ISHS Acta Horticulturae 510: VII Eucarpia Meeting on Cucurbit Genetics and Breeding
DEVELOPMENT OF MELON CULTURE AND BREEDING IN ISRAEL |
| Author: | Z. Karchi |
| Keywords: | Cucumis melo var. flexuosus, C. melo var. reticulatus, cultural practices, dryland culture, muskmelons, plant breeding |
| Abstract:
The territory of Israel is within the realm of the secondary center of origin of Cucumis melo, yet it stands out in its poor melon diversity mainly due to its small area and turbulent history. Relatively small amounts of rainfall guided selection toward adaptability of germplasm to dryland growing conditions. With Jewish settlement in Israel, intensive irrigation and fertilization practices were initiated for the growing of muskmelons. The Galia F1 hybrid was bred for adaptability to these practices, producing high yields with excellent fruits. This hybrid brought on an era of technical-economical changes in the agricultural outlook of Israel, emphasizing that investment in innovative breeding research is a long-term guarantee for profitable agriculture. | |
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