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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Table 5. Muskmelon cultigen trial yields, Cumulative fruit weight, (x 100), per acre for mid¹ season harvests 4 – 7. Kinston, NC, 2014.

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 mid¹ season harvests 4 – 7. Kinston, NC, 2014.

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.

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

Table 9. Muskmelon cultigen trial yields, Cumulative fruit weight, (x 100), per acre for late¹ season harvests 8 – 10. Kinston, NC, 2014.

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 late¹ season harvests 8 – 10. Kinston, NC, 2014.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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).