Skip to main content

NC State Extension

2014 North Carolina Melon Cultivar Evaluations

en Español / em Português
Español

El inglés es el idioma de control de esta página. En la medida en que haya algún conflicto entre la traducción al inglés y la traducción, el inglés prevalece.

Al hacer clic en el enlace de traducción se activa un servicio de traducción gratuito para convertir la página al español. Al igual que con cualquier traducción por Internet, la conversión no es sensible al contexto y puede que no traduzca el texto en su significado original. NC State Extension no garantiza la exactitud del texto traducido. Por favor, tenga en cuenta que algunas aplicaciones y/o servicios pueden no funcionar como se espera cuando se traducen.


Português

Inglês é o idioma de controle desta página. Na medida que haja algum conflito entre o texto original em Inglês e a tradução, o Inglês prevalece.

Ao clicar no link de tradução, um serviço gratuito de tradução será ativado para converter a página para o Português. Como em qualquer tradução pela internet, a conversão não é sensivel ao contexto e pode não ocorrer a tradução para o significado orginal. O serviço de Extensão da Carolina do Norte (NC State Extension) não garante a exatidão do texto traduzido. Por favor, observe que algumas funções ou serviços podem não funcionar como esperado após a tradução.


English

English is the controlling language of this page. To the extent there is any conflict between the English text and the translation, English controls.

Clicking on the translation link activates a free translation service to convert the page to Spanish. As with any Internet translation, the conversion is not context-sensitive and may not translate the text to its original meaning. NC State Extension does not guarantee the accuracy of the translated text. Please note that some applications and/or services may not function as expected when translated.

Collapse ▲

Hort. Series # 211

Principle Investigators: Jonathan R. Schultheis Professor and Vegetable Extension Specialist; and W. Bradfred Thompson, Research Specialist, Department of Horticultural Science, NC State University

General Cultural Practices

All melon trials were grown on black plastic mulch and fertigated with drip irrigation. Pesticides used on all plots were chemicals labeled for that crop, (2014 North Carolina Agricultural Chemicals Manual.

Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge the assistance ofPhillip Winslow (Superintendent) and Charles Barrow (Horticulture Crops Supervisor), Cunningham Research Station, Kinston, NC, as well as, the personnel at the research station for their help in establishing, maintaining, and harvesting the cultivar evaluation trials. We want to also acknowledge the following for their assistance with the trials: Sam Harris, Victoria Cox, Heather Yanno, Marie Neal, and David Cassady. The cooperation and support of DP Seeds; Nunhems Seed; Rijk Zwaan, Sakata Seed America; Seedway; Seminis; and Syngenta Seeds, Inc. was also appreciated.

Disclaimer

This publication presents data from the cultivar evaluation trials conducted during 2014. Information in this report is believed to be reliable but should not be relied upon as a sole source of information. Limited accompanying detail is included but excludes some pertinent information, which may aid interpretation.

View a PDF copy of the 2014 Melon Cultivar Evaluations.

2014 Muskmelon and Specialty Melon Cultural Practices, Cunningham Research Station; Kinston, NC

Introduction

Commercial production of muskmelon and specialty melons are important commodities in North Carolina. Muskmelons comprise the majority of the acreage. ‘Athena’ continues to be the primary cultivar grown in eastern North Carolina however; other melon cultivars have been increasing in market share in the past few years. Varieties like ‘Caribbean Gold’, an extended shelf life melon or Italian melons, are being given more consideration among growers and within the past few years have increased in acreage. One of the challenges in adopting these new melon types is learning how to harvest them. The extended shelf life type melons must be cut from the vine prior to the slip stage of development, otherwise the fruit is overripe and will not ship well. In addition, if the stem of the fruit is not cut, there is potential damage to the fruit as the intact stem may adhere tootightly to the fruit and cause “plugging” of the flesh, which renders the fruit unmarketable. Harvest challenges with Italian melons also exist. If one waits until the fruit slips, it may be too late, as these fruit are prone to splitting, especially if precipitation events occur. Italian fruit may require two harvests per day since ripening and splitting are so closely associated with optimum harvest time. An objective of our melon trialing is to identify adapted cultivars that NC growers can grow profitably. As a result of these efforts and a vigorous Extension educational program, the acreage of specialty melons for shipping and local market sales has increased and growers continue to show interest in the new opportunities. Trader Joes in North Carolina is offering the Italian or Tuscan melons seasonally from a local grower in NC, and more recently galia type melons are being offered and shipped to NC from Central America. Production of varieties such as ’Caribbean Gold’, as well as, certain canary melons and various specialty melons continue to increase as more and more growers discover new “niche” markets and adapted cultivars. Canary melons are grown sporadically, but the continued growth of these specialty melons is dependent on educating the consumer and providing a quality product each time a purchase is made.

Materials and Methods

In February and March, seed companies were contacted to obtain seed for the muskmelon melon trials. All seed were acid treated for bacterial fruit blotch on 8 April. The melon trials were then planted into Poly growing transplant trays (Hummert Int.; Earth City, MO) on 15-16 April, 2014. The planting medium used was a Fine Germinating Mix, a commercial soil less mix (Carolina Soil Company; Kinston, NC). Approximately 3 weeks after seeding, the plants were placed in a “hardening” greenhouseand hardened before being established in the field on 15 May, 2014. Fertilizer, 55 lb/acre N, 55 lb/acre P2O5, and 110 lb/acre K20, was incorporated into the bed on 14 April prior to the laying of black polyethylene plastic (0.70 mil thick high density plastic film, 48 inches wide; B.B. Hobbs, Clinton, NC) on 25 April. Fumigant (Telone II) at a rate of 6.5 gal./acre was injected on 25 April when the plastic was laid. Herbicides, Dual at 1.5pint/ac. and Sinbar at 3 oz. /acre were applied between the plastic beds in the row middles for weed control on 2 May. Spacing between row middles was 5 feet and in-row spacing was 2 feet. Plot size was one row with 10 plants per plot, (20 feet long), with 5 feet between plots. Four replications were used in the muskmelon cultivar test. At time of transplant, a starter solution was applied using 20-20-20 (0.5 lb/50 gallons water) in the transplant water and Diazonon at 1.5pt./acre was applied through the drip tube for wireworm control. Plots with missing plants were replanted approximately 7 days after planting to achieve 100% stand in most cases. Trickle irrigation was utilized (NETAFIM, 12 inch spacing, 0.24 gph; NETAFIM, Tel Aviv, Israel) over the growing season. Fertigation was initiated 10 days after planting and applied weekly. Fertilizer was applied through the drip tube during the planting season as a 4-0-8 formulation. The first application was 25 May and the last was 24 July. Total fertigation applied throughout the growing season was 16.4 lb. N and 32.8 lb. K20. The total fertilizer applied for the growing season was 82.4 lb/acre N, 60 lb/acre P2O5, and 164.8 lb/acre K20.

Insecticides were applied every 7 to 10 days as a preventative measure beginning 2 June and on the following dates: 11, 18, and 25 June; 2 and 9 July. The following products were alternated during consecutive spray applications to avoid insect and mite resistance: Permethrin and Venom. Similarly, the following fungicide products were used; Asana, Presidio, Procure, Previcur Flex, Quintec, Ranman, and Zampro; and applied on the following dates; 2, 11, 18, and 25 June; 2 and 9 July.

There were a total of 10 harvests for the muskmelon trial. The first harvest was 9 Julyand the tenth harvest was 25 July. Harvests were made three times per week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Each fruit was harvested when ripe and weighed. Evaluations of each melon entry included yield, fruit size, production earliness, soluble solids using a digital refractometer, fruit shape and size, exterior and interior descriptions (rind, length/width ratio, and flesh color), and interior flesh firmness. Flesh firmness was taken by using a Penetrometer FT 011 with a 5/16” plunger tip, (QA Supplies LLC, Norfolk, Va.), and recorded in pounds. Samples were obtained by cutting the center of the fruit from the stem to blossom end. Pressure was then taken between the cavity and rind of the fruit on either side of each fruit. The reported measures on flesh firmness are an average of the two sample areas on five fruit per plot (10 total sampling areas). Most of the quality measurements were taken between the second and seventh harvests as the cultigens became ripe.

The conditions throughout the harvest period were again hot in North Carolina; however, there was adequate rainfall through the month of June and parts of July as well as optimal ambient temperatures that allowed for good plant growth and fruit set within all the cultigen plots.

Results

Similar to past years trials, there were differences in yield throughout the harvest season. Early maturing entries included Athena, Napoli, and Atlantis where approximately 45% of the fruit harvested occurred within the first 3 harvests. Overall, peak harvest for most cultigens occurred within harvests 4 to 7. The latest maturing fruit included the canary varieties of Camposol, Hibrix, and Tweety. Cultigens with the highest total yields, based on fruit number, were ‘Banzai’ and ‘Florida’. These also produced the smallest sized fruit, 2.6 and 2.2 pounds per fruit, respectively. The cultigen with the highest total yields based on hundred weight per acre, (cwt/acre), was ‘NUN 26287’ that produced fruits that averaged 7.6 pounds per fruit however, there were other cultigens that produced just as well that included ‘Caribbean King’, ‘Aphrodite’, and a new line from DP Seeds, ‘ESC-14-93’. Soluble solids were excellent among all cultigens as all had between 12.0 and 16.0% soluble solids. Flesh firmness was generally good for most entries, with ‘Caribbean Gold’, ‘Banzai’, ‘Florida’, and ‘SV2998MF’’having significantly firmer flesh than all other cultigens with average flesh firmness readings of 7.0 lbs. or higher. Cultigens that are among the leaders in commercial melon production within the Southeast consistently had the softest flesh firmness readings. These cultigens include ‘Athena’, ‘Atlantis’, and ‘Aphrodite’. In summary, with respect to fruit quality, the following entries had two or more outstanding attributes when quality was considered for flesh firmness, orange flesh color, sweetness, and cavity size. ‘Banzai’and ‘Florida’ were small fruit producers but were some of the firmest flesh melons with a very small seed cavity and very good flesh color as well as some of the sweetest melons sampled. In regards to the more commercially marketed size muskmelon cultigens, ‘SV2998MF’, ‘SV6239MF’, ‘SME 7048’, and ‘Infinite Gold’ were some of the firmest flesh entries that also produced some the highest soluble solid ratings and contained the best interior orange flesh colors. The standard cultigen for North Carolina growers; ‘Athena’, consisted of one of the softest flesh firmnesses among other cultigens however, overall quality of this cultigen was still very good.

The melon industry has been in transition the past few years and there has been new categorization of the muskmelons. Traditional categories are western shippers and eastern melons. Today, there are Italian or Tuscan melons, and Extended Shelf Life types. There may even be new size category types. For example, we may see the emergence of a smaller size melon termed or marketed as a “breakfast” melon. There are some exciting opportunities for this industry.

Financial Support

In addition to the seed companies, this program has been supported by the College of Life & Agricultural Sciences, the North arolina Agricultural Research Service, and the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service.

Cultivar

Company

351 Nunhems
7609 Nunhems
Aphrodite Syngenta
Athena Syngenta
Atlantis Sakata
Banzai Seminis
Camposol Seedway
Caribbean Gold Rijk Zwaan
Caribbean King Rijk Zwaan
Florida Seminis
Hibrix Nunhems
Infinite Gold Sakata
Napoli DP Seeds
NUN 26287 Nunhems
SME 7048 Sakata
Sunny Dee Nunhems
SV2998MF Seminis
SV6239MF Seminis
Tweety DP Seeds
ESC-14-93 DP Seeds
LM-14-92 DP Seeds

View images of each cultivar evaluated in the PDF version of the 2014 Melon Cultivar Evaluations.

Table 1. Muskmelon cultigen trial yields, Cumulative fruit weight, (x 100), per acre for early1 season harvests 1 – 3. Kinston, NC, 2014.

Cultivar

Fruit size category

Cumulative Totals 2

Avg.
Wt. 3

< 3 lb

3-7 lb

7.1 – 9 lb

> 9 lb

351 0 104 34 0 138 5.9
7609 3 71 0 0 74 4.5
Aphrodite 0 49 105 110 264 8.5
Athena 8 255 50 0 312 5.0
Atlantis 3 149 113 10 275 6.3
Banzai 35 0 0 0 35 1.8
Camposol – – – – – – – – – – – –
Caribbean Gold 0 44 0 0 44 5.0
Caribbean King 0 186 16 0 202 5.6
Florida 48 0 0 0 48 1.6
Hibrix 0 12 0 0 12 3.9
Infinite Gold 9 82 0 0 91 4.0
Napoli 3 222 16 0 241 4.3
NUN 26287 0 70 82 21 173 7.2
SME 7048 0 94 25 0 119 5.9
Sunny Dee 49 106 0 0 156 3.4
SV2998MF 0 152 33 10 195 5.7
SV6239MF 6 87 9 0 102 4.3
Tweety 0 0 9 0 9 8.2
ESC-14-93 13 212 0 0 225 4.9
LM-14-92 19 113 0 0 132 3.8
Average 10 100 25 7 142 5.0
LSD (0.05) 34 93 47 61 96 – –

1 Early harvests (1-3) : 9 – 14 July (55 – 59 days after planting).
2 Cumulative total includes all fruit size categories.
3 Average fruit weights were determined using total cumulative weights and numbers from respective harvests.

Table 2.Muskmelon cultigen trial yields, Cumulative fruit number per acre for early1 season harvests 1 – 3. Kinston, NC, 2014.

Cultivar

Fruit size category

Cumulative Totals 2

< 3 lb

3-7 lb

7.1 – 9 lb

> 9 lb

351 0 1960 436 0 2396
7609 109 1525 0 0 1634
Aphrodite 0 762 1307 1089 3158
Athena 327 5227 653 0 6207
Atlantis 109 2723 1416 109 4356
Banzai 1960 0 0 0 1960
Camposol – – – – – – – – – –
Caribbean Gold 0 871 0 0 871
Caribbean King 0 3376 218 0 3594
Florida 2940 0 0 0 2940
Hibrix 0 327 0 0 327
Infinite Gold 327 1851 0 0 2178
Napoli 109 5227 218 0 5554
NUN 26287 0 1089 1089 218 2396
SME 7048 0 1742 327 0 2069
Sunny Dee 2069 2723 0 0 4792
SV2998MF 0 2831 436 109 3376
SV6239MF 218 1960 109 0 2287
Tweety 0 0 109 0 109
ESC-14-93 545 4029 0 0 4574
LM-14-92 762 2614 0 0 3376
Average 474 2042 316 76 2908
LSD (0.05) 1476 1834 623 625 1916

1 Early harvests (1-3) : 9 – 14 July (55 – 59 days after planting).
2 Cumulative total includes all fruit size categories.
3 Average fruit weights were determined using total cumulative weights and numbers from respective harvests.

Table 3. Muskmelon cultigen trial yields; Percent of fruit weight per indicated size category – Early harvests. Kinston, NC, 2014.

Cultivar

Fruit size category

< 3 lb

3-7 lb

7.1 – 9 lb

> 9 lb

351 0 76 24 0
7609 4 96 0 0
Aphrodite 0 19 40 42
Athena 3 82 16 0
Atlantis 1 54 41 4
Banzai 100 0 0 0
Camposol – – – – – – – –
Caribbean Gold 0 100 0 0
Caribbean King 0 92 8 0
Florida 100 0 0 0
Hibrix 0 100 0 0
Infinite Gold 10 90 0 0
Napoli 1 92 7 0
NUN 26287 0 40 47 12
SME 7048 0 79 21 0
Sunny Dee 32 68 0 0
SV2998MF 0 78 17 5
SV6239MF 6 85 9 0
Tweety 0 0 100 0
ESC-14-93 6 94 0 0
LM-14-92 14 86 0 0
Average 14 67 17 3

Table 4. Muskmelon cultigen trial yields; Percent of fruit number per indicated size category – Early harvests. Kinston, NC, 2014.

Cultivar

Fruit size category

< 3 lb

3-7 lb

7.1 – 9 lb

> 9 lb

351 0 82 18 0
7609 7 93 0 0
Aphrodite 0 24 41 34
Athena 5 84 11 0
Atlantis 3 63 33 3
Banzai 100 0 0 0
Camposol – – – – – – – –
Caribbean Gold 0 100 0 0
Caribbean King 0 94 6 0
Florida 100 0 0 0
Hibrix 0 100 0 0
Infinite Gold 15 85 0 0
Napoli 2 94 4 0
NUN 26287 0 45 45 9
SME 7048 0 84 16 0
Sunny Dee 43 57 0 0
SV2998MF 0 84 13 3
SV6239MF 10 86 5 0
Tweety 0 0 100 0
ESC-14-93 12 88 0 0
LM-14-92 23 77 0 0
Average 16 67 15 2

Table 5. Muskmelon cultigen trial yields, Cumulative fruit weight, (x 100), per acre for midseason harvests 4 – 7. Kinston, NC, 2014.

Cultivar

Fruit size category

Cumulative Totals 2

Avg. Wt. 3

< 3 lb

3-7 lb

7.1 – 9 lb

> 9 lb

351 3 129 106 76 314 7.0
7609 6 350 26 0 382 5.5
Aphrodite 0 62 98 162 323 8.3
Athena 2 102 66 31 201 6.5
Atlantis 3 83 185 44 316 7.4
Banzai 186 115 0 0 301 2.7
Camposol 0 208 169 0 377 6.7
Caribbean Gold 2 475 0 0 477 5.1
Caribbean King 5 176 151 147 479 7.7
Florida 142 52 0 0 194 2.3
Hibrix 0 240 50 20 310 6.0
Infinite Gold 4 370 94 0 467 5.6
Napoli 6 256 9 0 271 5.0
NUN 26287 2 35 188 155 380 8.5
SME 7048 0 382 140 10 532 6.0
Sunny Dee 10 320 100 0 430 5.6
SV2998MF 0 313 91 10 415 6.2
SV6239MF 3 362 9 0 374 4.9
Tweety 0 119 155 10 284 7.0
ESC-14-93 30 377 31 0 438 4.9
LM-14-92 9 240 17 0 266 5.2
Average 20 227 80 32 359 5.9
LSD (0.05) 33 116 82 75 141 – –

1 Mid harvests (4-7) : 16 July – 23 July (61 – 69 days after planting).
2 Cumulative total includes all fruit size categories.
3 Average fruit weights were determined using total cumulative weights and numbers from respective harvests.

Table 6. Muskmelon cultigen trial yields, Cumulative fruit number per acre for midseason harvests 4 – 7. Kinston, NC, 2014.

Cultivar

Fruit size category

Cumulative Totals 2

< 3 lb

3-7 lb

7.1 – 9 lb

> 9 lb

351 109 2287 1307 762 4465
7609 218 6534 327 0 7079
Aphrodite 0 1198 1198 1525 3920
Athena 109 1742 871 327 3049
Atlantis 109 1525 2287 436 4356
Banzai 7623 3485 0 0 11108
Camposol 0 3485 2178 0 5663
Caribbean Gold 109 9257 0 0 9365
Caribbean King 218 3158 1960 980 6316
Florida 6861 1634 0 0 8494
Hibrix 0 4356 653 218 5227
Infinite Gold 218 6970 1198 0 8385
Napoli 218 5009 109 0 5336
NUN 26287 109 653 2287 1416 4465
SME 7048 0 6861 1851 109 8821
Sunny Dee 436 5881 1307 0 7623
SV2998MF 0 5336 1198 109 6643
SV6239MF 109 7514 109 0 7732
Tweety 0 2069 1960 109 4138
ESC-14-93 1307 7296 436 0 9039
LM-14-92 436 4465 218 0 5118
Average 866 4320 1022 285 6492
LSD (0.05) 1435 2236 1039 650 2643

1 Mid harvests (4-7) : 16 July – 23 July (61 – 69 days after planting).
2 Cumulative total includes all fruit size categories.
3 Average fruit weights were determined using total cumulative weights and numbers from respective harvests.Fruit size category CumulativeTotals

Table 7. Muskmelon cultigen trial yields; Percent of fruit weight per indicated size category – Mid Season harvests. Kinston, NC, 2014.

Cultivar

Fruit size category

< 3 lb

3-7 lb

7.1 – 9 lb

> 9 lb

351 1 41 34 24
7609 1 92 7 0
Aphrodite 0 19 30 50
Athena 1 51 33 16
Atlantis 1 26 59 14
Banzai 62 38 0 0
Camposol 0 55 45 0
Caribbean Gold 0 100 0 0
Caribbean King 1 37 31 31
Florida 73 27 0 0
Hibrix 0 77 16 7
Infinite Gold 1 79 20 0
Napoli 2 95 3 0
NUN 26287 1 9 49 41
SME 7048 0 72 26 2
Sunny Dee 2 74 23 0
SV2998MF 0 75 22 2
SV6239MF 1 97 2 0
Tweety 0 42 54 4
ESC-14-93 7 86 7 0
LM-14-92 3 90 6 0
Average 8 61 22 9

Table 8. Muskmelon cultigen trial yields; Percent fruit number per indicated size category – Mid Season harvests. Kinston, NC, 2014.

Cultivar

Fruit size category

< 3 lb

3-7 lb

7.1 – 9 lb

> 9 lb

351 2 51 29 17
7609 3 92 5 0
Aphrodite 0 31 31 39
Athena 4 57 29 11
Atlantis 3 35 53 10
Banzai 69 31 0 0
Camposol 0 62 38 0
Caribbean Gold 1 99 0 0
Caribbean King 3 50 31 16
Florida 81 19 0 0
Hibrix 0 83 13 4
Infinite Gold 3 83 14 0
Napoli 4 94 2 0
NUN 26287 2 15 51 32
SME 7048 0 78 21 1
Sunny Dee 6 77 17 0
SV2998MF 0 80 18 2
SV6239MF 1 97 1 0
Tweety 0 50 47 3
ESC-14-93 14 81 5 0
LM-14-92 9 87 4 0
Average 10 64 19 6

Table 9. Muskmelon cultigen trial yields, Cumulative fruit weight, (x 100), per acre for lateseason harvests 8 – 10. Kinston, NC, 2014.

Cultivar

Fruit size category

Cumulative Totals 2

Avg. Wt. 3

< 3 lb

3-7 lb

7.1 – 9 lb

> 9 lb

351 2.5 90.9 15.8 10.2 119.5 5.6
7609 11.2 50.1 0.0 0.0 61.3 3.6
Aphrodite 0.0 38.3 42.1 31.3 111.7 7.4
Athena 5.0 68.0 15.8 0.0 88.8 5.2
Atlantis 0.0 57.7 8.8 0.0 66.5 5.4
Banzai 61.9 43.5 0.0 0.0 105.3 2.6
Camposol 0.0 165.1 57.0 0.0 222.1 6.1
Caribbean Gold 12.1 69.6 8.1 0.0 89.7 4.4
Caribbean King 0.0 49.2 0.0 0.0 49.2 5.2
Florida 135.9 21.8 0.0 0.0 157.7 2.4
Hibrix 6.0 125.0 7.7 20.3 159.0 5.4
Infinite Gold 8.2 21.8 0.0 0.0 30.0 4.1
Napoli 8.7 16.0 0.0 0.0 24.7 3.1
NUN 26287 0.0 115.0 94.3 35.3 244.6 7.0
SME 7048 0.0 24.3 16.4 0.0 40.7 6.5
Sunny Dee 20.6 71.2 0.0 0.0 91.8 3.6
SV2998MF 0.0 54.6 0.0 0.0 54.6 4.8
SV6239MF 10.9 55.5 0.0 0.0 66.4 3.5
Tweety 5.0 128.0 68.5 20.7 222.2 6.3
ESC-14-93 10.2 31.9 0.0 0.0 42.1 4.1
LM-14-92 2.4 32.5 0.0 0.0 34.9 4.1
Average 14.3 63.3 15.9 5.6 82.6 4.8
LSD (0.05) 23.7 68.2 43.6 49.6 78.0 – –

1 Late harvests (8-10) : 25 July – 1 Aug. (71 – 78 days after planting).
2 Cumulative total includes all fruit size categories.
3 Average fruit weights were determined using total cumulative weights and numbers from respective harvests.Fruit size category

Table 10. Muskmelon cultigen trial yields, Cumulative fruit number per acre for lateseason harvests 8 – 10. Kinston, NC, 2014.

Cultivar

Fruit size category

< 3 lb

3-7 lb

7.1 – 9 lb

> 9 lb

Cumulative Totals 2

351 109 1851 218 109 2287
7609 436 1198 0 0 1634
Aphrodite 0 653 545 327 1525
Athena 218 1307 218 0 1742
Atlantis 0 1089 109 0 1198
Banzai 2831 1307 0 0 4138
Camposol 0 2831 762 0 3594
Caribbean Gold 436 1525 109 0 2069
Caribbean King 0 980 0 0 980
Florida 5990 653 0 0 6643
Hibrix 218 2287 109 218 2831
Infinite Gold 327 436 0 0 762
Napoli 327 436 0 0 762
NUN 26287 0 2069 1198 327 3594
SME 7048 0 436 218 0 653
Sunny Dee 762 1634 0 0 2396
SV2998MF 0 1089 0 0 1089
SV6239MF 436 1307 0 0 1742
Tweety 218 2287 871 218 3594
ESC-14-93 436 653 0 0 1089
LM-14-92 109 762 0 0 871
Average 612 1276 207 57 2152
LSD (0.05) 1182 1417 564 509 1748

1 Late harvests (8-10) : 25 July – 1 Aug. (71 – 78 days after planting).
2 Cumulative total includes all fruit size categories.
3 Average fruit weights were determined using total cumulative weights and numbers from respective harvests.Fruit size category CumulativeTotals

Table 11. Muskmelon cultigen trial yields; Percent of fruit weight per indicated size category – Late harvests. Kinston, NC, 2014.

Cultivar

Fruit size category

< 3 lb

3-7 lb

7.1 – 9 lb

> 9 lb

351 2 76 13 9
7609 18 82 0 0
Aphrodite 0 34 38 28
Athena 6 77 18 0
Atlantis 0 87 13 0
Banzai 59 41 0 0
Camposol 0 74 26 0
Caribbean Gold 13 78 9 0
Caribbean King 0 100 0 0
Florida 86 14 0 0
Hibrix 4 79 5 13
Infinite Gold 27 73 0 0
Napoli 35 65 0 0
NUN 26287 0 47 39 14
SME 7048 0 60 40 0
Sunny Dee 22 78 0 0
SV2998MF 0 100 0 0
SV6239MF 16 84 0 0
Tweety 2 58 31 9
ESC-14-93 24 76 0 0
LM-14-92 7 93 0 0
Average 15 70 11 3

Table 12. Muskmelon cultigen trial yields; Percent fruit number per indicated size category – Late harvests. Kinston, NC, 2014.

Cultivar

Fruit size category

< 3 lb

3-7 lb

7.1 – 9 lb

> 9 lb

351 5 81 10 5
7609 27 73 0 0
Aphrodite 0 43 36 21
Athena 13 75 13 0
Atlantis 0 91 9 0
Banzai 68 32 0 0
Camposol 0 79 21 0
Caribbean Gold 21 74 5 0
Caribbean King 0 100 0 0
Florida 90 10 0 0
Hibrix 8 81 4 8
Infinite Gold 43 57 0 0
Napoli 43 57 0 0
NUN 26287 0 58 33 9
SME 7048 0 67 33 0
Sunny Dee 32 68 0 0
SV2998MF 0 100 0 0
SV6239MF 25 75 0 0
Tweety 6 64 24 6
ESC-14-93 40 60 0 0
LM-14-92 13 88 0 0
Average 21 68 9 2

Table 13. Muskmelon cultigen trial yields1, Cumulative fruit weight, (x 100), per acre across all harvests. Kinston, NC, 2014.

Cultivar

Fruit size category

Cumulative Totals 2

Avg. Wt. 3

< 3 lb

3-7 lb

7.1 – 9 lb

> 9 lb

351 5.0 323.8 155.7 86.5 571.0 6.2
7609 19.9 471.2 26.0 0.0 517.2 5.0
Aphrodite 0.0 149.6 245.6 303.2 698.4 8.1
Athena 14.7 424.7 131.0 31.4 601.8 5.5
Atlantis 5.9 289.8 307.3 54.3 657.3 6.6
Banzai 283.4 158.3 0.0 0.0 441.7 2.6
Camposol 0.0 373.5 225.6 0.0 599.2 6.5
Caribbean Gold 14.3 589.3 8.1 0.0 611.6 4.9
Caribbean King 5.3 410.9 167.3 147.0 730.5 6.7
Florida 326.6 73.6 0.0 0.0 400.2 2.2
Hibrix 6.0 376.9 58.2 40.5 481.6 5.8
Infinite Gold 20.6 473.4 93.7 0.0 587.6 5.2
Napoli 17.5 494.5 25.1 0.0 537.1 4.6
NUN 26287 2.2 219.8 363.4 211.9 797.3 7.6
SME 7048 0.0 500.3 181.4 10.0 691.7 6.0
Sunny Dee 80.5 496.8 99.8 0.0 677.0 4.5
SV2998MF 0.0 518.9 124.4 20.6 663.9 6.0
SV6239MF 19.6 503.7 18.5 0.0 541.8 4.6
Tweety 5.0 247.4 232.5 30.7 515.6 6.7
ESC-14-93 52.5 621.3 31.4 0.0 705.1 4.8
LM-14-92 30.3 386.2 16.8 0.0 433.2 4.6
Average 43.3 385.9 119.6 44.6 593.4 5.5
LSD (0.05) 46.9 121.9 91.2 94.5 130.8 0.6

1 Melons were harvested 3 times per week.
2 Cumulative total includes all fruit size categories.
3 Average fruit weights were determined using total cumulative weights and numbers from respective harvests.

Table 14. Muskmelon cultigen trial yields1, Cumulative fruit per acre number across all harvests. Kinston, NC, 2014.

Cultivar

Fruit size category

Cumulative Totals 2

< 3 lb

3-7 lb

7.1 – 9 lb

> 9 lb

351 218 6098 1960 871 9148
7609 762 9257 327 0 10346
Aphrodite 0 2614 3049 2940 8603
Athena 653 8276 1742 327 10999
Atlantis 218 5336 3812 545 9910
Banzai 12415 4792 0 0 17206
Camposol 0 6316 2940 0 9257
Caribbean Gold 545 11652 109 0 12306
Caribbean King 218 7514 2178 980 10890
Florida 15791 2287 0 0 18077
Hibrix 218 6970 762 436 8385
Infinite Gold 871 9257 1198 0 11326
Napoli 653 10672 327 0 11652
NUN 26287 109 3812 4574 1960 10454
SME 7048 0 9039 2396 109 11543
Sunny Dee 3267 10237 1307 0 14810
SV2998MF 0 9257 1634 218 11108
SV6239MF 762 10781 218 0 11761
Tweety 218 4356 2940 327 7841
ESC-14-93 2287 11979 436 0 14702
LM-14-92 1307 7841 218 0 9365
Average 1929 7540 1530 415 11414
LSD (0.05) 2237 2434 1167 836 2403

1 Melons were harvested 3 times per week.
2 Cumulative total includes all fruit size categories.
3 Average fruit weights were determined using total cumulative weights and numbers from respective harvests.

Table 15. Muskmelon cultigen trial yields; Percent of fruit weight perindicated size category – Cumulative harvests. Kinston, NC, 2014.

Cultivar

Fruit size category

< 3 lb

3-7 lb

7.1 – 9 lb

> 9 lb

351 1 59 25 15
7609 4 91 5 0
Aphrodite 0 20 36 43
Athena 3 71 22 5
Atlantis 1 45 46 8
Banzai 66 34 0 0
Camposol 0 62 38 0
Caribbean Gold 2 97 1 0
Caribbean King 1 56 23 20
Florida 82 18 0 0
Hibrix 1 81 10 7
Infinite Gold 4 81 16 0
Napoli 3 92 5 0
NUN 26287 0 29 46 25
SME 7048 0 72 27 2
Sunny Dee 12 75 13 0
SV2998MF 0 79 18 3
SV6239MF 4 93 3 0
Tweety 1 45 47 6
ESC-14-93 7 89 4 0
LM-14-92 7 90 3 0
Average 9 66 19 6
LSD (0.05) 10 18 15 11

Table 16.Muskmelon cultigen trial yields; Percent fruit number per indicated size category – Cumulative harvests. Kinston, NC, 2014.

Cultivar

Fruit size category

< 3 lb

3-7 lb

7.1 – 9 lb

> 9 lb

351 3 67 21 10
7609 7 89 3 0
Aphrodite 0 29 36 34
Athena 6 75 16 3
Atlantis 2 54 38 6
Banzai 72 28 0 0
Camposol 0 68 32 0
Caribbean Gold 4 95 1 0
Caribbean King 2 69 20 9
Florida 87 13 0 0
Hibrix 2 84 9 5
Infinite Gold 8 82 11 0
Napoli 6 92 3 0
NUN 26287 1 37 44 18
SME 7048 0 78 21 1
Sunny Dee 21 70 8 0
SV2998MF 0 84 15 2
SV6239MF 7 91 2 0
Tweety 3 52 40 4
ESC-14-93 15 82 3 0
LM-14-92 14 84 2 0
Average 12 68 15 4
LSD (0.05) 12 17 13 8

Table 17. Muskmelon cultigen trial percentage of fruit number harvested among varying harvest intervals. Kinston, NC, 2014

Cultivar

Pecentage harvested among harvest periods

Early Harvests1

Mid Harvests2

Late Harvests3

351 26 49 25
7609 16 68 16
Aphrodite 37 46 18
Athena 56 28 16
Atlantis 44 44 12
Banzai 11 65 24
Camposol – – 61 39
Caribbean Gold 7 76 17
Caribbean King 33 58 9
Florida 16 47 37
Hibrix 4 62 34
Infinite Gold 19 74 7
Napoli 48 46 7
NUN 26287 23 43 34
SME 7048 18 76 6
Sunny Dee 32 51 16
SV2998MF 30 60 10
SV6239MF 19 66 15
Tweety 1 53 46
ESC-14-93 31 61 7
LM-14-92 36 55 9
Average 25 56 20

1 Early harvests (1-3) : 9 – 14 July (55 – 59 days after planting).
2 Mid harvests (4-7) : 16 July – 23 July (61 – 69 days after planting).
3 Late harvests (8-10) : 5 July – 1 Aug. (71 – 78 days after planting)

Table 18. Eastern muskmelon hybrid cultivar trial. Descriptive characteristics and interior fruit quality. Kinston, N.C., 2014.

Cultivar

SS2

Sutures3

Netting Density4

Netting Type5

Stem Scar6

Stem Splitting7

LD8

351 13.6 3.5 2.8 3.3 0.0 0.0 1.2
7609 13.6 1.0 3.3 2.8 1.4 1.1 1.1
Aphrodite 13.0 2.5 2.4 2.8 3.4 2.6 1.1
Athena 12.6 1.5 2.9 2.8 1.6 1.9 1.1
Atlantis 12.6 1.4 2.5 2.9 1.9 2.1 1.1
Banzai 16.0 2.8 2.0 3.1 0.0 0.0 1.0
Camposol 14.0 2.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.3
Caribbean Gold 13.6 1.0 3.3 2.9 0.0 0.0 1.2
Caribbean King 13.7 1.0 2.9 2.8 0.0 0.0 1.1
Florida 14.2 2.5 2.4 2.9 0.0 0.0 1.1
Hibrix 14.7 1.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.2
Infinite Gold 13.6 1.1 3.4 3.0 0.0 0.0 1.1
Napoli 13.9 3.4 2.8 3.0 2.4 2.6 1.1
NUN 26287 12.0 1.9 3.0 2.8 0.9 1.4 1.1
SME 7048 13.0 1.0 2.3 2.6 0.0 0.0 1.1
Sunny Dee 13.3 3.1 2.3 2.6 0.0 0.0 1.1
SV2998MF 13.5 1.0 3.1 3.0 0.0 0.0 1.1
SV6239MF 13.7 1.3 3.4 3.3 0.0 0.0 1.1
Tweety 14.1 2.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.2
ESC-14-93 13.2 1.5 3.1 3.6 1.9 2.4 1.0
LM-14-92 14.1 1.1 2.8 2.4 0.0 0.0 1.1
Average 13.6 1.8 2.4 2.5 0.6 0.7 1.1
LSD (0.05) 0.7 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.6 0.8 0.1

1 Most measurements were obtained from fruits in harvests 2-6.
2 SS = Indicates sweetness, average of 5 melons per replication (20 total).
3 Sutures: 1 = none, 3=moderate, 5 = deep.
4 Netting Density: 1=none, 5=dense.
5 Netting Type: 1 = fine, 5 =thick ropy.
6 Stem Scar: 1 = small, 3=medium, 5 = large (unattractive).
7 Stem Splitting: 1= none, 5 = extensive (unmarketable).
8 LD = Length and diameter ratio, average of 5 melons per replication.

Cultivar

Flesh Color9

Flesh Firmness10

Cavity11

Shape12

Foliage Cover13

351 3.0 6.5 1.9 4.6 3.9
7609 4.3 6.2 1.6 4.9 4.0
Aphrodite 2.8 3.8 3.0 3.6 4.3
Athena 2.8 2.9 2.3 4.3 4.0
Atlantis 3.8 3.6 2.5 4.4 3.9
Banzai 4.0 7.0 1.1 4.4 4.5
Camposol 0.0 5.7 2.4 4.1 4.9
Caribbean Gold 2.6 7.0 1.8 4.3 4.3
Caribbean King 2.8 5.8 2.1 4.9 4.4
Florida 4.3 7.2 1.0 3.8 4.5
Hibrix 0.0 4.3 2.1 4.3 4.6
Infinite Gold 3.5 6.1 1.8 4.3 3.9
Napoli 3.0 4.7 1.4 4.6 4.0
NUN 26287 2.9 4.1 2.5 4.2 4.4
SME 7048 3.5 5.5 2.0 4.9 4.0
Sunny Dee 3.4 5.5 1.8 4.6 3.9
SV2998MF 3.1 7.3 1.5 4.6 3.6
SV6239MF 3.5 6.9 1.1 3.8 4.0
Tweety 0.0 4.6 2.8 3.6 5.0
ESC-14-93 3.0 4.9 2.0 4.6 4.5
LM-14-92 2.3 5.0 1.9 4.6 4.5
Average 2.8 5.5 1.9 4.4 4.2
LSD (0.05) 0.6 0.8 0.5 0.5 0.5

9 Flesh color: 1 = pale orange, 5 = deep orange.
10 Flesh Firmness is represented in pounds.
11 Cavity: 1=small, 2=medium, 3=large
12 Shape: 1=all fruit are various, 3 = majority are the same, 5 = all fruit same shape.
13 Foliage cover: 1 = no fruit covered, 5 = all fruit covered (lush).