cucurbitaceae plants have a very similar history of domestication of bitterness traits. Using this characteristic of convergent domestication, breeders can achieve precise regulation of bitterness traits in the roots and fruits of watermelons and melons separately. On one hand, this ensures that bitter substances do not accumulate in the fruit, guaranteeing commercial quality; on the other hand, it increases the bitterness content in the roots to resist damage from soil-borne pathogens and pests. (Dong Jun, Ren Kexin)