Division of Vegetable Crops, Institute of Horticultural Research (ICAR), Bangalore-6.
The investigations carried out on the hybridization of muskmelon, snap-melon and longmelon resulted in the following conclusion:
The parental lines of muskmelon and longmelon showed two fruit set cycles whereas that of snapmelon had three cycles. The hybrids of muskmelon and snapmelon and muskmelon and longmelon and their reciprocals putforth three fruit set cycles. Duration of fruitset in the hybrids in different fruitset cycles was either equal or intermediate or exceeded by one or two days when compared to their respective better parents. The fruitset percentage in all the hybrids exceeded their better parents. Fruit shape of hybrids were intermediate in most of the cases. Flavour of fruit was either blend of the parental lines or slightly more towards the flavour of snapmelon parent. Cracking of fruit at full slip stage was observed in the hybrids where either of the parents used had this character. Heterosis in fruit weight (7.10 to 46.07) was observed in all the hybrids. Number of fruits per plant in the hybrids was either equal or intermediate or exceeded the respective better parents. Flesh plus rind thickness in all the hybrids exceeded the respective better parents except in case of hybrid M2xL2 and its reciprocal where it was intermediate. Total soluble solids in all the hybrids were intermediate.
