PSI: 2002 Melon Trials

These varieties have been bred under conventional conditions, so we expected to see differences in their performance under organic conditions. Again, the hope is that promising varieties will be commercialized by small, regional seed companies, thus making them available to farmers. This summary is intended to provide a brief picture of what performed well and what did not.

NY01-907 F1: A Cornell hybrid eastern melon (similar to Athena) with excellent powdery mildew resistance (PMR) and some Fusarium 2 resistance. This variety also has resistance to Papaya Ringspot Virus (PRSV) and Zucchini Yellow Mosaic Virus (ZYMV). It has good yield and excellent sweet flavor. The average size fruit was 3.5—5 lbs. In one trial, NY01-907 out-yielded Athena F1. In another trial, susceptible varieties such as Delicious 51 died completely from powdery mildew while NY01-907 produced well. This variety has some keeping and shipping quality when harvested at slip. In another trial, NY01-907 appeared to be somewhat tolerant of downy mildew and gummy stem blight.

(339 Series x ZBC5TUF11)F1: A Cornell hybrid with excellent PMR and some virus resistance. This variety also showed resistance to PRSV and probably ZYMV. This variety has good yield as well as excellent flavor and sugar. The average fruit size was 2.5—4 lbs. In one trial, (339 Series x ZBC5TUF) seemed somewhat tolerant of downy mildew and gummy stem blight.
Other Promising Varieties: PMR Iroquois OP (good yield and quality, excellent PMR and possibly some Fusarium 2 resistance) Delicious 51 PMR OP (good yield and quality, excellent PMR and possibly some Fusarium 2 resistance)