Raleigh, North Carolina
November, 2007
Source:
Plant Breeding News, 12 November 2007 -- Edition 184
A newsletter from the Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO)
and Cornell
University
Contributed by Todd Wehner,
Department of Horticultural Science, North Carolina State
University
Oriental crisp-flesh melons (Cucumis melo L.) have been a
popular specialty crop in North Carolina for the past few years.
Four hybrids ('NC-Sparta',
'NC-Sapphire', 'NC-Star' and 'NC-Stella') and their seven
inbred parents (NC-301, NC-302, NC-303, NC-304, NC-305,
NC-306, and NC-309) are being released by
North Carolina State University
for use by industry.
As with most cucurbit cultivars
released from N.C. State, 'NC-Sparta', 'NC-Sapphire', 'NC-Star'
and 'NC-Stella' were named for places in North Carolina.
'NC-Sparta' is the F1 of NC-301 x NC-304, 'NC-Sapphire' is the
F1 of NC-303 x NC-309, 'NC-Star' is the F1 of NC-302 x NC-305,
and 'NC-Stella' is the F1 of NC-302 x NC-306.
The inbreds have been
self-pollinated past the S7 generation. Selection was for fruit
shape, smooth rind, crisp flesh texture, white flesh color, high
sugar content, excellent flavor, high marketable yield, early
maturity, small seed cavity, freedom from defects, and improved
resistance to foliar diseases, mainly downy mildew
(Pseudoperonospora cubensis), and powdery mildew (Podosphaera
xanthii).
There was also selection for basic
growth and reproduction traits, including good seed yield, rapid
seed germination and emergence, and rapid vine growth and
flowering.
All four hybrids have crisp, white flesh, similar to 'Sprite'.
The inbreds and hybrids have
andromonoecious flowering habit, indeterminate plant type,
moderate fruit yield, early maturity, smooth white rind, crisp
flesh texture, white flesh color, high sugar content,
medium-sized seed cavity, freedom from defects; and palmate
leaves with serrated margins.
The fruit are uniform in shape,
with a tough and thin rind. The fruit develop brown cracks that
occur radially around the blossom scar at fruit maturity; radial
cracks are an indicator of maturity.
'NC-Sparta' has medium size
fruit (0.7 kg), elongate shape (LD of 1.2) and a sweetness of 12
brix.
'NC-Sapphire' has large size fruit (0.8 kg), elongate
shape (LD of 1.2) and a sweetness of 12 brix.
'NC-Star' has small size fruit (0.6 kg), elongate shape
(LD of 1.2) and a sweetness of 13 brix.
'NC-Stella' has small size fruit (0.6 kg), round shape
(LD of 1.1) and a sweetness of 13 brix.
Seeds of the hybrids and inbreds are available to interested
plant breeders.
For more information, see
http://cucurbitbreeding.ncsu.edu/. |
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