THE BEHAVIOR OF SOME WATERMELONS HYBRIDS IN PEDOCLIMATIC CONDITIONS FROM SCDCPN DĂBULENI Felicia

Abstract

Citrullus lanatus belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family and is mainly cultivated in warm areas, representing a basic crop for them. Watermelon fruits are intended for fresh consumption, but can also be used for various preparations such as syrup, jam, or pickles. The study of the seven watermelon hybrids was carried out at the Research - Development Station for Plant Culture on the Dăbuleni Sands, in the period 2023 - 2024, with the aim of evaluating their behavior by determining the qualitative and morphological characteristics of the fruits. Among the analyzed hybrids, 5 are with red core (ʹKaristan F1ʹ, ʹKandemir F1ʹ, ʹMirsini F1ʹ, ʹLusitana F1ʹ and ʹPata Neagră F1ʹ) and two with yellow core (ʹPeace F1ʹ and ʹRoyal King F1ʹ). Following the determinations, the ʹKandemir F1ʹ hybrid stood out for the size of the fruits (12.55 kg - 11.22 kg) and the diameter of the fruits (25.68 cm - 26.66 cm). From a biochemical point of view, the ʹMirsini F1ʹ hybrid with the percentage of soluble dry matter (12%) and the ʹPeace F1ʹ hybrid with 14.38% of total dry matter stood out. The obtained results provide information regarding the degree of adaptation of the different watermelon hybrids to the pedo-climatic conditions in the area of sandy soils in the south of Oltenia.