Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana
*Present Address: Research Biochemist, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana
The quantitative make-up of the structural chemical constituents, viz. alpha-cellulose, hemi-cellulose, lignin, pectin, silica and silica-free minerals of the skin of the fully ripened fruits of ten water melon varieties was studied. The loss of this fruit due to blossom-end-rot and cracking was also recorded. The incidence of cracking was less in the fruits which deposited more structural carbohydrates and lignin in their skin. The varieties, which contained more than 15 per cent soluble minerals in their skin, showed resistance to blossom-end-rot.
