US (NH): Melon research produces higher yields

Researchers at the University of New Hampshire have found that grafting melons onto the rootstocks of hybrid squash substantially increases the production of melons, a potential source of increased revenue for New England farmers.

The research is being conducted by Brent Loy, professor emeritus of plant biology and genetics, and graduate student Janel Martin, both researchers with the NH Agricultural Experiment Station. Loy and Martin are conducting the melon research project at the experiment station’s facility, the Woodman Horticultural Research Farm.

Preliminary data from the project indicates that the grafted melon plants experience increased growth and vigor while the melons have higher sugar content, and yield compared with nongrafted melons.

“The comparison between the grafted and nongrafted plants is striking when looking at the field,” said Martin, who earned a bachelor’s in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems from UNH. “The yield of the melons from the grafted melon plots was much higher than we anticipated as well as the uniform look and size to some of the melons harvested from the plots with the grafted plants.”

Melons do not grow well in cooler temperatures, and melon vines may be affected by Sudden Wilt that makes them unharvestable. As a result, researchers are using the rootstocks from several squash hybrids to grow melons. Loy has developed numerous squash varieties that are disease resistant, some of which are being used in this melon project. The hybrids are widely used as rootstocks for growing melons in Asia, Middle East, and Europe, and are being promoted for melon production in North America.

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