Original research article
Traits Association of Canary Melon (Cucumis melo L. var. inodorous) Grown in a Humid Tropical Environment
2024, 89 (4) p. 343-350
Ekemini Edet Obok, Aniekeme Christopher Ukpong, Emmanuel Macha
Abstract
A two-year field study was conducted to investigate the growth and productivity of canary melon in a humid tropical rainforest environment in Nigeria. The study used the 'Juan' cultivar and evaluated twelve traits across four sowing periods. Results showed that total rainfall, sunshine duration and relative humidity remained similar across the two-year period, but significant differences in mean maximum and minimum temperatures were observed. The interaction of year and season significantly impacted plant characteristics, including seed germination, number of leaves per plant, vine thickness, vine length, leaf area, leaf area index, number of fruits per plant, fruit weight, fruit volume, rind thickness, total soluble solid contents and fruit yield. The study identified three clusters based on similarities and differences in canary melon traits, which could be useful for selecting traits to improve canary melon in humid tropical environments.
Keywords
cluster analysis, cucurbits, fruit breeding, tropics
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