Olericulture – Hort 320 Lesson 20, Cucurbits (abbreviated)
Jeremy S. Cowan WSU Spokane County Extension 222 N. Havana St. Spokane, WA 99202 Phone: 509-477-2145 Fax: 509-477-2087 Email: [email protected] "The true southern watermelon is a boon apart and not to be mentioned with commoner things. It is chief of this world’s luxuries, king by the grace of God over all the fruits of the earth. When one has tasted it, he knows what the angels eat." Mark Twain Watermelon fruit Watermelon
Taxonomy
Dicotyledon Family: Cucurbitaceae
Genus and species: Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai
Related species: melons, gourds, luffa, cucumber Watermelon
Origin and Domestication
Indigenous to south-central Africa (dry savannah regions)
Ancient cultivation in the Mediterranean
Unknown in Europe before 1600 AD
Taken to North America by 1630 AD Watermelon
Market Evolution
Important source of water for foragers in savannah regions
Became a staple of subsistence farmers – nutrition, water storage
Developed into an item of local trade
Now an important cash crop used in worldwide export activity Watermelon
Use and importance
Nutritionally lean due to high water content
Good source of carbohydrates, energy, and calories
Moderate source of vitamin A and vitamin C
Watermelon
Genetics and breeding
Diploid
Chromosome number 2n=22
Tetraploid forms used to create seedless melons 4n X 2n = 3n (seedless)
Hybrids becoming common in the U.S (good for uniformity rather than vigor and yield) Watermelon
Climate and soils
Warm season, tender crop
Cannot withstand frost
Susceptible to chilling injury (<45 degrees)
Optimum temperatures 70-100 degrees
Produces best quality in climates with low humidity
Grows in most soils, earlier in light soils Traditional Seedless Yellow flesh Orange flesh Icebox
Melon
Taxonomy
Dicotyledon Family: Cucurbitaceae
Genus and species: Cucumis melo L.
Related species: watermelon, gourds, luffa, cucumber Melon
Domestication
Indigenous to Africa
Secondary centers of diversity in India, Iran, Russia, China
Cultivated in Egypt prior to 2400 BC
Name after Cantaluppi, Italy
Melon - Botany
Eight sub-species groups Cantalupensis – cantaloupe, muskmelon Inodorus – winter melon (casaba, honeydew) Flexuosus – snake melon, Armenian cucumber Conomon – oriental pickling melon Chito – mango melon Dudaim – pomegranate melon Momordica – Snap melon Agrestis – wild type Melon - Botany
Eight sub-species groups Cantalupensis – cantaloupe, muskmelon Inodorus – winter melon (casaba, honeydew) Flexuous – snake melon, Armenian cucumber Conomon – oriental pickling melon Chito – mango melon Dudaim – pomegranate melon Momordica – Snap melon Agrestis – wild type Melon - Botany
Eight sub-species groups Cantalupensis – cantaloupe, muskmelon Inodorus – winter melon (casaba, honeydew) Flexuous – snake melon, Armenian cucumber Conomon – oriental pickling melon Chito – mango melon Dudaim – pomegranate melon Momordica – Snap melon Agrestis – wild type Melon - Botany
Eight sub-species groups Cantalupensis – cantaloupe, muskmelon Inodorus – winter melon (casaba, honeydew) Flexuous – snake melon, Armenian cucumber Conomon – oriental pickling melon Chito – mango melon Dudaim – pomegranate melon Momordica – Snap melon Agrestis – wild type Melon - Botany
Eight sub-species groups Cantalupensis – cantaloupe, muskmelon Inodorus – winter melon (casaba, honeydew) Flexuous – snake melon, Armenian cucumber Conomon – oriental pickling melon Chito – mango melon Dudaim – pomegranate melon Momordica – Snap melon Agrestis – wild type Melon - Botany
Eight sub-species groups Cantalupensis – cantaloupe, muskmelon Inodorus – winter melon (casaba, honeydew) Flexuous – snake melon, Armenian cucumber Conomon – oriental pickling melon Chito – mango melon Dudaim – pomegranate melon Momordica – Snap melon Agrestis – wild type Melon - Botany
Eight sub-species groups Cantalupensis – cantaloupe, muskmelon Inodorus – winter melon (casaba, honeydew) Flexuous – snake melon, Armenian cucumber Conomon – oriental pickling melon Chito – mango melon Dudaim – pomegranate melon Momordica – Snap melon Agrestis – wild type Melon - Botany
Eight sub-species groups Cantalupensis – cantaloupe, muskmelon Inodorus – winter melon (casaba, honeydew) Flexuous – snake melon, Armenian cucumber Conomon – oriental pickling melon Chito – mango melon Dudaim – pomegranate melon Momordica – Snap melon Agrestis – wild type Melon - Botany
Eight sub-species groups Cantalupensis – cantaloupe, muskmelon Inodorus – winter melon (casaba, honeydew) Flexuous – snake melon, Armenian cucumber Conomon – oriental pickling melon Chito – mango melon Dudaim – pomegranate melon Momordica – Snap melon Agrestis – wild type Melon Production – Harvest and handling Must be harvested fully ripe Harvest indices Muskmelon Full slip Yellow ground color Winter melons Slightly spongy stem end Yellow or gold ground color