Watermelon, also known as water melon and cold melon, is one of the top ten fruits in the world. Originated in the sub-Saharan desert of Africa, it gradually moved north to Egypt, spread to Iran, and then introduced into China from the western regions through the "Silk Road", so it is called watermelon in China. For more than 2 years, the working people in our country have carefully cultivated watermelons, which have made them various and of good quality. So, how many different types of melons are there in the watermelon family? We might as well open our eyes.

Fragrant Watermelon "Fragrant Watermelon" developed and cultivated by Henan Agricultural University has a thin skin and thick flesh, which is 4-6 times sweeter than ordinary watermelons. When it is placed in the house, it smells attractive and has the reputation of "after the melon".

Two-crop watermelon The first crop of two-crop watermelon was put on the market earlier than ordinary watermelon, and the second crop was put on the market later than ordinary watermelon, which happened at the time of shortage of goods, so the economic benefit was higher.

Mini Watermelon A kind of watermelon introduced in the Japanese market, which can be lifted with one palm, weighs about 1.5 ~ 2kg, has red meat, ultra-thin skin and rich and sweet juice, and is most suitable for small families.

seedless watermelons weigh 3-3.5 kilograms each, with an average yield of about 2,25 kilograms per mu. It is one of the varieties with a large domestic export volume and has strong competitiveness in the international market.

Wine-flavored watermelon comes from "Wine-flavored Watermelon" by American gardeners. The cultivation method is very special. One end of a wick is soaked in wine, and the other end is connected to the cut of the vine, and sealed with gypsum. When the watermelon is ripe, the wine smells fragrant and has a unique flavor.

The cultivation method of square watermelon "Square Watermelon" is to put the watermelon in a square mold shell when it has just produced fruit, and it will become a cube when it matures.

Rubber Watermelon "Rubber Watermelon" cultivated by agricultural technicians in zhongmou county, Henan Province in 8 years has the advantages of storage resistance and transportation resistance. This kind of watermelon will not deteriorate after being stored indoors for 3 months and will not be broken after being transported for more than 2, kilometers.

assorted watermelons "assorted watermelons" cultivated in Arkansas, USA, have the heaviest weight of 9kg, and there are three kinds of flesh colors when they are ripe, and the sugar content is 3-5 times higher than that of ordinary watermelons, so they are known as the "watermelon king".

Milk-flavored watermelon This is a new hybrid variety successfully cultivated by Zheng Yixing, a watermelon breeding expert in China. Now it has been named Jingza 512, which is a big fruit variety, especially sweet and has milk flavor.

Watermelon on Shelf "Watermelon on Shelf" cultivated by Vegetable Science and Technology Station in Getang Xincun, Nanjing Factory, Jiangsu Province, is planted by shelving, with early maturity and yield twice as high as that of ordinary watermelon.

Storage-resistant Watermelon There is a kind of watermelon in Thailand, which has the characteristics of hard skin, ripeness and non-boiling. It can be stored indoors naturally, and it can be put into the Spring Festival from August, fresh and sweet.

Watermelon varieties can be divided into three categories:

Common watermelon, melon seed and small watermelon

Seeds can be divided into four categories:

Large seed type 1g-15g, medium seed type 4g-6g, small seed type 2g-25g, and sub-melon type 15g.

melon seeds and melons are mainly sold in the air;

Small watermelons are used for viewing.

There are many varieties of watermelons, which have been introduced from Japan, Taiwan Province Province and South Korea. In recent years, a number of varieties have been cultivated by relevant domestic units, and their production performance, fruit characters and quality are close to those of imported varieties. Now, several varieties which are widely used at present are introduced for reference in selecting.

2.1 hongxiaoyu

a new hybrid variety bred by Hunan melon research institute. It has strong growth potential and can bear fruit continuously. The fruit shape is slightly larger. The weight of a single melon is about 2.Kg, and one plant can bear 3 ~ 5 melons. The fruit is round, with green stripes, beautiful appearance, thin skin, red flesh, sugar content above 13%, fine flesh, no residue and few seeds. It takes about 35 days from female flower opening to fruit ripening. This variety won the New Variety Award at the 12th Watermelon Festival in Daxing County, Beijing in 1999. At present, it has a certain cultivation area in Nanhui County of Shanghai and Jiashan County of Zhejiang Province.

2.2 spring

A new hybrid variety bred by Hefei Huaxia Watermelon and Melon Research Institute. The fruit is oval, bright green and covered with thin strips. The weight of a single melon is 2. ~ 2.5 kg. The fruit is round, not deformed or hollow, with pink flesh, tender meat, 13% sugar content, small gradient and excellent flavor. The peel is thin, only 2 ~ 3 mm, elastic, not easy to crack and good storage and transportation resistance. The plant grows steadily, has good elongation at low temperature, and has normal differentiation of female and male flowers under bad conditions in early spring, good fruit setting and easy cultivation. Female flowers bloom for about 35 days in the early stage of fruit ripening and about 3 days in the middle stage. At present, they are cultivated in a large area in Shanghai suburbs and Jiashan County, Zhejiang Province.

2.3 Yangchun

A new hybrid variety bred by Hefei Huaxia Watermelon and Melon Research Institute. The fruit is round, the skin is green and covered with dark green stripes, the appearance is beautiful, the flesh is golden yellow and bright, the meat is tender and refreshing, the sugar content in the center is 12%-13%, the gradient is small, the flavor is good and the quality is excellent. The plant is strong in growth, disease-resistant and stress-resistant. It grows normally in low temperature and weak light, and is easy to set fruit. There are many fruits per plant, and the weight of a single melon is about 2kg, which is very early, so it is suitable for early maturity and mulching cultivation in greenhouse.

2.4 Huang Xiaoyu H

A new hybrid variety bred by Hunan Melon Research Institute. The fruit is round, and the weight of a single melon is about 2kg. The peel is about 3mm thick, the fruit does not crack, the flesh is slightly golden yellow, the sugar content is 12% ~ 13%, the meat is fine, the fiber is few, the seeds are few, and the quality is excellent. Strong disease resistance, easy fruit setting, extremely early maturity, female flowers open until the fruit matures for about 26 days.

2.5 Texiaofeng

A new hybrid variety bred by Taiwan Province Nongyou Seedling Company. Very early-maturing small fruit variety, the fruit is round to round, the fruit shape is neat, with dark green stripes, the flesh is crystal yellow, the meat is tender, crisp, sweet and juicy, the sugar content is about 12%, the fruit shape is neat, the skin is thin and the fruit is easy to crack. Low temperature tolerance, suitable for autumn, winter and spring cultivation, high yield, generally 667m2 yield of 14Kg.

2.6 early spring ruby

a hybrid variety introduced from Japan. It was introduced in 1996 and recognized by Zhejiang Crop Variety Approval Committee in 2. This variety grows steadily, is resistant to low temperature and weak light, and is suitable for greenhouse cultivation in early spring. Very early maturity, the first female flower appeared in the 5 ~ 6 nodes of the main vine, which was densely planted and matured at the normal temperature of 22 ~ 25℃ after flowering. The fruit is round to high round, the weight of a single melon is 1.5～2. kg, the skin is dark green with dark green bands, and the skin is about 3mm thin, which is not resistant to storage and transportation. The pulp is yellow, fine and slag-free, with a sugar content of more than 12% in the center, excellent taste and high yield, generally about 2Kg in 667m2.

2.7 Black Beauty

The first hybrid variety bred by Taiwan Province Nongyou Seedling Company was recognized by Zhejiang Crop Variety Approval Committee in 2. Strong growth, disease resistance, moisture tolerance, and outstanding cultivation performance in summer. Very early maturity, the first female flower appears in the 6 ~ 7 nodes of the main vine, and the female flower is densely planted. It takes only 22 days to bloom in summer and autumn until the fruit matures. The fruit is oval in shape, with black skin with inconspicuous bands. The weight of a single melon is 2 ~ 3 kg, and the skin is thin and tough, which is extremely resistant to storage and transportation. The pulp is bright red, and the sugar content in the center is 12%, up to 14%, and the gradient is small. It is most suitable for summer and autumn cultivation.

Other cultivated varieties include Xiaolan (Taiwan Province Nongyou Seedling Company), Nabit (Korea), Little Angel (Hefei Fengle Seed Industry Co., Ltd.), Xiaoyu (Guangzhou Xieli Horticultural Research Institute), Huajing No.5 (Watermelon Association of Mengjin County, Henan Province) and Qiaomeiren (Vegetable Seedling Center of Hebei Province).

3 types, structure and performance of protective facilities

in order to prevent small watermelon from cracking, it must be cultivated under the protection of facilities, commonly used for plastic film cultivation in greenhouse (middle shed) and small arch shed.

history, present situation and prospect of watermelon development in Dongtai

I. history of watermelon development in Dongtai

The word "Dongtai" first appeared in 937 AD. According to historical data, the "East" is called "East" because its Dongtai is in the northeast of Taizhou, and it is also called "Taiwan" because its terrain is slightly higher than Taizhou. In 117 BC (the inaugural year of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty), Yangzhou set up the Bohai Shao and Hailing County (Taizhou), with Dongtai as its territory. In 1768 (33 years of Qing Qianlong), it was divided with Taizhou, and was formally established as a county, which belonged to Yangzhou Prefecture. In 1927 (16 years of the Republic of China), after the Great Revolution, the county office was changed to the county government. When the country was founded in 1949, it was the people's government of Dongtai County, which was once under the special agency of Taizhou, under the special agency of Yancheng in 195 and established Dongtai City in 1987.

1. Watermelon in Dongtai has a long history

Since ancient times, the sea has gradually spread eastward, and the beaches and grasslands have been gradually utilized. The rural areas have developed two major industries: salt industry and agriculture. In Dongtai area, Fan Gong dike is the boundary, and the east of the dike is a plain area where the sediments of the Yangtze River and Huaihe River are impacted with the ebb and flow of tidal flood, and it gradually extends to the east, and the terrain is getting higher and higher (the highest ground in the east of the dike is as high as 5.1 meters, which is 2-3 meters higher than that in the west of the dike). Watermelon is a drought-loving crop, especially suitable for planting on sandy loam in this area. According to historical records, when Fan Zhongyan, a famous historical figure, was appointed as the supervisor of Xixi Salt Warehouse in Dongtai in 123 (the first year of Tiansheng), many farmers had planted watermelons, and watermelon markets began to appear in the city. Because the terrain of Dongtai is high in the east and low in the west, high in the south and low in the north, the farmland in history is high and low, large and small, and varies widely. Dixi area is a "high-level field, low-level sailing"; In the east of the dike, "melons grow well in high fields, and crows can be released in low fields". From 1917 to 194, waste stoves were reclaimed, embankments were built to prevent moisture, and rivers were developed, basically reaching the goal that there were rivers in the area, and there were quantico, quantico, quantico and gully in the area. Combined with leveling the land, strip farming began to be established, which provided basic farmland facilities for watermelon production to resist passenger water and prevent tidal backflow, and gradually formed a regional planting pattern.

2. Dongtai watermelon has a long tradition.

It is near Changqing Village in the southeast of Dongtai Taicheng, and is located on the slope of Fangong Dike. Historically, it is named for its continuous production of fruits and vegetables all year round and evergreen seasons. The rich lily head vegetables and watermelons have a long history and are well-known for their quality. Its vegetables are praised as "December vegetables are better than mutton" because they are easy to cook and rotten, and the soup is white; The watermelon grown is fresh and delicious, and enjoys a good reputation. With the advantage of being close to the suburbs and the traditional experience of growing melons, people can go to the city to sell melons to make money, and become the main fruit that people like to eat raw. With the changes of the times, the planting area of watermelon has been extended eastward. After soil improvement and careful cultivation, there are many kinds of crops planted in Dongtai, mainly including grain, cotton, oil, sugar, hemp, vegetables, silk, melon, water chestnut, lotus root, medicine, fruit, miscellaneous and so on. Among them, Didong is rich in superior products such as sunflower seeds, castor seeds, watermelon and spices, and Shangguan Village and Sancang in Sizao Town. At present, the area planted with watermelons in Sancang town is 65, mu, and the watermelon products are famous both inside and outside the province.

3. The historical materials of Dongtai Watermelon are detailed

According to the Records of Dongtai City, Dongtai Watermelon once became a gift of the county government and a daily fruit for people to eat in summer because of its sweet juice, thirst quenching and unique flavor. There is still a beautiful story about "why Dongtai watermelon is so sweet and delicious". It is said that before the Han Dynasty, there was no sweet and delicious watermelon on earth, and its origin was related to the beautiful and kind seven fairies!

That year, after the Seven Fairys left Yaochi and went down to Xixi (known as Dongtai in ancient times) to marry Yong Dong, they felt that watermelons in the world were very different from those in the Heavenly Palace, lacking moisture and sweetness, and their tastes were far inferior to those in the Heavenly Palace. I thought how wonderful it would be if people could eat such melons. So, she came up with the idea of "collecting seeds in the Yaochi and planting them on earth".

Actually, there are rules in the Heavenly Palace. No one is allowed to leave seeds in the shells when enjoying the melons and fruits, so as to prevent them from flowing into the world. However, the clever Seven Fairy had her own way. She was ready to sew a small pocket in the long sleeve. When Yaochi went to the meeting, she took advantage of people's surprise and hid the seeds of the fairy melon in her pocket and took them back to Xixi.

She and Yong Dong planted melon seeds on a high slope called Evergreen in the southeast corner of Xixi, and watered them carefully with sweet silk reeling well water. Sure enough, everything pays off, and soon the seeds spit out melon seedlings, and then the vines are entangled and the leaves are draped, which is really attractive.

It's time to pick melons and taste them in a blink of an eye. When the knife falls and the melon opens, the crystal-clear watermelon is split in two. Red flesh and black spots, thin skin and crisp meat, sweet and refreshing, melted in the mouth, and all the people present were delighted.

watermelon is sweet, and good news travels thousands of miles. People from four townships and eight towns came to see and taste melons one after another. The Seven Fairies not only warmly entertained the guests, but also gave melon seeds to the villagers one by one. In this way, after generations of Dongtai people's cultivation, this sweet and delicious Dongtai watermelon, which came from Tiantang Yaochi and was watered with reeling well water, has always enjoyed a good reputation. Later people named it "Jiami" melon.

According to historical records, when Fan Zhongyan was a salt official in Xixi during the Tiansheng period in Beijing, there was already a watermelon market near Baziqiao in the town. Because the watermelon in Dongtai is sweet and bitter, people from neighboring counties and governments have purchased it in Xixi, Dongtai, and resold it to various places. Fan Zhongyan is a famous dutiful son. His mother loves watermelons, and he personally respects them. In 1182 AD, Fan Chengda, a famous poet in the Southern Song Dynasty, went to the bank of Fan Zhongyan, a former sage, and saw the flourishing melon industry in Dongtai, which was full of beauty and poetry. He recited a beautiful poem, "When the fields are cultivated in the daytime, the children in the village are in charge at night, and the children and grandchildren have not solved the problem of farming and weaving, but also learned to plant melons in the shade", which vividly reflected the real scene and scene of planting watermelons in Dongtai more than 8 years ago.

II. Development Status of Watermelon in Dongtai

Driven by the market economy, Dongtai Watermelon has been gradually cultivated into a leading industry by virtue of its traditional advantages, technological advantages, location advantages, unique soil texture, climatic conditions and product taste and flavor, which has played an important role in increasing agricultural efficiency and farmers' income, generated high popularity both inside and outside the province, and promoted and promoted the rapid development of planting structure adjustment and horticultural production in our city. Its main features are:

1. The production areas are relatively concentrated and the planting scale is large

The eastern part of our city is a sediment deposition plain, with rich land reserve resources, high terrain and sandy soil, which provides unique conditions for watermelon production. Since the reform and opening up, watermelon production in our city has made great progress, and the planting scale has been expanded year by year. With Sancang, Sizao and other towns as the core, it has driven and radiated to more than 1 towns and Da Nang and Xincao farms. Since the mid-199s, the city has been increasing at a rate of more than 1, mu every year. In 25, the area of watermelon in Dongtai reached 22, mu, and the planting scale ranked first among all counties in the province for many years. In planting, we should adhere to centralized contiguous areas and implement regional layout according to the requirements of crop rotation. Through land transfer, we will actively encourage experts to expand the contracted area and cultivate large watermelon growers. Few farmers will plant watermelons in the range of 15-2 mu, usually 3-5 mu, and many will reach 2-3 mu, which will be operated on a large scale.

2. The product has its own characteristics and strong competitiveness

The reason why Dongtai Watermelon maintains its eternal competitiveness in the market is inseparable from the three characteristics of variety, quality and brand. First, different fruit types and different maturity stages are more suitable for market demand. In the face of the fact that consumers in urban and rural areas generally have only 2-3 families, we insist on giving priority to small fruit-type gift watermelons (the weight of a single fruit is 1.5-2.5Kg) and planting medium fruit-type varieties (4-5Kg), which is suitable for the consumption requirements of existing families. At the same time, by improving the cultivation facilities and selecting the right varieties, the development of spring will be advanced.