Selection of Early Maturity Oriental Melon Cultivar Shijitian

Shijitian is a new early maturing oriental melon cultivar bred from the variant plant of Tianshuai muskmelon from northeast of China with pedigree method through selection for five generations.The mature fruit is elliptic shape with yellowish white skin and good shelf-life.The flesh is sweet and crispy with soluble solid content of 13.3%.Its average fruit weight is about 400 g and the yield about 45 000 kg/hm2.The cultivar has the resistance to diseases and adversity.It is suitable for early-ripening cultivation in oriental melon planting regions in Shanxi province and for areas with similar ecological conditions.