LEAFLT 82MARCH 1971
GULFCOAST - ~a sweet cantaloupe
for the produce chain store market
JOSEPH D. NORTON*
GULyCOAs'r, a icw caiitaloupe Variety
Uniited States, has lbeetn releasedl by Aui-
burn U iversity Agric"ltniral Experimenit
Stationi. It has relatively high resistanice
to downiy mildew (Psemdopronlospor'a
('fibim'lis) anid powdlery mildew (Erq-
siphe cichoraccaum) and high resistance
to gummy stem blight (Airycosvpharella
citirdiina). The variety.
1
produces high
yields of. excellet i iality fruit suitable
for packinig for the commercial market.
Prevalence of foliar diseases, particui-
larly dowiny mildew anid gmny stemn
lblight, mnd susceptib~ility of existing va-
rieties to these diseases has discouraged
the growing of canitalouipes i the Souith-
'Associate Professor, 1)eIl)artnlent of I Tort-
east. Introduiction of the high (pl-1alitVI
(lisease resistant variety Southland ('3) in
1970 (demonstratedl that -high quality
fruits couldl be lrotiuced ini this lititmid
region. Becautse of its large fri-it size,
Soutlhad is not suifialle for j-acking fo
the commercial matrket. However, Clf-
coast produices smaller fruits that meet
ineeds of the commercial mar ket.
ORIGIN
Guilfcoast origimatecl at Atit mmr from
a program of backcrossing awl inbreed-
ing to obtainl resistance to gu.1mmly steml
blight, dIowny mildew, -and powdery mil-
dewv. It is. an inbred line from the cross
AC-63-11- x PT1 40471, a5sshown t lte
p~edigree on page 2. Followving the Cross,
a backerossing anil (lisease screeing pro-
gram wvas followvdd with selection of dis-
AGR IC ULTU R-ALE X P I-R I MF-NT S T ATIO N
LEAFLET 82
AUBURN UNIVERSITY
E. V. Smith, 1)1'rccfor Auburn, Alabama
Development of Gulfcoost
1962
Greenhouse
1962
L~J Field
1963
Greenhouse
1964
Greenhouse
1 96511966
Field
196711968)1969
Field
1970
Field
ease resistant seedlliI gs that 1dlicel
high quality fruit.
DISEASE RESISTANCE
Culfcoast has been rated for resistance
to gummy stein blight, downy mildew,
and powdery mildew in tests at several
locations in Alabama and other Southern
States. The high level of resistance to
gumminy stem blight, secured from P1
140471 (2,4), was incorporated into the
b~reeling lines throuigh a screening pro-
gram that utilized an incubation chai-
ber and greenhouse to eliminate suscepti-
ble plants from the populations. Resis-
tance to downy mildew and powdery mil-
dew was obtained from Georgia 47 and
Florisun through AC-63-11 (1). Gulf-
coast plants exhibited excellent general
disease resistance in field plantings dun-
ing 1967-70.
FRUIT
The fruits of Gulcoast are mostly
rouind or round-oval in shape, although
many are more rounded than round-oval.
They are slightly. ribbed and well cov-
ered with a medium net. Fruit size varies
at different fertility levels and in different
production areas, but averages close to
2 pounllds with a diameter 
of 5-6 inches,
see table. Adequate size for the commer-
cial )ack of 24 and 27 size melons may
be assured with adequate fertility and
irrigation. Since this is smaller than
Jumbo" melons, the grower should
either market them with wvholesale pro-
dluce buyers or with other outlets for high
quality fruit.
The fruit are very firm and adapted to
handling ini commercial markets. Flesh
is firm at the full slip stage, but it softens
to an excellent condition for dlessert qual-
ity in 3 to 4 days.
The flesh is thick, deep orange in color,
anid of excellent flavor anid aroma. Seed
cavity is small. The fruit matures in
70-75 days, approximately the same as
Hlales Best jumbo and Southland.
Culfcoast has been grown as AC-67-1 4
in trials at Auburn and at a number of
substations of the Auburn University Ag-
riculitural Experiment Station, in the
SouternCooeraiveCanalope A-
mi; 1',SOLIDS 01'CANAL~OUPE. VAlUET1r,S
GR1OWN IN 1'ivF. ALABAM\1A
LocA-rioNS, 1964-1970
Average all locations
Variety yield Fruit 
Soluible
per acre weight Soli(ds
Lb. Lb. Lb.
Cufcas* 18,347 2.72 12.7
Southland ---- 18,838 .3.02 11.8
Ilfales Best
j urnlo .
Edisto 47---
10,288 2.77 6.6
17,180) 3.05 10.2
* Averages for Cn'tlfcoast tare for 1967,
1968, 1969, and 1970) only.
ety Trials i other Southeastern States,
andl in demtonstrationt plainfigs by coml-
mnercial growers.
Culfcoast compares favorably with es-
tablished varieties i shipping quality
anid edible quality as idicated by taste
and soluble solids, see table.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The author gratefully acknowlcdgcs
the assistance of Grover Sowvell,, Jr.,. Path-
ologist, USD)A Sotitheastern Plant Intro-
duction Station, Experiment, Georgia,
for discovery of resistance to AIcosha-
erella cit rulmin and for counseling in
.screening techniques with the organism.
The mode of inheritance of resistance to
Alqcosphaerelk, citrillina Nvas determined
by KrishnaIPrasad, former graduate as-
sistant, Department of I orticultuire, Au-
burn University. Essential assistance was
rendered by C. C. Carlton and K. C.
Short, Chilton Area Hiorticulture Sub-
station, in. increasing seed for grower
trials land conductig variety trials.
Valuable assistance was rendered-by
C. T. Sharman, Foundation Seed Stocks
Farm; Jordan Langford, Plant Breeding
Unit; M. 11. Hollingsworth, North Ala-
b Horticulture Substation; 11. F.
Yates and J. E. Barrett, Gulf Coast Sub-
station; and C. A. Brogden, Wiregrass
Substation, in increasing seed(] lmcon-
(lucting Yield trials.
The assistanice of participants in the
Southern Cooperative Canitalouipe Vari-
ety Trials is also ackiowvledged.
LITERATURE CITED
(1) JAMESON, F. S., J. MONTELARO, AND) J.
D. NORTON. 1962. Trwo New Canta-
loupes for Florida Gr4owerS. Univ. 
of
Fla. Agr. Exp. Sta. Cir. S-139A.
(2) NORTON, jOscsiIm D. 1968. Southland
Cantalouipe-Auburn Developed Variety
Fits Southern Need. Auburn Univ.-
(Ala.) Agr. Exp. Sta. Highlights of Agr.
Ilies. Vol. 15, N o. 4.
(3) --------------------------- 1970. Southland
-A Large Cantalouipe for the South.
Auiburn Univ. (Ala.) Agr. Exp. Sta.
L eaif . 79.
(4) PJllASAD, KniISIINA AND j D. NonlToN.
1967. Inheritance of Resistcance to Mqy-
cospluacrella cit ridlna in Muiskmelon.
Proc. Amer. Soc. for huort. Sci. 91:396-
400.
(.5) SOWELL~, Clov~c, KujsnlNA PIIASAJ), AND)
.1. D. NOnRON. 1966. Resistance of Cut-
cuins inel() Introduictions to Mqcosphia-
erella cit rudlitia. Plant lDis. Rep. 50:661-
663.