Types of Watermelons
As one of the most popular fruits in summer, watermelons are loved by people for their abundant water content and sweet taste. Different varieties of watermelons have significant differences in morphological characteristics, cultivation requirements, and taste performance, and the geographical environment and planting conditions of the origin directly affect the quality of the watermelon.
Analysis of Watermelon Variety Characteristics
Early Maturing Watermelon Varieties
Qilin watermelon is known for its 60-day growth period, with a bright green skin and clear stripes, and its flesh is finely fibrous with a sugar content of 13% or more. Hei Meiren watermelon, with its dark green skin and crack-resistant feature, performs well in high-temperature and rainy areas, with a central sugar content that can reach 14.5%.
Special Improved Varieties
Annon No. 2 has improved disease resistance through hybridization technology, and its oblong fruit shape is suitable for humid climates. Teshao Feng watermelon is unique with its golden yellow flesh, and its standard fruit weight of 2 kilograms meets the needs of modern small families. Flower-skinned seedless watermelon, through triploid breeding technology, achieves a perfect balance between zero seeds and a 15% sugar content.
Late Maturing High Yielding Varieties
GANLONG watermelon requires a 120-day maturation period, with the heaviest single fruit reaching up to 15 kilograms, and its skin is extremely resilient. Jingxin watermelon, with its spherical appearance and sandy texture, has become the mainstream cultivation variety in the North China region, with a stable sugar content between 12% to 13%.
Geographical Distribution and Planting Conditions of Watermelons
Main Production Area Climatic Characteristics
Lingshui in Hainan, Nanning in Guangxi, and Dongtai in Jiangsu form the three major watermelon industry belts in China. These areas have an average annual temperature of 20-25℃, a day-night temperature difference of 8-10℃, and more than 2000 hours of annual sunlight, providing ideal conditions for sugar accumulation.
Soil and Cultivation Management
Watermelons are suitable for sandy loam soil with a pH value of 5.5-6.8 and require crop rotation to avoid consecutive cropping obstacles. Using high ridge mulch cultivation to maintain soil moisture at 60%-70%, combined with drip irrigation technology can increase yield by 30%.
From variety breeding to origin management, watermelon planting integrates modern agricultural technology with traditional cultivation experience. Consumers can choose the appropriate variety based on characteristics such as flesh color, sweetness, and seed content, while growers need to optimize cultivation plans based on regional characteristics to achieve a win-win situation in quality and yield.