Rogers/Syngenta Seeds, Inc.

MELON

Trial Data: Western Shipper Eastern Shipper Honeydew Melons Specialty Melons

D E S E R T S O U T H W E S T	Ocotillo is a very early Western Shipper that has consistently developed large melons in the early planting slot in Desert Southwest trials. This melon has delivered mostly 9s for fruit size, and features a tan shell color with a thick, ropey net at full slip. Fruit have demonstrated a consistent, tight cavity and attractive flesh color.	Sol Real has performed particularly well in the Desert Southwest. The melon features a strong vine that enables it to make good size (mostly 9 to 12s) and remain highly uniform with few culls. It also develops a strong net under hot temperatures typical of main season growing conditions. The interiors are typically excellent with a dark orange, firm flesh, small seed cavities, and excellent sugars. This variety is very well suited for shippers and packers.
D E S E R T S O U T H W E S T	Esteem has performed especially well in the Desert Southwest. It features a tight seed cavity, dark orange flesh, and a raised, ropey net with excellent net density providing for a very attractive melon. This variety has produced a very strong robust plant that protects the fruit under adverse conditions and produces fruit that are mostly sizes 9 to 12. When compared to other “true main season”-type varieties, Esteem typically matures 3 to 5 days earlier and requires fewer harvests to finish the field.	Gold Express is a Western Shipper for true main season conditions. It typically produces medium to large fruit with a dense net for a superior appearance. Designed for pro-longed harvest conditions, Gold Express features an excellent internal quality with a tight seed cavity and dark, firm flesh. It has performed well in late Spring and Fall plantings in the Desert Southwest, and provides growers in the San Joaquin Valley a main season variety with improved fruit size.	El Camino has produced large fruit (mostly 9s) with thick flesh and good net coverage under Central Arizona conditions. This melon has also shown adaptation in Central Arizona for both Spring and Fall conditions. It features excellent interior quality and a maturity approximately 2 to 3 days earlier than most main season-type varieties.
S O U T H T E X A S	First Early Primo is considered a standard early variety in the Desert Southwest, Texas, and Mexico. The melon is one of the earliest varieties to deliver good yields of large fruit, even under conditions that tend to inhibit size. It also tends to produce early crown set melons with excellent size. Primo features a sutureless exterior with a heavy net, sweet, dark orange flesh, and a small seed cavity.	First Early Rio Rico is an early maturing Primo-type melon that has shown strong performance in early season Texas. Maturing approximately 2 days later than Primo and featuring a more rounded melon and denser net, Rio Rico has performed well under tough growing conditions.	Second Early Motagua has done well in Second Early plantings. This melon features a very attractive, complete, dense net and a rich, orange flesh color. It also provides a strong, healthy plant for tough growing conditions.
S A N J O A Q U I N	El Camino has produced large fruit (mostly 9s and larger) with excellent flesh thickness in the San Joaquin Valley. This melon is an excellent choice for early season and Fall harvests, and delivers a very healthy vine with an excellent disease package. In the Fall, this variety is 5 days earlier than Ovation with excellent fruit size and quality.	Gold Express is a Western Shipper for true main season conditions. The variety typically produces medium to large fruit and an excellent dense net for a superior appearance. Designed for prolonged harvest conditions, Gold Express has an excellent internal quality featuring a tight seed cavity and dark, firm flesh. The melon has performed well in late Spring plantings and Fall plantings in the Desert Southwest. In the San Joaquin Valley, it has provided growers with a main season variety characterized by improved fruit size.
E A S T E R N	Athena is an innovative hybrid cantaloupe with fruit that stays on the vine to maximize sweetness – without going soft. These melons tend to stay firm even when harvested at full slip. This variety does not trade flavor for firmness, making it the melon of choice in the Eastern US.	Aphrodite typically produces large melons weighing 6 to 7 pounds for Eastern US growers, with a maturity 2 to 3 days earlier than Athena. This cantaloupe has shown an improved fruit net, an important advantage for fall plantings or under conditions where net can be weak. Choose Aphrodite for a full season planting program—start and finish with Aphrodite, and plant mid-season with Athena.	Minerva is a larger-fruited Eastern-type melon that has performed well in planting programs. On average, Minerva fruit weighs 2 to 3 pounds more than Athena and matures 2 to 3 days later. The fruit is typically oval in shape to slightly “lobey.” It features slight sutures and a coarse open net that covers the entire melon, including the sutures. This variety has been shown to have a strong, vigorous plant.
H O N E Y D E W	Silver Express features medium-sized fruit on a strong plant. This honeydew is a durable variety, and the fruit have a medium cavity size with average flesh firmness. The fruit are typically round and smooth with excellent post-harvest qualities. In trials, they did not develop the physiological “injury” in storage that occurred with other commercial varieties.	Silverado produces a larger-sized honeydew on a strong plant. The variety features large round fruit with a creamy white exterior, excellent post-harvest qualities, and a medium cavity size.
S P E C I A L T Y	Sancho is a Piel de Sapo-type melon with golden green skin and creamy white flesh. It produces very uniform, large, oval-shaped fruit ranging from 6.5 to 9 pounds. The variety has demonstrated an excellent post-harvest shelf life and performs well in local markets and during shipment. To obtain the best fruit quality, it is recommended that growers harvest the fruit when the rind tends towards a golden color. Sancho is a good choice for growers wanting a larger Piel de Sapo-type melon and a disease package that includes intermediate resistance to powdery mildew.	Merak is a long shelf life galia-typemelon with firm flesh and high brix. Its fruit has a yellow rind throughout development, and harvest is determined by the color of the stem attachment. A yellow cast on the stem, which develops prior to any cracking at the base of the stem attachment, indicates the fruit is maturing. This melon is well-suited for export markets or long-distance markets that require excellent shipping qualities.

Variety

Description

Approx.
Days to
Maturity

Avg. Size
Shape &
Length x
Width (in.)

Interior
Appearance

Exterior
Appearance

Disease
Resistance

WESTERN SHIPPER CLASS

Ocotillo
First Early

Ocotillo is a very early Western Shipper that has consistently developed large melons in the early planting slot in Desert Southwest trials.

Mostly 9’s.
Slight oval.
6.5 x 6

Medium dark
orange.
Tight cavity.

Raised net. Medium ropey. Slightly coarse net. Sutureless.

HR:
Fom (0, 2)
IR: Sf (1)
T: S

Primo
First Early

Primo is one of the earliest varieties to deliver good yields of large fruit, even when conditions inhibit size.

Large, mostly all 9’s.
Slight oval.
7.5 x 7

Thick, medium
dark orange.
Medium cavity.

Heavy netting. Sutureless, slight indentations.

HR: Sf (1, 2)
T: S

Rio Rico
First Early

Rio Rico is an early maturing Primo-type melon that has shown strong performance in early season Texas.

Mostly 9’s. Round
to slight oval.

Medium orange. Tight cavity.

Medium raised, dense net.

HR: Sf (1, 2)
T: S

Sol Dorado
Second Early

Sol Dorado is an early-maturing Western Shipper that consistently delivers uniform, high quality melons with small seed cavities surrounded by thick, dark orange flesh.

Mostly 12’s.
Slight oval.
6 x 5.5

Dark orange. Very tight cavity.

Raised net. Medium ropey. Good density. Sutureless.

HR:
Fom (0, 2);
Sf (1, 2)
T: S

Motagua
Second Early

Motagua is an early-maturing melon with a very attractive, complete, medium raised dense net and rich orange flesh.

Mostly 9’s. Round
to slight oval.
7 x 6.5

Medium dark orange. Medium cavity.

Medium raised, dense complete net. Sutureless.

HR:
Fom (0, 2);
Sf (1, 2)
T: S

Sol Real
Second Early to Main Season

Sol Real has performed particularly well in the Desert Southwest and features a strong vine and good size (mostly 9-12s), and remains highly uniform with few culls.

Mostly 9-12’s.
Slight oval.
6 x 5.5

Dark orange. Very tight cavity.

Raised net. Medium ropey. Good density. Sutureless.

HR:
Fom (0, 2);
Sf (1, 2)
T: S

Esteem
Second Early to Main Season

Esteem has a strong, robust plant and features a tight seed cavity, dark orange flesh, and a raised, ropey net providing for a very attractive melon.

Mostly 9-12’s.
Slight oval.
6 x 5.5

Dark orange. Tight cavity.

Raised net. Thick ropey. High net density. Sutureless.

HR:
Fom (0, 2);
Sf (1, 2)
T: S

Ovation
Second Early or Fall Harvest

Ovation features an excellent disease package, a strong, healthy vine, and performs well under tough growing conditions.

Mostly 12’s. Round to slight oval.
6.5 x 6

Firm, orange flesh. Medium cavity.

Full net. Uniform. Sutureless.

HR:
Fom (0, 2);
Sf (1)
IR: Sf (2)
T: S

El Camino
Second Early or Fall Harvest

El Camino offers early maturity and has produced large fruit (mostly 9s) with thick flesh and good net coverage.

Mostly 9’s.
Slight oval to round.
7 x 6.8

Medium dark orange. Medium tight cavity.

Medium raised, dense net.
Sutureless.

HR:
Fom (0, 2);
Sf (1, 2)
T: S

Joaquin Gold
Main Season

Joaquin Gold has performed best in the San Joaquin Valley and produces heavy fruit with excellent quality and high packouts.

Mostly 12’s.
Slight oval.
5.75 x 5.25

Dark orange. Tight cavity.

Medium raised, dense, complete net. Sutureless.

HR:
Fom (0, 2);
Sf (1, 2)
T: S

Acclaim
Main Season

Acclaim is a widely-adapted melon that produces fruit with firm interior flesh and a raised exterior net, and features a strong disease package.

Mostly 12’s.
Slight oval.
6 x 5.5

Firm, medium dark orange. Medium cavity.

Full, raised netting. Sutureless.

HR:
Fom (0, 2);
Sf (1, 2)
T: S

Veracruz
Main Season

Veracruz is a high quality, main-season melon that features excellent internal color and flavor.

Mostly 15-18’s.
Round to slight oval. 5.5 x 5

Deep orange. Tight cavity. Excellent flavor.

Heavy net. Uniform. Sutureless.

HR:
Fom (0, 2);
Sf (1, 2)
T: S

Gold Express
Main Season

Gold Express is a true, main season variety that produces medium to large fruit with an excellent dense net for a superior appearance.

Mostly 9-12’s.
Round to slight
oval.
6.1 x 5.9

Dark orange. Tight cavity.

Ropey, dense net. Sutureless.

HR:
Fom (0, 2);
Sf (1, 2)
T: S

EASTERN SHIPPER CLASS

Aphrodite

Aphrodite typically produces larger, Athena-type melons weighing 6 to 7 pounds for Eastern US growers.

Approx. 6-7 lbs.
Uniform oval.
7 x 6.5

Thick flesh

similar to Athena.

Medium coarse netting.

Slight suture that is netted.

HR:
Fom (0, 1, 2); Sf (1)

IR: Sf (2)

T: S

Athena

Athena, an industry standard, is an innovative hybrid

cantaloupe with fruit that stays on the vine to maximize sweetness.

Approx. 5-6 lbs.

Uniform oval.

7 x 6.5

Thick flesh. Very

firm flesh for

an Eastern type.

Coarse netting. Minor,

netted indentations.

HR:
Fom (0, 1, 2); Sf (1, 2)

T: S

Minerva

Minerva is an Eastern-type melon with large fruit that

are typically oval in shape to slightly "lobey" and have

slight sutures and a coarse open net.

Approx. 7-8 lbs.

Oval to flat oval.

8 x 7.5

Thick flesh

with good flesh

firmness.

Coarse, open netting.

Sutures are slight to

medium and netted.

HR:
Fom (0, 1, 2); Sf (1)

IR: Sf (2)

T: S

HONEYDEW MELONS

Silver Express

Silver Express features a strong plant and medium sized fruit with a medium cavity size.

Mostly 6’s with

some 5’s.

Light green.

Smooth, creamy white.

HR:
Fom (0, 2);
Sf (1)

IR: Sf (2)

T: S

Silverado

Silverado features a large round fruit with a creamy white exterior and a medium cavity size.

Mostly 5’s.

Light green.

Smooth, creamy white.

HR:
Fom (0, 2);
Sf (1)

T: S

Honey King

Honey King has performed well in parts of Mexico and offers an excellent interior quality with high-soluble

solids for the taste and texture consumers prefer.

Mostly 5-6’s.

Round.

7.5 x 7.0

Emerald green

flesh. Sweet.

Hard, smooth, creamy

white when ripe.

IR: Sf (1)

T: S

SPECIALTY MELONS

Vicar

Galia Type

Vicar performs especially well in open field

production areas that require extended shelf life

for export markets.

700-1100 grams.

Round.

4.5 x 4.5

White-green

flesh. Small

cavity.

Thick and dense netting.

Sutureless.

HR:
Fom (0, 1, 2)

IR: Sf (1)

Galileo

Galia Type

Galileo is an extended shelf life melon that typically

produces fruit weighing about 1250 grams for export

markets demanding larger fruit sizes.

1000-1300 grams.

Round to slightly

oval. 5 x 5

White with slight

green tint.

Very firm flesh.

Full net. Uniform.

Sutureless.

HR:
Fom (0, 1)

IR: Sf (1)

Sancho

Piel de Sapo Type

Sancho is a Piel de Sapo-type melon featuring golden

green skin, creamy white flesh, and very uniform,

large, oval-shaped fruit ranging from 6.5 to 9 pounds.

6.5-9.0 lbs.

Oval shape.

Creamy-white

flesh.

Will ripen to a golden

color.

HR:
Fom (0, 1)

IR: Sf (1)

Merak

galia Type

Merak is a long shelf life galia with firm flesh and high brix. The fruit has yellow rind throughout development.

2.5-3.0 lbs.
round
6 x 6

Light green with firm flesh

Full net
Uniform
Sutureless

HR:
Fom (0, 1, 2)

IR: Sf (2)

View Disease Abbreviation Key

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