Melon cultigens (cultivars and advanced lines) were evaluated in 2018 and 2019. In 2018, 24 entries were evaluated, 8 from seed companies and 6 from Texas A&M Univ. Entries were mainly orange flesh types (22). In 2019, 18 entries were evaluated, 7 from seed companies, and 11 from Texas A&M Univ. As in 2018, most entries were orange flesh, the exceptions being HD150, HD252 and USAM16203 (green flesh) and SFR3079 and SFR3083 (white flesh). In both studies, the Athena cultivar was used as the standard since it is the most grown and marketed cultivar in the region. Transplants were set in the field 21 and 2 May in 2018 and 2019, respectively. Each plot consisted of 10 plants and cultigen treatments were replicated four times and arranged and analyzed as a randomized complete block design. Harvests began 9 July and ended 3 August totaling 12 harvests in 2018. Harvest started 24 June and ended 26 July totaling 14 harvests in 2019. Each fruit was harvested and weighed when ripe, and soluble solids and flesh firmness were obtained from 5 fruit per replication for each entry. In 2018, highest total fruit yields over 12 harvests (&gt;23,465 fruit/ha) were obtained with SVM 2690, Master’s Choice, Oui, DaVinci, Electra, and USAM14836 cultigens. Average cumulative yield across all 24 cultigens was 19,970 fruit/ha. Athena, the standard cultigen yielded 16,947 fruit/ha. Average fruit size across cultigen entries was 2.4 kg. All of the highest yielding cultigens had average fruit weights less than 2.0 kg. Soluble solid values were high for most cultigens and averaged 11.8. Highest values were obtained with SVML2690 (13.6), Katza (13.2) and DaVinci (13.1), while the lowest cultigen values were Master’s Choice (9.3) and USAM16155 (9.7). In 2019, the highest cumulative yields (&gt;30,875 fruit/ha) over 14 harvests were obtained with SFR3079, TH6, SFR3083, TH3, F39 and DaVinci. At least 30% of the cultigens that yielded the highest fruit number per acre were in the less than 1.4 kg category, with SFR 3079 and TH6 producing at least 60% of their fruit in that size category. Fruits less than 1.4 kg is considered too small for orange flesh melons sold in the eastern U.S. markets. Melons which are specialty white flesh types potentially could be sold as a smaller sized melon. Athena cultivar averaged 2.2 kg per fruit. Most Texas A&M cultigens had relatively small sized fruit compared with Athena. TH3 fruit (1.8 kg) had the most comparable size to Athena with high soluble solids (13.0).

Melon cultigens and their adaptation in the southeastern United States when grown in North Carolina

ACS Spring Meeting 2021

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