Mario R. Morales and James E. Simon

Department of Horticulture, Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN 47907

and

Angie Thompson, Melborn K. Lang and Dennis Nowaskie

Southwest Purdue Agricultural Research Center

SWPAC, Vincennes, Indiana 47951

Introduction: As Indiana remains a leading producer of melons, the evaluation of new varieties is one of our cornerstones at Purdue in our outreach efforts aimed at providing an objective and independent assessment of new melons for the commercial industry. The objective of this years’ study was to comparatively evaluate and identify potential new cultivars that can compete with ‘Superstar’, the regions leading variety. Growers are seeking high yielding, high quality and early maturing types with excellent disease resistance and acceptable shipping ability. Fruit need to be medium to large size, of uniform size and shape, and traditionally have had heavy netting and distinct ridges. Whether the outside ridges will need to always remain as deep and the netting as heavy will depend upon the marketplace. Melons that can be stored and held easily for longer periods of time, and those that could be harvested at a slightly earlier slip-stage and still retain acceptable quality would be desirable.

Methods:

Forty-one eastern muskmelon cultivars were evaluated in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Each entry was first direct seeded in the greenhouse on April 17, 2000 and transplanted into the field on May 12. Plots consisted of 55-foot long single rows, covered with 4 ft. black plastic mulch, with rows centered six feet apart, 22 plants per row and 2.5 feet between plants. Each trial was grown in accordance with the recommendations outlined in the Midwest Vegetable Production Guide for Commercial Growers (ID-56, 2000). Trickle irrigation lines placed beneath the plastic mulch provided water as needed. Fruits were harvested three times each week by hand from July 7 through August 2. Data was analyzed with the Purdue University VARTEST computer program for variety testing.

Results:

High Yields. Among the 41 entries, PS 12695, PX 208096, Apollo, HMX 8592, PS 211896, HMX 7608, Vienna, ACX 6908, RML 6969, HMX 0586, AND SXM 7204 were the highest yielding lines (28 to 32 T/A fruit) with ranging from 7,304 to 10,516 fruit/acre (Table 1). Of these Vienna, and HMX 0586 were among the earlier maturing lines.

Earliness. The varieties ranged from 81 to 89 days to maturity, with varieties such as Athena and many experimental as the earliest, followed by Apollo and Eclipse, as midseason maturing varieties. Those with the greatest % of maturing fruit harvested between 7-07 and 7-17 represented the earliest maturing.

Comments and Quality Ratings: Quality ratings on each variety showed that the varieties varied greatly in soluble solids, shape, size, uniformity, flavor, netting, presence and extent of ridges, rind thickness and seed cavity (Table 2). Selected comments on several of the entries follow: ACX 3908: pretty inner color, very meaty melon; ACX 4757: solid flesh; ES 4407: not pleasing internally; SXM 7119: exterior had a blotchy green over light yellow appearance; SXM 7204: exterior was green, light to medium when ripe; HMX 0586: exterior appearance lacking; HMX 8593: western type melon, interior bright orange; pleasing; HMX 8594: inside very pale; HMX 9597: interior flesh color pale to a peach color; HMX 9605: exterior green at full slip, very crispy flesh, splitting and not turning yellow upon ripe; ASG 3252778: bicolor: dark green and orange at maturity, western type melon; ASG 20-4596: too large to be marketable in the Midwest as an Indiana melon, exterior appearance lacking; ASG 3253058: western type melon; ASG 3250137: exterior was lacking; ASG 3251657: dark flesh; very attractive exterior; ASG 3253068: western type; texture very firm and crisp; ASG 3250857: western type; very deep seed cavity; and Athena, a most promising melon was tapered on the blossom end.