Abstract

Yuichi Matsumoto* and Makoto Miyagi

The ploidy level of wild Cucumis spp. differs among species and accessions. Therefore, estimations of ploidy levels are important in the breeding of species and accessions of this plant. Flow cytometry is a powerful technique for estimating ploidy level. This study examined the applicability of flow cytometry analysis for estimating ploidy levels in wild Cucumis spp. West Indian gherkin and horned melon. The relative DNA content of these accessions was highly correlated with their ploidy levels. The results suggest that flow cytometry analysis can be used for estimating ploidy levels in these species.