2019 ASHS Annual Conference

In Spring 2018, eight varieties of cantaloupe (Cucumis melo var. cantalupensis) and honeydew (Cucumis melo (Indorus Group)) were evaluated for yield and quality characteristics in Tifton, Georgia. This variety trial was part of a larger nationwide trial that evaluated the impact of environment on variation of quality traits in melons as well as the ability of human pathogens to adhere to the surface of melon fruit. Melons were planted on 27 Mar. and grown using plastic mulch and drip irrigation following standard practices for the region. The trial was a randomized complete block design with four replicates. Fruit were harvested from 1-19 June and individually weighed to get size classifications. Fruit from a representative harvest were analyzed for rind thickness, firmness (8mm probe), total soluble solids, seed cavity area and netting pattern. ‘Athena’ which is an industry standard was the highest yielding cantaloupe, though it was not significantly different from 3 other varieties. ‘Athena’ had the highest yield of 9-count fruit and an average fruit weight of 1.9 kg. ‘Infinite Gold’ and ‘Davinci’ were had the highest flesh firmness ratings, while F-39 had the lowest firmness of all fruit trialed. ‘HD252’ was the highest yielding honeydew variety, with a yield of 38,400 kgˑha^-1. Our data suggests that current industry standards are performing adequately in terms of yield and quality; however, new varieties may offer improved characteristics for food safety purposes.