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The genus Cucumis (family Cucurbitaceae) includes a large number of economically important crops, such as melon (Cucumis melo) and cucumber (Cucumis sativus), that are widely cultivated. Muskmelons, called cantaloupes in Texas, are popular among consumers for their taste, flavor, and health benefits. These nutritious fruits are a rich source of provitamin A, vitamin C, folate, minerals, fiber, and polyphenols with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Once considered ‘seasonal delights’ because of their relatively short domestic production season, intense breeding efforts, horticultural advances, and imports have enabled year-round availability. Major domestic commercial production regions are in the southern parts of the United States, including California, Arizona, Texas, Georgia, and Florida, with ideal growing conditions (long, warm, frost-free growing seasons) and harvest windows ranging from April through December depending on location. According to US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) 2021 Vegetable Summary, the value of US cantaloupe production was $277.5 million in 2021, up from $237.7 million in 2019 but slightly down from $291.9 million in 2020 (USDA 2022). The western shipper type of cantaloupe melons is popular for long-haul shipping. Their heavy net, absence of suturing, and small seed cavities all contribute to superior handling during shipping and longer shelf life at retail outlets. Unfortunately, the vines and fruits are susceptible to many biotic and abiotic stresses, which result in inconsistent fruit quality and shelf life. When consumers encounter low-quality melons, they are unlikely to make repeat purchases. Therefore, the goal of the breeding efforts that resulted in these two new cultivars was to combine traits that optimize disease resistance and yield and enhance retail and sensory quality parameters. This was accomplished by selecting for healthy vines and vigorous root systems in disease-prone environments. Healthy vines are known to support higher photosynthetic carbon dioxide assimilation rates, the source of sugars for fruit quality (Mitchell et al. 1992). Similarly, a vigorous root system is vital for tolerating soilborne diseases and abiotic stresses (water/nutrient deficits). Under the “Table to Farm: A Sustainable, Systems-Based Approach for a Safer and Healthier Melon Supply Chain in the U.S.” project (USDA-NIFA-SCRI-2017-51181-26834), breeding efforts focused on combining enhanced levels of beneficial phytochemicals, such as beta-carotene, aromatic volatiles, and total sugars, with good field performance. The results are new inbred lines with resistance to Monosporascus root rot and vine decline (MRRVD), enhanced powdery mildew resistance, and improved fruit quality with preferred 9 to 12 sizes (Suslow et al. 1997). |
