The 10th Melon & Watermelon Week is here

The event has returned to its original location, where for the first time visitors will be able to see melon and watermelon materials in the same space

This year, Bayer and its brand Seminis are holding the 10th anniversary of the Melon & Watermelon Week. An important date that will be celebrated with a party, giving the green light to starting this edition, prior to the field days, with a connecting thread of the evolution over these 10 years. From the very beginning, it has got bigger and bigger, creating an event that is widely-known and anticipated by the international sector.

After the opening party, the event will move to the field days from the 28th to the 30th of June (focused on international clients) and from the 3rd to the 7th of July (Spanish clients).

As a new development, the demonstration field has returned to its original location, at the company’s installations in Cartagena (Murcia), and for the first time varieties of both melon and watermelon may be seen in the same space.

Global and sustainable

Following the pandemic, the Melon & Watermelon Week has recovered its international focus, with visitors from all over the world, without forgetting the spotlight on sustainability. As occurred last year, the demonstration field will set an example with sustainable cultural practices (auxiliary fauna, irrigation control, use of host plants…).

José Guirado, Market Development Manager for Melon Iberia, has advanced what may be seen. As a new development, they are going to present a new extra-early Galia for open air cultivation, SVMG1006, which completes the successful Cyro Line range. The variety comes to meet the needs of producers who are looking to bring their open air productions forward in Murcia. “Marketers and supermarkets want to bring the productions in this area forward to have an earlier open air supply,” Guirado comments. SVMG1006 is in the Cyro Line quality range regarding fruit, resistances and plant bearing, and it is framed within plantations from the end of February to the 15th of March.

There is also a new development in the orange-fleshed cantaloupe range with SVMC1524. Guirado defines it as “a Sugarlup with resistances.” Its appearance, internal quality and calibre are very similar to Sugarlup, but with the bonus of having resistances to powdery mildew and aphids. It is recommended for open air plantations from the 20th of March to the 15th of April in Murcia. In yellow melons, Manchester is being consolidated in open air crops after two years on the market. The variety is for plantations in the medium segment in Murcia (April) and it completes the open air Chester portfolio, bringing resistances to powdery mildew and aphids, which are both highly demanded by producers. “They now have greater plant safety and healthiness. Manchester has all the good points of the Chester line (flavour, flesh texture, sugar…), meaning that the variety is very well-known by both marketers and by the retail sector.”

Alongside these materials the other commercial varieties from Iberia and other regions all over the world may be seen, in addition to innovations and specialities in Dino, Orange Candy type, etc. “As always, our premise is that they must be varieties that are profitable for producers and have a minimum package of resistances (powdery mildew and aphids). In short, productive, easy varieties from the agronomic management point of view.”

Strengthening watermelons

Bayer is strengthening its investment in R&D in watermelons, due to the market consumption trend (increase in watermelon consumption at the expense of melons). And after several years without any new developments, at this Melon & Watermelon Week they will present a striped white watermelon for export. A 4-6 kg variety with important plant hardiness, production and internal quality for the three production regions.