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- Author or Editor: Gary W. Elmstrom x
Muskmelon (Cucumis melo L. reticulatus group), commonly called cantaloupe by growers, shippers, and consumers is a relatively minor crop in the southeastern U.S. The principal restraint on increased muskmelon production in this area is the lack of varieties that consistently produce high quality fruit. Resistance to both fruit rots, especially those induced by Fusarium, and foliar diseases such as downy mildew, powdery mildew, and gummy stem blight are also important because of the high humidity and frequent rainfall common to this area. The ideal shipping variety should have the capacity to produce high yields of round to oval, sutureless, heavily netted fruit that average 1.4 kg each, and that have a deep salmon-colored flesh, a small tight seed cavity, high soluble solids, and a pleasant taste and aroma. Evaluations at Leesburg and Bradenton, Florida over a three-year period have identified several western-type muskmelons well-adapted to this area. `Explorer', `Goldmark', `Mission', and `Tasty Sweet' ranked high in most of the categories mentioned above and should be evaluated in more extensive trials, which should include a study of postharvest quality.
Evaluations of 30 triploid (seedless) watermelon hybrids were conducted in the Spring 1989 season at Bradenton and Leesburg, Florida. There was considerable variation in relative cultivar yields at the two locations. However, consistency in some cultivars did occur. 'HMX 7924' produced the highest total yield and 'CFREC 88-2' had high total yields at both locations. On the other hand, 'ACX 882322', 'Fengshan No. 1', 'FMX 28', 'Fummy', 'Honeyheart', 'Nova', and 'NVH 4295' produced low total yields at both locations. Average fruit weight was high for 'Ssuper Sweet Brand 5244', 'CFREC 88-4', and 'HMX 7924' whereas 'ACX 882322', 'FMX 28', 'Fengshan No. 1', 'Nova', and 'PSR 49087' produced low average fruit weight. Soluble solids exceeded 11% in all entries at Bradenton whereas two entries were lower than 10% at Leesburg. Several experimental lines out performed the named cultivars suggesting that future introductions will be superior to those already available.
Hybrids from crosses between bush/short-vined breeding lines and traditional, vining cultigens were evaluated in the fall 1993 season. Yields of individual hybrids were 0.51 to 1.73 times those of their vining parents and 0.83 to 4.41 times those of the bush/short-vined parents. The average yield response of 58 hybrids was 1.05 times that of vining parents and 2.15 that of bush/short-vined parents. Average fruit weight, flesh thickness, and flesh color of the hybrids tended to be intermediate between that of the bush/short-vined and vining parents. Plant habit of all hybrids was similar to that of the bush/short-vined parent early in the growth cycle, but some became viney later in the growth cycle. Fruit matured earlier on bush/short-vined parent and hybrid plants than on viney parent plants.