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Title: MSW-28 a full flavor crisp watermelon line with high lycopene and medium brix

Author
item Davis, Angela
item KING, STEPHEN - TEXAS A&M

Submitted to: HortScience
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/14/2007
Publication Date: 12/3/2007
Citation: Davis, A.R., King, S. 2007. MSW-28 a full flavor crisp watermelon line with high lycopene and medium brix. HortScience. 42(7):1715-1716.

Interpretive Summary: Conventional breeding techniques have increased the immediately-available sugar content in watermelon, up to 14%. This results in a sweet flavor but greatly limits the watermelon serving size for people concerned about dietary sugar intake. The Agricultural Research Service of the United States Department of Agriculture announces the release of a watermelon line that has firm rind, firm full flavored high-lycopene flesh, and lower sugar than commercially available cultivars. Taste tests with MSW-28, sweetened to match a full-sugared watermelon control, demonstrated no significant difference between acceptability of the fruit for flavor. A similar test comparing unsweetened MSW-28 to full-sugar watermelon, showed only a slight preference by most consumers for the full-sugar watermelon control and a preference by some consumers for the lower sugar fruit. MSW-28 is a niche market fruit that will cater to consumers interested in moderate carbohydrate diets full of vitamins and phytonutrients.

Technical Abstract: Conventional breeding techniques have increased the immediately-available sugar content in watermelon, up to 14%. This results in a sweet flavor but greatly limits the watermelon serving size for people concerned about dietary sugar intake. The Agricultural Research Service of the United States Department of Agriculture announces the release of MSW-28, a watermelon [Citrullus lanatus var. lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai)] line that exhibits medium sugar content (brix) and full flavor of heirloom varieties combined with the lycopene content and crisp texture of modern cultivars. MSW-28 is a midseason monoecious plant with 5 kg elongated fruit, with a medium to dark green rind and dark green stripes similar to 'Allsweet' and a thick tough rind, comparable to 'Black Diamond'. It has firm red flesh, an average brix content of 9.0, and an average lycopene content of 66 ug/g for ripe fruit, similar to 'Dixielee' in our fields. Taste tests showed that most of the taste testers preferred the sweeter fruit but there were a subset that consistently preferred the medium brix samples or ranked them the same as the control fruit. MSW-28 is a niche market fruit that will cater to consumers interested in moderate carbohydrate diets full of vitamins and phytonutrients.