Types of watermelon

Watermelon, also known as water melon and cold melon, is one of the top ten fruits in the world. Originated in sub-Saharan Africa, it gradually moved north to Egypt, spread to Iran, and then introduced to China from the western regions through the "Silk Road", so it was called watermelon in China. For more than 2000 years, the working people in our country have carefully cultivated watermelons, making them various and of good quality. So, how many different types of melons are there in the watermelon family? We might as well open our eyes.

Cantaloupe is a "cantaloupe" successfully developed by Henan Agricultural University. It has thin skin and thick flesh, which is 4 ~ 6 times sweeter than ordinary watermelon. Put it in the house, it smells attractive and has the reputation of "the queen of melons".

Two ripe watermelons The first crop of two ripe watermelons is listed earlier than ordinary watermelons, and the second crop is listed later than ordinary watermelons, which is just in short supply, so the economic benefit is higher.

Mini Watermelon A kind of watermelon introduced from Japan, which can be lifted with one hand and weighs about 1. 5 ~ 2kg, the meat is red and thin, and the juice is sweet, which is most suitable for small families.

Seedless watermelons Seedless watermelons each weigh 3-3.5 kilograms, with an average yield of about 2,250 kilograms per mu. It is one of the varieties with large domestic export volume and has strong competitiveness in the international market.

Wine-flavored watermelon comes from American gardener's "wine-flavored watermelon". The cultivation method is very special. One end of a wick is soaked in wine, and the other end is connected to the cut of the melon vine and sealed with plaster. When the watermelon is ripe, the wine smells good and has a unique flavor.

The cultivation method of square watermelon "square watermelon" is to put the watermelon that has just produced fruit into a square mold shell, and it will be cubic when it matures.

Rubber Watermelon "Rubber Watermelon" cultivated by agricultural technicians in zhongmou county, Henan Province for 8 years has the advantages of storage resistance and transportation resistance. This kind of watermelon will not go bad if it is stored indoors for 3 months, and it will not go bad if it is transported for more than 2,000 kilometers.

Assorted Watermelon "Assorted Watermelon" cultivated in Arkansas, USA, weighs up to 90kg, has three pulp colors when it matures, and its sugar content is 3-5 times higher than that of ordinary watermelon, so it is known as "the king of watermelon".

Milk-flavored watermelon is a new hybrid variety successfully cultivated by Zheng Yixing, a watermelon breeding expert in China. Now it has been named Jingza 5 12, which is a big fruit variety with sweet taste and rich milk fragrance.

The shelf-mounted watermelon "shelf-mounted watermelon" cultivated by Vegetable Science and Technology Station of Getang Xincun, Nanjing Factory, Jiangsu Province, is early-maturing and its yield is higher than that of ordinary watermelon 1 times.

Storage-resistant watermelon There is a kind of watermelon in Thailand, which has the characteristics of hard skin, ripe skin and no boiling. It can be stored indoors naturally, and it can be put into the Spring Festival from August, which is fresh and sweet.

Watermelon varieties can be divided into three categories:

It can be divided into three categories: ordinary watermelon, melon seeds and small watermelons.

Seeds can be divided into four types:

Large race type 100g- 150g, medium race type 40g-60g, race type 20g-25g, melon type 150g-200g.

Ordinary watermelons are mainly bought to eat;

Melon seeds and melons are mainly sold by airing melon seeds;

Small watermelons are used for viewing.

There are many varieties of watermelons, some of which are imported from Japan, Taiwan Province Province and South Korea. In recent years, domestic units concerned have cultivated a number of varieties, and their production performance, fruit characters and quality are close to those of imported varieties. Several varieties widely used at present are introduced for reference in selection.

2. 1 red light rain

A new hybrid variety selected by Hunan Melon Research Institute. It has great growth potential and can bear fruit continuously. The fruit shape is slightly larger. The weight of a single melon is about 2.0Kg, and 1 plant can produce 3 ~ 5 melons. The fruit is round, with green stripes, beautiful appearance, thin skin, red flesh, sugar content above 13%, delicate flesh, no residue and few seeds. It takes about 35 days from female flower opening to fruit ripening. This variety 1999 won the New Variety Award at Daxing County 12 Watermelon Festival in Beijing. At present, it has a certain planting area in Nanhui County of Shanghai and Jiashan County of Zhejiang Province.

2.2 Spring scenery

A new hybrid variety selected by Hefei Huaxia Watermelon and Melon Research Institute. The fruit is oval, bright green and covered with thin strips. The weight of a single melon is 2.0 ~ 2.5 kg. The fruit is round, not deformed and not hollow. The pulp is tender, with sugar content of 65,438+03%, small gradient and excellent flavor. The peel is thin, only 2 ~ 3 mm, elastic, not easy to crack and good storage and transportation resistance. Plant growth is stable, elongation is good at low temperature, male and female flowers differentiate normally under harsh conditions in early spring, fruit setting is good, and it is easy to cultivate. Female flowers bloom for about 35 days in the early stage of fruit ripening and about 30 days in the middle stage. At present, it is cultivated in a large area in the suburbs of Shanghai and Jiashan County of Zhejiang Province.

2.3 Yangchun

A new hybrid variety selected by Hefei Huaxia Watermelon and Melon Research Institute. The fruit is round, the skin is green, covered with dark green stripes, the appearance is beautiful, the flesh is golden and bright, the meat is tender and refreshing, the sugar content in the center is 12%- 13%, the gradient is small, the flavor is good and the quality is excellent. This plant is robust, disease-resistant and stress-resistant. Normal growth under low temperature and weak light, easy to set fruit. There are many fruits per plant, and the weight of a single melon is about 2kg, which is very early-maturing, suitable for early-maturing and greenhouse covering cultivation.

2.4 Huang Xiaoyu h

A new hybrid variety selected by Hunan Melon Research Institute. The fruit is round, and the weight of a single melon is about 2 kg. The peel is about 3mm thick, the fruit does not crack, the flesh is slightly golden yellow, the sugar content is 12% ~ 13%, the meat quality is fine, there are few fibers and seeds, and the quality is excellent. Strong disease resistance, easy fruit setting, extremely early maturity, female flowers open until the fruit matures for about 26 days.

2.5 Short Phoenix

A new hybrid variety bred by Taiwan Province Nongyou Seedling Company. Very early-maturing small fruit variety, with round to round fruit, neat fruit shape with dark green stripes, crystal yellow flesh, tender, crisp, sweet and juicy meat, sugar content of about 12%, neat fruit shape, thin skin and easy cracking. Low temperature tolerance, suitable for autumn, winter and spring cultivation, high yield, generally 667m2 yield 1400Kg.

2.6 Ruby in Early Spring

Hybrid varieties introduced from Japan. 1996, and was recognized by Zhejiang Crop Variety Approval Committee in 2000. This variety is stable in growth, resistant to low temperature and weak light, and suitable for greenhouse cultivation in early spring. Very early maturity, 1 female flowers appear in the 5th to 6th nodes of the main vine, densely planted, and mature at room temperature of 22 ~ 25℃ after flowering. The fruit is round to round, the weight of a single melon is 1.5 ~ 2.0 kg, the skin is dark green with dark green stripes, and the skin is about 3mm thin, which is not resistant to storage and transportation. The flesh is yellow, delicate and slag-free. The sugar content in the center is above 12%. Good taste, high yield, the general yield of 667m2 is about 2000Kg.

2.7 Black Beauty

The first hybrid variety bred by Taiwan Province Nongyou Seedling Company was recognized by Zhejiang Crop Variety Approval Committee in 2000. Strong growth, disease resistance, strong moisture resistance, and outstanding cultivation performance in summer. Very early maturity, 1 female flowers appear in the 6 ~ 7 nodes of the main vine, densely planted, and it takes only 22 days from flowering in summer and autumn to fruit maturity. The fruit is oval, the skin is black and the stripes are not obvious. Single melon weighs 2 ~ 3 kg, and its skin is thin and tough, and it is resistant to storage and transportation. The pulp is bright red, and the sugar content in the center is 12%, the highest is 14%, and the gradient is small. It is most suitable for summer and autumn cultivation.

Other cultivated varieties are Xiaolan (Taiwan Province Nongyou Seedling Company), Nabit (Korea), Little Angel (Hefei Fengle Seed Industry Co., Ltd.), Xiaoyu (Guangzhou Shelley Horticulture Research Institute), Huajing No.5 (Watermelon Association of Mengjin County, Henan Province) and Qiaomeiren (Vegetable Seedling Center of Hebei Province).

Type, structure and performance of protection facilities

In order to prevent watermelon from cracking, it must be cultivated under the protection of facilities, which is often used for plastic film cultivation in greenhouses (middle sheds) and small arch sheds.

Development history, present situation and prospect of watermelon in Dongtai

First, the development history of Dongtai watermelon

The word "Dongtai" first appeared in 937 AD. According to historical records, "East" is called "East" because its Dongtai is in the northeast of Taizhou, and it is called "Taiwan" because its terrain is slightly higher than Taizhou. In 65438 BC+065438 BC+07 BC (the first year of Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty), Yangzhou was located in Bohai Sea and Hailing County (Taizhou), with Dongtai as its territory. A.D. 1768 (thirty-three years of Qianlong), separated from Taizhou, and officially established a county, belonging to Yangzhou prefecture, 1927 (16). After the Great Revolution, the county government was changed to the county government, and 1949 was established as Dongtai County People's Government.

1, Dongtai watermelon has a long history.

Since ancient times, Dongtai has witnessed the gradual expansion of the ocean, the rapid formation of land, the gradual utilization of beaches and grasslands, and the development of salt industry and agriculture in rural areas. In Dongtai area, bounded by Gong Fan levee, to the east of the levee is the plain area where Jianghuai sediment impacts with the ebb and flow of the tide, and gradually extends eastward, with higher and higher terrain (the highest point in the east of the levee is as high as 5. 1 m, which is 2-3m higher than that in the west of the levee). Watermelon is a drought-loving crop, especially suitable for planting in sandy loam in this area. According to historical records, when Fan Zhongyan, a famous historical figure in 1023 (the first year of Tiansheng), was appointed as the supervisor of Xixi Salt Warehouse in Dongtai, many farmers had planted watermelons, and a watermelon market began to appear in the city. Because Dongtai is high in the east and low in the west, high in the south and low in the north, the farmland in history has been high and low, large and small, and has changed a lot. The western region is a "high-level field, low-level aviation"; Didong "Guagaotian is good, crow can be put in low fields". 19 17- 1940 Reclaim waste stoves, build dikes to prevent moisture and develop rivers. There are rivers in this area, including Quantico, Quantico, Quantico and gully. Combined with leveling the land, stripes began to be established, which provided water resistance and prevention for watermelon production.

2. Dongtai watermelon has a long tradition.

Changqing Village is located near the southeast of Dongtai Taicheng, along the slope of Gong Fan levee. Historically, it was named for its continuous production of fruits and vegetables throughout the year and evergreen seasons. Rich lily head vegetables and watermelons have a long history and are famous for their quality. Its dishes are easy to cook and rotten, and the soup is white, which is known as "December vegetables are better than mutton"; The watermelons planted are fresh, tender and delicious, and enjoy a high reputation. With the advantage of being close to the suburbs and the traditional experience of growing melons, people can go to the city to sell melons to make money and become the main fruit that people like to eat raw. With the changes of the times, the planting area of watermelon has expanded eastward. After soil improvement and careful cultivation, there are many kinds of crops planted in Dongtai, mainly including grain, cotton, oil, sugar, hemp, vegetables, silk, melon, water chestnut, lotus root, medicine, fruit and miscellaneous. Among them, Didong is rich in sunflower seeds, castor seeds, watermelons, spices and other advantageous products, and Shangguan Village and Sancang in Sizao Town. At present, the watermelon planting area in Sancang Town is 65,000 mu, and the watermelon products are famous both inside and outside the province.

3. Dongtai watermelon has detailed historical data.

According to the Records of Dongtai City, Dongtai watermelon was once a gift from the county government and a daily fruit for people to eat in summer because of its sweet juice, thirst quenching and unique flavor. There is also a beautiful story about why Dongtai watermelon is so sweet and delicious. It is said that before the Han Dynasty, there was no sweet and delicious watermelon on the earth, and its origin was related to the beautiful and kind seven fairies!

That year, after the seven fairies left Yaochi and went down to Xixi (called Dongtai in ancient times) to marry Dong Yong, they felt that the watermelons in the world were very different from those in Tiangong, lacking moisture and sweetness, and their taste was far worse than that in Tiangong. I think it would be great if people could eat such melons. So she came up with the idea of "collecting seeds in Yaochi and planting them on the earth".

In fact, there are rules in the Heavenly Palace. No one is allowed to leave seeds in the shell when enjoying melons and fruits, so as not to flow into the world. However, the clever seven fairies have her own methods. She is going to sew a small pocket on the long sleeve. When Yaochi went to the meeting, he hid the seeds of melon in his pocket and took them back to Xixi while people were unprepared.

She and Yong Dong planted melon seeds on a high slope called Evergreen in the southeast corner of Xixi, and watered them carefully with sweet silk reeling well water. Sure enough, many things grind, and soon the seeds spit out the seedlings, and then the vines are entangled and the leaves are covered. This is the real attraction.

In an instant, it's time to pick melons and taste them again. The knife fell and the melon opened, and the crystal clear watermelon was divided into two halves. Ah! Red meat with black spots, thin skin and crisp meat, sweet and refreshing, melted in the mouth, and all the people present were delighted.

Watermelon is sweet, and good news travels thousands of miles. People from four townships and eight towns have come to see and taste melons. The seven fairies not only warmly entertained the guests, but also sent melon seeds to the villagers one by one. In this way, after generations of Dongtai people's cultivation, this sweet and delicious Dongtai watermelon from Tangtian Yaochi, watered with reeling well water, has always enjoyed a high reputation. Later, people named it "Krabi" melon.

According to historical records, there was a watermelon market near Baziqiao when Fan Zhongyan was the salt official of Xixi in Beijing Tiansheng era. Because the watermelons in Dongtai are sweet and bitter, people from the surrounding county governments buy them in Xixi, Dongtai, and then resell them to various places. Fan Zhongyan is a famous dutiful son. His mother loves watermelon, and he personally respects it. In A.D. 1 182, Fan Chengda, a famous poet in the Southern Song Dynasty, followed the footsteps of the sages and came to the shore of Fan Zhongyan to see the poetic prosperity of Dongtai melon industry. He recited the beautiful poem "The children in the village are masters at night, but their children and grandchildren don't understand farming, and they also learn to plant melons in the shade of mulberry trees", which vividly reflected Dongtai 888.

Second, the development status of watermelon in Dongtai

Driven by the market economy, Dongtai Watermelon has been gradually cultivated into a leading industry by virtue of its traditional advantages, technological advantages, geographical advantages, unique soil quality, climatic conditions and product taste and flavor, which has played an important role in increasing agricultural efficiency and farmers' income, generated a high reputation inside and outside the province, and promoted the rapid development of planting structure adjustment and horticultural production in our city. Its main features are:

1. The producing area is relatively concentrated and the planting scale is large.

The eastern part of our city is a sedimentary plain with rich land reserve resources, high terrain and sandy soil, which provides unique conditions for watermelon production. Since the reform and opening up, the production of watermelon in our city has developed greatly, and the planting scale has expanded year by year. Taking Sancang and Sizao towns as the core, it will drive and radiate to more than 10 towns, Da Nang and Xincao Farm. Since the mid-1990s, the city has been growing at an annual rate of 65,438+0,000 mu. In 2005, the area of watermelon in Dongtai reached 202,000 mu, and the planting scale ranked first among all counties in the province for many years. Planting should adhere to centralized contiguous, and regional layout should be implemented according to the requirements of crop rotation. Through land transfer, actively encourage watermelon planting experts to expand the contracted area and cultivate large watermelon growers. Within the range of 15-20 mu, there are few watermelon farmers, generally 30-50 mu, and more than 200-300 mu, and large-scale operation is implemented.

2. The product has characteristics and strong competitiveness.

The reason why Dongtai watermelon maintains its eternal competitiveness in the market is inseparable from the three characteristics of variety, quality and brand. First, different fruit types and different mature stages are more suitable for market demand. Facing the reality that there are only 2-3 households in urban and rural areas, we insist on giving priority to small fruit watermelon (single fruit weight 1.5-2.5Kg) and planting medium fruit variety (4-5Kg), which is suitable for the consumption requirements of existing families. At the same time, by perfecting cultivation facilities, selecting suitable varieties and developing early spring, summer and autumn cultivation, Dongtai watermelon can be continuously supplied to the market from late April to1early October. Second, the internal quality and flavor taste are more in line with consumer psychology. By introducing Japanese, Taiwan Province and other small fruit watermelon varieties with red meat and yellow meat, and popularizing domestic excellent varieties with medium fruit type such as 84-24 and Xin Jing, and adopting good cultivation methods, the products are favored by consumers because of their delicate taste, good palatability, less fiber, sufficient moisture and high sweetness. Third, vigorously build trees and increase market influence with brands. In addition to the unique advantages of products and producing areas, our city became famous in the domestic market as early as 1999 with the "Jiami" brand green food logo. In 2002, it won the famous brand products in Jiangsu Province. In September 2003, Dongtai Watermelon Production and Marketing Association declared that the certification trademark of "Dongtai Watermelon" was officially accepted by the Trademark Office of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, which made Dongtai characteristic watermelon products even more famous in the market.

3. Advanced cultivation technology, high yield and high efficiency.

Watermelon production areas in our city make full use of the superior ecological environment, adopt simple bamboo shed facilities, develop protective cultivation, support electric hotline to heat seedlings, and implement spring and autumn production, which creates conditions for watermelon products to be listed in advance, delayed and replenished; Through the popularization and application of pollution-free production technical regulations, the population adjustment techniques such as pruning and vine pressing, artificial pollination, fruit thinning and rational fertilization, and strain management such as disease prevention and pest control, drought resistance and water replenishment are more scientific and standardized, and the yield and benefit level are significantly improved. In 2004, the whole city of Dongtai planted watermelon198,000 mu, with a yield of 3,600 kg per mu and an average income of 4,040 yuan per mu. The total output of watermelon in Dongtai reached 712,800 tons, with a total income of 800 million yuan.

4. The production and marketing system is sound and the industrialization process is fast.

Around the strong industry of watermelon, the township agricultural departments, Dongtai Watermelon Production and Marketing Association, village-level cooperative economic organizations, farmers' brokers and relevant party and government departments have done a lot of service, guidance, publicity, circulation and other work, which has made great contributions to the convergence of watermelon production and marketing and speeding up the pace of industrial operation. Publish watermelon information online in time, strengthen contact with new and old markets, publicize Dongtai watermelon products through newspapers, radio stations and agricultural fairs, and expand market influence; Through the implementation of agricultural science and technology household project, the vast number of agricultural science and technology personnel went deep into the production area to provide training and technical guidance to melon farmers, effectively helping to solve problems in production; Give full play to the joint role of seed enterprises and members of the association, vigorously promote watermelon plug substrate seedling raising technology, develop grafting and root-changing industrial seedling raising, explore new ways for a new round of seedling raising revolution, help melon farmers save money and increase efficiency, and provide the most effective service for controlling soil-borne diseases; City and municipal government through the organization to carry out activities to improve the quality and efficiency of vegetables and fruits, the layout, technological transformation, yield, efficiency and other key objectives in watermelon production are assessed to improve the degree of organization of watermelon production; The agricultural and industrial and commercial departments jointly declare and register the certificate of origin trademark around building watermelon brands; Qi Xin, the functional departments of quality supervision, industry and commerce, made concerted efforts to standardize the management of agricultural materials, strengthen product testing, ensure the quality of watermelon products and maintain the image of Dongtai watermelon. Through the concerted efforts of the whole city and Qi Xin, the system construction of organization and leadership, product circulation, technical service and quality management will be strengthened. , make the connection between production and marketing closer, and improve the level of industrialized operation. Dongtai watermelon not only sells well in major markets such as Shanghai, Nanjing and Hangzhou, but also sells well in Hubei, Sichuan, Jiangxi, Fujian, Hunan and Guangdong.

Third, the development prospect of Dongtai watermelon

1, the planting scale will continue to expand.

With the best-selling watermelon products in Dongtai, the production enthusiasm will be higher. In terms of regional layout, taking the road of "extending inward and expanding outward", the planting area will always maintain the leading position in the province. In terms of variety layout, it is more in line with consumers' requirements, further optimizing the variety structure of red pulp and yellow pulp, small fruit type and medium and large fruit type, supplying in peak season and making up for deficiencies in off-season, balancing products and reducing market risks in development.

2. The planting level will be significantly improved.

In view of the actual production, the agricultural department has carried out a number of technical studies on watermelon seedling in light substrate, multi-layer mulching in double greenhouses, grafting and root replacement to resist continuous cropping, micro-drip irrigation, mechanized operation and so on, which provided technical basis for watermelon technological innovation in Dongtai. Give full play to the service and guiding role of the association, the cultivation technology will be more perfect, and the yield and benefit of Dongtai watermelon will surely have a new breakthrough at a high starting point.

3. Brand benefits will be improved.

In view of the excellent ecological environment, obvious quality advantages and expanding market sales in Dongtai watermelon producing area, it will be a powerful driving force to establish Dongtai watermelon brand and use this intangible asset to consolidate and develop watermelon industry. At present, Dongtai watermelon is registered, but the certification trademark is in urgent need of approval; Although the existing packaging is exquisite and unique, the anti-counterfeiting label has not been activated; Although the products sell well all over the country, the exclusive sales of supermarkets have just started. Making good use of the brand of "Dongtai Watermelon" will be the only way to further occupy the domestic market. In this regard, we will adhere to the goal of classifying varieties, grading, labeling and labeling, enter the market with novel packaging design, excellent product quality and appropriate commodity image, and strive to achieve the lofty goals of surviving by quality, developing by reputation and creating benefits by brand.