Different Ripening Indices and Quality Attributes of Different Groups of Cucumis melo

Six Iranian accessions of Cucumis melo, including Inodorus, Cantalupensis, and Dudaim groups, were planted and then harvested at two harvesting stages including 21 and 28 days after anthesis for Dudaim group and 28 and 38 days after anthesis for Inodorus and Cantalupensis groups. At the time of harvest, we measured some quality parameters and appearance indices of fruits, such as the number of strips on surface, tendril condition, peduncle condition, presence or absence of the abscission zone formed around the peduncle, netting, presence of trichomes, and force needed to detach the fruit from the plant. Results showed that the best ripening indices for Inodorus, Cantalupensis, and Dudaim groups were not the same. Contrary to Samsouri and lately harvested Khatouni accessions, there were not any abscission zone in Dudaim fruits. In most of the treatments, tendril was yellow or dry in lately harvested fruits opposite to green in tendrils in early harvested fruits. Peduncles were green in all treatments and the force needed to detach the fruit from the plant in most treatments was the highest degree (score 3). Lately harvested fruits had more advanced levels of color, TSS, and firmness than early harvested ones. Generally, the best ripening indices for melon fruits corresponding to each accession were different.