Australia
August 5, 2016

Seminis has developed a new sweet and firm rock melon which will give southern Australian melon producers an extra cropping and marketing option over summer.

SV6239MF is an Extended Shelf Life cantaloupe with improved colour, flavour and firmness. It has been trialled extensively in Australia as part of an eight-year breeding program which originated in the United States.

Monsanto Vegetable Seeds ANZ Commercial Lead Rachel Palumbo said the SV6239MF is the first in Seminis’ new pipeline of sweeter, firmer melons which have been developed to delight consumers, while still delivering the agronomic benefits growers expect.

“In the past, breeding efforts have focused solely on agronomic traits, like picking indicators and shelf-life. While these attributes are important, consumers were beginning to fall out of love with melons as they were not experiencing consistent flavour or high fruit quality.”

“SV6239MF will remind consumers that melons can be sweet and flavoursome. Our aim is to help producers reinvigorate the market in Australia with tastier, better quality melons and the introduction of SV6239MF is the very first step in this process.”

Ms Palumbo said SV6239MF has also been selected from Seminis’ international melon breeding program for its in-field characteristics which will help growers with productivity and marketability.

“The SV6239MF is easy to harvest and has the potential to reduce labour and wastage costs. Once it’s ready to harvest, it will display “cracking” right up to the peduncle, making it easier for temporary labour to pick at the right time.

“The melon produces a consistent-sized fruit, with a small cavity. This should make it easy for growers to provide consistent supply to markets with a solid fruit weight.

“It is suited to the domestic retail market with a shelf life of at least two weeks.”

Ms Palumbo said SV6239MF seed had landed in Australia and was available to purchase immediately.

“We hope this melon gives growers an opportunity to provide some diversity to their markets and hopefully helps to grow consumer demand in the long term.”

SV6239MF – A snapshot

Background

• Developed in the United States as part of Seminis’ global breeding program
• Has been trialled extensively in Australia to determine environmental suitability and correct growing slot
• Is the first in a series of sweet and flavorsome melons which will be introduced to Australian growers over the next five years.

For growers

• Provides a consistent and uniform size resulting in either 8 or 9 fruit per tray
• Has obvious picking indicators to reduce waste and labour costs
• Has a small fruit cavity which results in more weight per fruit
• Can last the journey to domestic markets right across Australia thanks to strong netting and a two-week minimum shelf life

For transporters and retailers

• Brix sits between 11-14 and firmness ranges between 3 – 3.7 kg/cm2.
• It is small enough to be displayed whole, however its deep orange-golden flesh and firm texture means it looks and tastes great when cut
• It has a strong netting which means it’s well suited to transport
• It has a shelf life of at least two weeks

For consumers

• A sweeter eating experience than many other melons on offer at the same time of year
• Its firm texture makes it a great choice for canapes and salads

Published: August 5, 2016