‘Supermelon’ and ‘Flavorific’: Two New Hybrid Muskmelon Cultivars with Resistance to Monosporascus cannonballus from Texas A&M AgriLife Research

Abstract

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 antiinflammatory 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,