The bulb onion (Allium cepa L.), one of the most important vegetables worldwide, contains various functional compounds such as quercetin, allicin, and flavonoids. Red onions are rich in anthocyanins, a flavonoid that is a functional phytochemical with antioxidative and anticancer activities. In the previous study, two quantitative trait loci (QTLs) (qAC4.1 and qAC4.2) controlling the anthocyanin content were identified on chromosome 4 in an F₂ population derived from a cross between A. cepa ‘SP3B’ and ‘H6’. In this study, we developed single nucleotide polymorphism-based high-resolution melting (HRM) markers linked to QTLs qAC4.1 and qAC4.2. In addition, we constructed a new genetic linkage map of chromosome 4 using HRM markers and performed a QTL analysis. The QTL qAC4.1 was false, while qAC4.2 was a major QTL. The QTL peak position, logarithm of the odds value, and phenotypic variance explained of qAC4.2 was 53.6 cM, 7.45, and 22.51%, respectively. Four HRM markers (AC4.2_65336.1_1123-HRM, AC4.2_53230.3_454-HRM, AC4.2_11999.1_756-HRM, and AC4.2_14596.1_345-HRM) within the QTL region of qAC4.2 were developed in this study. The average anthocyanin content of B (homozygous paternal) genotypes was higher than that of A (homozygous maternal) and H (heterozygous) genotypes for all markers. Consequently, these markers will be useful for marker-assisted selection to develop onion cultivars with high anthocyanin content.

Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) is an economically important vegetable crop all over the world, which has functional compounds such as lycopene and citrulline. Gummy stem blight caused by Didymella bryoniae is one of the most devastative diseases in watermelon. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), which are genetic variations occurring between individuals with respect to a single base, were often used to construct genetic linkage maps and develop molecular markers linked to a variety of horticultural traits and resistance to several diseases. In this study, we developed high-resolution melting (HRM) markers based on SNPs generated from NGS resequencing of two parents in watermelon. Plant materials were C. lanatus ‘920533’ (female and susceptible parent), C. amarus ‘PI 189225’ (male and resistant parent), and their F₁ and F₂ progenies. A total of 13.6 Gbp (‘920533’) and 13.1 Gbp (‘PI 189225’) of genomic sequences were obtained using NGS analysis. A total of 6.09 million SNPs between ‘920533’ and ‘PI 189225’ were detected, and 354,860 SNPs were identified as potential HRM primer sets. From these, a total of 330 primer sets for HRM analysis were designed. As a result, a total of 61 HRM markers that have polymorphic melting curves were developed. These HRM markers can be used for the construction of SNP-based linkage maps and for the analysis of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) related to gummy stem blight resistance.