Open Day for a yellow melon resistant to powdery mildew and aphids

The Open Day in Paceco (TP), Sicily, focused on the yellow melon of the Minirillo variety by Seminis. The event was attended by about a hundred stakeholders, including traders, plant nurseries and melon producers. The field was held at the Marino farm and was organized by Bayer CropScience, with an eye on genetics and crop protection products.

A moment during the event in Paceco (TP)

During the guided tours, it was possible to learn about the characteristics of the Minirillo melon.

The variety has a healthy plant, thanks to its genetic resistance to powdery mildew and aphids. These are characteristics that, integrated with the use of Bayer products with low environmental impact, such as Flint Max and Sonata for powdery mildew and Movento 48 SC for mites and aphids, guarantee the return on investment and safeguard the producer's income.

This has also resulted in a low-residue product, as proven by the residue analysis carried out by Seminis at the Marino farm a few days earlier, and has reduced management costs to around 200 euros per hectare.

The participants were able to appreciate the quality of the fruit both aesthetically and organoleptically. It features a distinct roughness and bright yellow color and crisp, white flesh with a high brix of 16-17.

The traders also appreciated the size, smaller than the products available on the market, and the uniformity of the fruit, which is a major factor in entering certain commercial contexts, such as the large-scale retail trade. The latter aspect is an important one, as supermarkets pay attention to consumer trends with smaller and smaller families, in line with the Italian demographic trend.