EFFECT OF CULTIVAR AND PLANTING DATE ON YIELDING ABILITY, FRUIT CHARACTERISTICS AND STORAGEABILITY OF SOME CANTALOUPE CULTIVARS UNDER LOWER EGYPT CONDITIONS

This research was carried out to investigate the effect of cultivars and planting date on yielding ability, fruit characteristics and storageability of some cantaloupe cultivars under lower Egypt conditions. Eight cultivars were cultivated at El-Arish (North Sinai Governorate) during the winter seasons of 1999/2000 and 2000/2001.
                The eight cultivars used in this study were Primal, Regal, Refigal, Vicar, Galor, Ideal, Total and Galia. The main results can be summarized as follows :
1-      Early, total and marketable yield were higher in the second planting date for the eight tested cultivars compared with the first planting date in both seasons.
2-      Regal, Primal and Ragifal produced the highest early yield.
3-      As for the total yield Galor, Total and Vicar were the best.
4-      Primal, Galor and Rafigal gave the lowest total yield in both seasons.
5-      Regal, Ideal and Vicar cvs. at the second planting date produced the highest exportable yield.
6-      Regal and Primal cvs at the second planting date fruits had the highest average fruit weight compared to the others under test.
7-      Primal and Rafigal showed the higher firmness values at the first and second planting dates than the other cultivars at the same dates.
8-      Vicar and Ideal cvs at the first or second planting dates exhibited the highest T.S.S. %, total sugar content and vit. C.
9-      Regarding to storageability, Primal, Regal and Rafigal cvs showed the highest fruit quality physical and chemical properties.
10-    In the second planting date, cantaloupe fruits had the lowest decay, weight loss percentage and the highest storageability.
11-    Weight loss and decay % were increased with the prolongation of the storage period, but firmness values as well as chemical compositions in fruits of all cultivars were significantly decreased with prolongation of storage period.
It could be stated that Primal, Regal and Rafigal at the second planting date may be recommended for exportation, which produced under lower Egypt conditions.