Abstract

The 2007 watermelon cultivar trial evaluated twelve entrants, including several described as seedless sugar baby types, with the objective of identifying good quality, distinctive cultivars suited for local marketing. Historically, Sugar Baby has been a popular cultivar for local marketing because of its earliness, attractive blackish green rind color, and convenient size. When hybrid cultivars like Jade Star became available, many growers switched because they looked similar to Sugar Baby but had improved yield,shelf life, and eating quality.Currently, we are seeing consumer preference shifting to seedless watermelons creating demand for seedless sugar baby types. These trial results provide information on several cultivars with characteristics fitting this specific market.

Keywords: Horticulture

How to Cite:

Lawson, V. & Taber, H. G., (2008) “Watermelon Cultivar Trial, 2007”, Iowa State University Research and Demonstration Farms Progress Reports 2007(1).