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The red-fleshed Minerva melon with resistance to hate and aphids, Med Hermes genetics
A response to the needs of the melon market
The production areas of Cantaloupe/Charentais melon in the early Sicilian segment are stable. The harvest season is coming to an end, with an increase in prices in the month of April equal to 2.9% if compared to the same period of the previous season (source: Ismea mercati). There is a decrease in production due to plant stress caused by climatic conditions and the pressure of viruses. Production costs follow an increasing trend, due to the management of phytosanitary problems and the item relating to labor, which has a significant impact.
The market, increasingly global and competitive, requires a product with excellent and stable organoleptic qualities. The LSL types respond to these requests, but the large-scale retail trade is constantly looking for uniform references throughout the season in terms of quantity and quality. The challenge for genetics has already been launched: to direct research on varieties that show vigor and health in the field and a complete set of resistances not only at the root level, but also against adversities such as powdery mildew and aphids.
Last May 22, in Palma di Montechiaro, at the Caruana Paolo company (Gagliano Roberto), Med Hermes Vegetable Seed presented to the stakeholders of the sector the Minerva F1 melon, an LSL melon with excellent organoleptic qualities: red pulp and double resistance to powdery mildew and aphids. The repellency to the phytophagous has led to a notable reduction in viruses, allowing the crop to complete the cycle effectively.
Numerous marketing and sales managers from the main companies that produce and sell melons were present, as well as producers and technicians. The comment was unanimous: the uniformity in size and netting, with a green slice, which gives the product an excellent presentation, was appreciated.
The plant is vigorous, does not show signs of viruses and the crop is healthy and with good continuity in the new shoots; unlike what is found in competing varieties, grown on the same farm and in which stress, chlorosis and collapsed stems are evident, as well as powdery mildew and aphid infestations.
A product with remarkable versatility, suitable for transplants from the end of December onwards, with a size suitable for marketing and a high brix level and flavour, Minerva is the Med Hermes offer for the Italian and international market: a melon variety that can offer high levels of quality and production, suitable for developing supply chain projects within the Best Melon brand initiative.
To give continuity to the project, Med Hermes also offers the Ecuba F1 variety: a Cantaloupe/Charentais hybrid, with a round shape and excellent netting. It also has a long shelf life and double resistance to aphids and powdery mildew.
Ecuba is suitable for late transplants, TNT tunnels and open fields; shows a generous fruit set and a salmon-colored pulp, allowing the implementation of programs with a wide cycle: from early transplants under greenhouses at the end of December in Sicily, to late transplants in open fields in central Italy.
Med Hermes is at the forefront in offering the main players in the supply chain products that represent an economically sustainable solution, while maintaining stable quality.
For more information:
Med Hermes Vegetable Seeds
S.P. 25 Ragusa/M. di Ragusa Km 5,950
97100 Ragusa – IT
+39 351 390 0300
+39 0932 669031
info@medhermes.net
www.medhermes.net
Date of publication: Fri 30 May 2025 Fresh Plaza
