Stability, adaptability and shelf life of Cantaloupe melon hybrids

Abstract The adoption of melon hybrids by the productive sector necessitates a prior evaluation of the productivity, quality and shelf life of their fruits. Due to the different environmental conditions under which the hybrids are evaluated, an accentuated genotype-environmental interaction is expected to become apparent and likewise play important role in manifestation of phenotypic traits. The objective of the present work was to evaluate melon hybrids in the state of Rio Grande do Norte. The adaptability and stability of the genetic values were estimated by the HMRPGV method (Harmonic Mean of the Relative Performance of Genetic Values) for the following traits: yield, and soluble solids (SS) content in the period between 2010 to 2015. In 2017, the more promising melon hybrids from previous trials were evaluated under commercial conditions to determine the fruit’s yield, quality and shelf life. The predominance of the complex part of the genotype-environmental interaction was verified for both yield and SS content. Hybrids HC-02 and HC-11 show promising traits when grown under the conditions of the Mossoró-Assu Agricultural Complex owing their high stability, adaptability, yield, and fruit quality. Hybrids HC-02, HC-11, and ‘Hy Mark’ are suitable as international exports due to their long shelf life.