Tropical and subtropical vegetables (2+1)

Varieties

• Muskmelon is a polymorphic taxon, encompassing a large number of botanical and horticultural groups. It includes both dessert as well as cooking and salad types like cucumber. African botanists (Nandin, 1859) divided this species into several botanical varieties adopting a trinomial classification.

  These includes
  Cucumis melo var. agrestis.
  Cucumis melo var. cultura.
  Cucumis melo var. reticulatus (netted melons).
  Cucumis melo var. cantalupensis (cantaloupe melons)
  Cucumis melo var. inodorus (winter melons & cresn Shaw).
  Cucumis melo var. flexuosus (snake or serpent or long melon).
  Cucumis melo var. chito (mango melon or lemon melon).
  Cucumis melo var. momordica (snap melon).
  Cucumis melo var. conomom (oriental pickling melon).

  Several varieties have been bred in India and released for commercial cultivation. Important characteristics of these varieties are described below.

Pusa Sharbati:
An early cultivar maturing in 85 days, leaves 5 lobed, green, pubescence and medium long petiole. Salmon orange flesh is firm and thick with small seed cavity, moderately sweet (11-12% TSS). It is a derivative from the cross Kutana X PMR-6 of USA.

Pusa Madhuras:
It is a selection from a Rajasthan collection with roundish flat fruits weighing a kg or slightly more. Vigorous vines, leaves entire green pubescent with large petioles. Salmon-orange flesh, juicy and sweet (12-14% TSS) and poor keeping quality. The average yield is 12-16 t/ha. Suitable for growing in northern India.

Pusa Rasraj (F1):
It is F1 hybrid (Monoecions 3x Durgapura Madhu) developed and released by IARI. It has been recommended for commercial cultivation in Delhi, U.P, Punjab, and Haryana & Bihar. Average fruit weight is 1-1.2 kg; high yielding (25t/ha) producing sweet (11-12% TSS), take 75-80 days for first harvest. Suitable for both garden land river bed cultivation.

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Hara Madhu:
It is released by PAU, Ludhiana. It is a late cultivar developed from a local collection of Haryana. Vines are 3-4 m long and vigorous. Very sweet (12-15% TSS) and poor keeping quality.

Punjab Sunheri:
A derivative from the cross Hara madhu x Edisto, early maturing, pale green, thick skin, salmon orange and thick flesh, moderate sweetness (11-12% TSS) released by PAU, Ludhiana.

Punjab Hybrid (F1):
It is a F1 hybrid between a male sterile line (ms1) and Hara Madhu. Vines are long (2-2.5m) vigorous and luxuriant growth. Early maturing with orange fresh and netted skin, Suitable for distant transportation and released by PAU.

Punjab Rasila:
It is developed from a cross between C.melo var.momordica ‘phut’ x Indian cultivar. Fruits are round, green thick, juicy and it takes 80 days for fruit picking and about 10 days earlier than Hara madhu. Average yield is 16t/ha. Fruit weighing about 600g, TSS around 11% resistant to powdery mildew & moderately resistant to dowmy middew. Released by PAU, Ludhiana.

Durgapura Madhu:
A very early cultivar confined to Jaipur region of Rajastan .Fruits are oblong weighing to 500-600g, Pale green rind, light green flesh, very sweet 13-14% TSS, seed cavity big.

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Arka Rajahans:
Mid season variety bearing large oval fruits and fruits has transportable quality. It is tolerant to powdery mildew, keeping quality excellent.

Arka Rajahans                                               Arka Jeet

Arka Jeet:
An early cultivar selection from Bati strain of Uttar Pradesh. Relatively dwarf habit. Fruits are flat small weighing about 300-500g. Orange to orange brown skin, white flesh, big seed cavity, very sweet (12-14%TSS). Excellent flavour and high vitamin C content.

Sona (cantaloupe):
A hybrid from Indo American hybrid seeds company. Fruits are closely netted, slightly ribbed, orange cream colored, tolerant to Powdery & Downey Mildew and possess good keeping quality.

Swarna (cantaloupe):
This is also a hybrid from IAHS, Fruit is yellow orange in colour with very sweet, dark orange flesh inside. It can withstand long distance transport.

Gujatat muskmelon-1:
It is a selection from local collection from sabarkantha district in Gujarat. Fruits are small, tasty, lemon yellow and 5-6 fruits per /plant. Gujatat muskmelon-2 : It is a selection from local collection from sNagpur area of Maharashtra. Friuts are medium in size, ttasty , 4-5 fruits /plantand average fruit weight is 1.3 kg. Skin is orange green with slight netting and no sututre.

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