A large All-Sweet type hybrid watermelon with excellent flesh colour and quality
- Early maturity
- Deep red, firm flesh with a long shelf life
- High yielding, with high brix and excellent taste
- Resistant to Fusarium & Anthracnose
Type
A hybrid All-Sweet type watermelon.
Maturity
Main season ±86 days.
Plant Characteristics
Vigorous plant with healthy leaf cover that protect the fruit well.
Plant Population: 4,000 to 8,000 plants per hectare.
Adaption: ARIADNE is recommended for early production. For grafting, best adapted with Lagenaria spp. or medium vigorous C. maxima x C. moschata rootstocks.
Variety Characteristics
Fruit Characteristics: Large, elongated fruit with weight of 10 - 13kg. The rind has a medium-dark green colour with light green stripes. The flesh has deep red colour with firm texture, excellent flavour and high brix.
Pollination: Approximately 7 male flowers develop for every female flower. When flowers appear, 2 to 4 bee hives should be placed per ha.
Fertilisation: Approximate nutrient requirements depending on soil type, soil analyses, and crop load; N: 90-170 kg/ha: 30% pre-plant and the balance as two side dressings.
P: 15-180 kg/ha: Apply pre-plant and work down to root depth.
K: 40-250 kg/ha: 30% pre-plant and the balance as two side dressings, simultaneously with the N-application (eg. KNO3).
Climate: Optimum germination temperature: 27°C to 32°C, with night temperature not lower than 24°C. Optimum growth temperatures at night are 18 - 20°C, and day 24 - 30°C, and for ripening 15 - 25°C. Do not sow or transplant into the open field until the temperatures are warm enough, unless plastic mulches are used.
Soil: Best performance is obtained on newly prepared, sandy-loam soils, which are rich in humus and fertilizer, well-drained, with pH (H20) = 5.6 – 6.8. Heavy soils should be avoided.
Features & Benefits
ARIADNE is early maturing and very high-yielding with large, elongated fruit. The flesh has deep red colour, firm texture, excellent flavour and high brix. Suitable for fresh market use.
Disease Resistance
Intermediate Resistance: Fon (1) / Co (1).