CONN S 43 .E22 00.933 :''->?:• ^'i fc,-' V .■ *i -1 , ,t A J ■ ■*. ,,■#■,■ ■'.■'*,■ I .-*; ^;- Please handle this volume with care. The University of Connecticut Libraries, Storrs ./. u\ The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven Specialty Melon Trials 1994-1995 BY DAVID E. HILL Bulletin 933 May 1996 SUMMARY In 1994-1995, a total of 15 cultivars of specialty melons (canary, charentais, Christ- mas, Crenshaw, galia, and honeydew) and two cultivars of watermelon (one seedless) were grown at Windsor on a sandy terrace soil and at Mt. Carmel on a loamy upland soil. Yearly average yield of specialty melons ranged from 21.8-16.9 T/A at Windsor compared to 13.8-10.6 T/A at Mt. Carmel. Yearly average yield of watermelons ranged from 25.6-24.6 T/A at Windsor compared to 14.7-12.8 T/A at Mt. Carmel. In 1994, greater yield of spe- cialty melons at Windsor compared to Mt. Carmel was due to greater average number of fruit harvested (11,485/A vs. 6,495/A) and greater average weight of fruit (3.9 lb vs. 3.6 lb). In 1994, greater yield of watermelons at Windsor, compared to Mt. Carmel, was due to greater average number of fruit harvested (9,130/A vs. 8,675/A) and greater average weight of fruit (9.6 lb vs. 7.8 lb). Droughty conditions at Mt. Carmel reduced fruit set and size of fruit. In 1995, persistent drought in June and July at both sites reduced average yield of specialty melons 56% at Windsor and 4% at Mt. Carmel, compared to 1994. Among all specialty melons, yield of Tenerife (canary) was greatest in both years (avg 30.6 T/A) be- cause of heavy fruit. Greatest yield of each melon type was Passport (honeydew), Galia (galia), Acor (charentais), and Early Crenshaw (crenshaw). All were of excellent quality. Among the watermelon cultivars. Sugar Baby had the greatest yield at both sites be- cause of a large number of fruit harvested. Although the yield of Ssupersweet 2532 was smaller than Sugar Baby, the average weight of fruit was nearly two-fold greater. Management strategies are presented to provide maximum yield throughout the growing season by cultivar selection and management. The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer. Persons with disabilities who require alternate means of communication of program information should contact the Station Editor at (203) 789-7223 (voice) or 789-7232 (FAX) or caesadmn@caes. state. ct.us (e-mail). Co: •~7 Specialty Melon Trials 1994-1995 By David E. Hill Specialty melons may be defined as members of the ge- nus Cucumis whose fruits may be large, have unique flavors, and command a high price in the marketplace. In commer- cial trade, specialty melons are often referred to as "mixed melons" and include canary, crenshaw, casaba, Christmas, and Persian melons. I have taken the liberty to include mid- eastern galias and French charentais because they have tick- led the palates of European consumers for decades and whose availability in the United States is limited to occa- sional imports. I have also included honeydews and seedless watermelons because they command higher prices compared to cantaloupe and seeded watermelons. The origin of most melons is thought to be tropical and subtropical Africa and Iran east to China (Yamaguchi 1983). They were infroduced into the United States by settlers in the 1600's (Splittstoesser 1979). Melons are dominantly grown in the Southeast where temperatures are warm. New cultivars have been developed with shorter days to maturity that can be adapted to northern climates. Northern growers can also speed maturity by using transplants grown in a greenhouse. Black and IRT plastic mulch with spun-bonded polyester row covers has been shown to substantially in- crease total yield and earliness on melons grown in the Northeast (Wells and Loy 1985). Current outlook. Most areas devoted to melons are for cantaloupes. Although precise acreage in Connecticut is unknown, Stephens et al. (1988) reported 57 acres grown in 1982, largely for roadside sales. An enterprise budget devel- oped by Bravo-Ureta et al. (1985), presented a pessimistic view of cantaloupe production. Although there was a de- mand for melons, the crop would be grown at a loss based on yield projections. The enterprise budget included costs for plastic mulch, but not row covers. Based on current fri- als, it appears that projected yields in 1985 were most con- servative. Use of row covers substantially increased total yield. Further, the specialty melons are larger and command a greater price in the marketplace. In this bulletin, I shall report yield and quality of 15 cul- tivars of specialty melons and two cultivars of watermelons grown at Windsor and Mt. Carmel in 1994-1995. I shall also discuss strategies to maximize yield throughout the growing season through cultivar selection and management. METHODS AND MATERIALS Soils. Melon trials were conducted at the Valley Labo- ratory, Windsor, on a Merrimac sandy loam, a well drained, sandy terrace soil with somewhat limited moisture holding capacity and at Lockwood Farm, Mt. Carmel, on Cheshire fine sandy loam, a well drained loamy upland soil with moderate moisture holding capacity. Cultivars. Seeds were obtained from several domestic suppliers. A total of 17 cultivars were grown during the 2-year trial. The various kinds of specialty melons and their mature characteristics are listed in Table 1. Marygold is a casaba x canary cross; Honeyloupe, a cantaloupe x honey- dew cross; and Passport, a galia x honeydew cross. Seedless watermelon Ssupersweet 2532 must be grown with a seeded variety (Sugar Baby) to provide pollen for fertilization. Culture. Seeds were sown April 26-28 in 3x3x3-inch Jiffysfrips (6-pot pack) filled with Promix and placed in a greenhouse maintained at 75-90F. After germination, the plants were thinned to one per pot. Seedlings were moved to a cold frame May 20-3 1 . Water soluble 20-20-20 fertilizer (1 tbsp/gal) was added to the seedlings 3 days before they were transplanted in the field. On June 1 -6, plants of each cultivar were transplanted 2 feet apart in 50-foot rows mulched with 1.25 mil black film (3 ft wide). Row centers were alternatively 5 and 6 feet apart. Paired rows, 5 feet apart, were covered with Reemay spun-bonded polyester (10.5 ft X 50 ft). The Reemay was pinned to the soil with 6- inch wide staples that penetrated 5 inches into the soil to prevent loosening in high winds. The Reemay was removed June 2 8- July 6 to allow bees to pollinate the fu^st female flowers forming along the vines. The plant spacing of 2 ft x 5.5 ft created a density of 3960 plants/A. Fertilization. The soils were fertilized at a rate of 1000 lb/A 10-10-10 before the black film was applied. After the Reemay was removed, the strips between the black plastic were sidedressed with 240 lb/A calcium nitrate. Total appli- cation of nitrogen for the season was 140 lb/A. Soil pH was about 6.5 at each site; lime was not applied. Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin 933 Table 1. Specialty melons grown at Windsor and Mt. Carmel, 1994-1995, and their characteristics. Cultivar Year Tested 1994 1995 HONEYDEW Honey Brew Honeyloupe Passport CANARY Gold Kmg X Marygold X Tenerife X X GALIA Crete X Galia X X Ml 022 X CHARENTAIS Acor X X Alienor X Charmel X Savor X CRENSHAW Early Crenshaw X CHRISTMAS St. Nick X WATERMELON Ssupersweet 2532 X X Sugar Baby Shape Oval Oval Round Oval Oval Oval Round Round Round Round Round Round Round Oval Elliptical Round Round Mature Rind Color Surface Texture Flesh Color Pale green Smooth Pale green Cream Smooth Pale orange Greenish g( old Finely netted Pale green Yellow Smooth Pale green to cream Yellow Wrinkled Creamy white Yellow Smooth Pale green to cream Green Netted Pale green Greenish g( Did Netted Pale green Greenish g( Did Netted Pale green Gray green to buff Smooth,sutured Orange Gray green to buff Smooth, sutured Orange Gray green to buff Smooth, sutured Orange Gray green to buff Smooth, sutured Orange Yellow Dark green Smooth Striated Pale yellow to salmon Creamy white Dark and light green Smooth striped Greenish black Smooth Bright red Bright red Disease control. Powdery mildew, anthracnose, and phytophthora were controlled with alternate biweekly appli- cations of Ridomil-Bravo 81 W (3 lb/A) + Karathane WD (0.5 lb/A) and Bravo 500 (3 pt/A) + Benlate 50 DF (0.5 lb/A) from early-July to mid-August following removal of the Reemay. Insect control. Vine borers and cucumber beetles were controlled with three applications of Asana XL (9.6 oz/A). The first application followed immediately after transplant- ing but before the Reemay covered the crop. Another appli- cation was made after the Reemay was removed in early- July and again in mid- July. Weed control. Weeds were controlled with Dacthal 75 W (10 lb/A) applied to the soil strips between the mulched rows after transplanting but before placement of the Reemay cover. Occasional tall weeds that arose above the vines did not interfere with vine production or harvest of fruit. Irrigation. The crops at both sites were irrigated with 0.5-1.0 inches of water after the Reemay was removed but before the vines completely carpeted the aisles between the paired rows. Harvest of fruit. Specialty melons were harvested at both sites between August 7 and October 2. Watermelons were harvested at both sites between August 28 and October 4. All fruit was harvested at the full-ripe stage. At fiill ripe- ness, the fruit are table ready and limited to local use. Ma- ture fruit that must be transported long distances should be harvested before full ripeness. w K E- K " wu WW m'