Valutazione di ecotipi siciliani di melone d'inverno coltivati in regime seccagno

The increasing cultivation of hybrid melon cultivars has caused the loss of several Sicilian landraces characterized by a high level of diversity, tolerance to environmental stress, disease resistance, and high quality fruits. Although the majority of hybrid melon fields in the Sicilian countryside are nowadays irrigated, many farmers are still growing melon landraces without irrigation. In this trial, eight Sicilian landraces of winter melon (Cucumis melo L. var. inodorus Naud.) with yellow skin and three with white skin were compared with the commercial cultivar Helios. Plants were grown at a density of 2080 plants ha-1. without irrigation. ‘Locale di Ustica’ and ‘Giallo di Recattivo’ gave the highest yields. ‘Giallo di Jopppolo’ was the least productive. Average fruit weight was highest in ‘Locale di Ustica’ and lowest in ‘Giallo di Sutera’. ‘Giallo di Castronovo’, ‘Giallo di Sutera’, Giallo di Valledolomo’, ‘Bianco di Raffadali’, and the commercial cultivar Helios had higher Total Soluble Solids (TSS) than the others.