ABSTRACT
Central Asia has been a major center of melon breeding and cultivation for more than 2000 years, and the wild melon taxon Cucumis melo subsp. agrestis (Naudin) Pangalo [synonyms: Cucumis agrestis (Naudin) Greb., Cucumis melo var. agrestis Naudin, Melo agrestis (Naudin) Pangalo] is native to this region. This region was at the heart of the ancient Silk Road connecting the East and the West. Selective plant breeding, which produced cultivated melons of exceedingly high quality, stimulated trade in both fresh and dried fruit. This region continues to be an important reservoir of melon genetic diversity and serves as a source of valuable germplasm useful in enhancing melon cultivation in other areas of the world. The historical record contains numerous references to the exquisite melons of Central Asia. Culinary value, phytochemistry, and medicinal properties of various varieties of melon are presented.
