Fruit Color and Harvesting Date on Seed Quality of “Mon Thong” Muskmelons สุจิตรา สืบนุการณ์ นงลักษณ์ พยัคฆศิรินาวิน และสมบัติ โซลสีหา

Abstract

The research aimed to study the development of fruit color and suitable harvesting date on seed quality of muskmelon varieties Mon Thong. The experiment was planned by Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with 6 treatments, using the different stages with 6 stages of fruit color. The results indicated that yellow-orange rind (7.5 YR 6/8) and 40 days after flowering and fruit set was the optimum development of fruit color and harvesting time, respectively. Due to the large yellow color of the seeds. The highest soil germination percentage was 96 percent, total plant height 16.22 cm, germination index 3.43 plant/day, and lowest seed moisture 4.64 percent, followed by yellow-orange rind with little white stripes and brown spots (7.5 YR 7/10), 45 days after flowering and fruit set. Because all indexes were moderate. While seeds were 25 and 30 days after flowering and fruit set, the rind was green with white stripes (5Y 6/6) and yellow-green with light brown stripes (5Y 6/8), respectively. The percentage of germination in the soil was medium but with the slowest seedling development and the seedling are not strong therefor do not recommend harvest the seeds at this stage.