Successfully selected and created 2 oriental melon varieties Happy 6, Happy 7

Two oriental melon varieties Happy 6, Happy 7 have been announced by the MARD for circulation and production popularization from June 2021.

In the cooperation program between the Fruit and Vegetable Research Institute (FAVRI) and Korea’s Gyeongsangbuk-do Agricultural Research and Extension Services (GBARES), Dr. Ngo Thi Hanh and her colleagues from the Department of Vegetables and Spicy Crops (FAVRI) have successfully crossed two hybrid oriental melon varieties (F1) Happy 6 and Happy 7 from domestic and Kore-imported gene sources. These two melon varieties are new and uncommon, with high yield and quality, successfully bred for the first time in our country.

Hybrid Oriental Melon (F1) Happy 6:

Created from a combination of ♀ OM10-1 x ♂ OM45-2; Plants grow well; High heat resistance; Growing time: 70 - 85 days; Time from planting to first harvest: 65 - 68 days; Number of fruits/plant: 6 - 8 fruits (planted in the field) and 4 - 5 fruits (planted using high technology).

The fruit is long and cylindrical; The pods have a beautiful glossy dark yellow color with white stripes; Average weight: 400 - 500g/fruit; Fruit size: 14 - 15 cm, 7 - 8cm in diameter; The flesh is thick, firm, aromatic, crispy, sweet, creamy white color; Brix degree: > 14%; Average yield: 22 - 30 tons/ha; Resistance to powdery mildew and downy mildew in the field is quite good; Fruit can be stored for a long time under normal conditions.

Hybrid Oriental Melon (F1) Happy 7:

Created from a combination of ♀ OM10-1 x ♂ OM107-4; Plants grow well; High heat resistance; Growing time: 75 - 80 days; Time from planting to first harvest: about 63 - 65 days; Number of fruits/plant: 5 - 7 fruits (planted in the field) and 3 - 4 fruits (planted using high technology).

The fruit has a large oval shape; The pods have a beautiful glossy dark yellow color with white stripes; Average weight: 500 - 600g/fruit; Fruit size: 13.5 - 15cm long, 9 - 10cm in diameter. The flesh is thick, firm, fragrant, crispy, sweet, creamy white. Brix degree:  > 13%; Average yield: 22 - 27 tons/ha; Resistance to powdery mildew and downy mildew in the field is quite good; Fruit can be stored for a long time under normal conditions.

The two F1 hybrid oriental melon varieties above have been successfully tested in domestic provinces such as Hanoi, Bac Ninh, Bac Giang, Hai Duong, Vinh Phuc, Thai Binh, Thanh Hoa, Binh Dinh, Da Nang and Phu Quoc...

Direction of use and technical requirements:

Applied for planting in provinces of the Red River Delta, the Northern Midlands and Mountains, the North Central Coast and the South Central Coast. The production area needs to be consistent with the local planning, unaffected by pollutants such as municipal wastewater, hospital and industrial wastewater, industrial dust. Field planting or high-tech planting (in greenhouses/nethouses) is allowed.

Planting season:

Spring-summer crop: sowing in February - March; Summer-autumn crop: sowing in April - May (best planted in greenhouses and plastic greenhouses); Autumn-winter crop: sowing in July - August (best planted in greenhouses and plastic greenhouses); Seeds should be sown in tray slots and apply Hapyy 6/ Happy 7 top grafting technique on specialized rootstock varieties to increase resistance, increase yield and quality of harvested products.

The number of seeds for planting: 1ha/250-300gr; Seeds can be sown directly or germinated then sown. Sowing medium includes: 50% clean humus soil + 50% decayed manure, or 20% coir + 40% microbial organic fertilizer + 40% humus; Sow 1 seed/1 tray slot; Place the seed with the cotyledon upward, the root facing down. After sowing, cover the seeds with the mentioned medium. Water regularly to moisturize. It will only be planted when the plant has had 1 - 2 true leaves.

Planting soil: Choose the foot of the field to actively irrigate, pH 6.5 - 7.0, rich in humus and nutrients; The fields must be plowed, harrowed, and thoroughly dried, cleared of weeds, beds 1.7 - 1.8 m wide, 25 - 30 cm high, trench 35 - 40 cm wide; Treat the beds with Trichoderma (dosage: 60kg/ha); Use agricultural mulch to cover the bed, then punch a hole to plant a row of melons in the middle of the bed; Planting density: 12,000 - 13,000 plants/ha. Distance between plants: 40 - 45cm.

Fertilizer/ha:

The rate is 30 tons of rotting manure or 1,000kg of micro-organic fertilizer per hectare; Potassium sulfate: 240 - 260kg, Urea: 200 - 250kg, Superphosphate: 550 - 600kg, lime powder: 600-800kg. Lining application: 100% manure and phosphate fertilizer, 20% nitrogen, 20% potassium; Divide the rest into 3 fertalization (after the tree has 3 true leaves); First application: 20% nitrogen, 20% potassium; Second application (10 - 15 days after the first time): 30% nitrogen, 30% potassium; Apply the rest in the third times (from 15 - 20 days after the 2nd time).

Care process:

Maintain garden soil moisture from 70 to 75% of field moisture retention capacity; Pay attention to keep the moisture well in the period of flowering, fruiting and large fruiting; When the melon plant has 4-5 true leaves, proceed to pinch the top to stimulate branching, then prune leaving only 2 strong level 1 branches; Female flowers and fruits will appear on level 2 branches. Melon plants can produce many fruits; Pruning is required for each plant to have 4 - 5 fruits.

Integrated pest control (IPM) on melon includes: Using healthy seedlings/grafted seedlings, balanced fertilization, proper watering, cleaning up plant residues from the previous crop, not rotating oriental melons with cucurbits, prioritizing the use of biological pesticides for pest control, etc.

Harvest:

When the pods turn to shiny dark yellow color with silvery white stripes and have a fragrant aroma, pick melons early in the morning or in the cool afternoon. Harvested melons will be stored in a cool place for 1 - 2 more days to nurture fragrance, increase quality and commercial value.