"Atos F1 Canary yellow melons are a 'stubborn' variety," according to Antonino Fasullo, administrator at Jato Fruit, a leader in the production of Sicilian Canary yellow melons operating in the San Giuseppe Jato (PA) area in Sicily. The crop covers around 100 hectares dedicated to medium and late transplants. This year, the company decided to plant a good part of its crops with Atos F1 from seed company HM.Clause.
Alessandro Cinquerrui and Antonino Fasullo
"Atos F1 has met our needs from both an agronomic and commercial point of view. Plants are rustic and deal well with the high temperatures guaranteeing a good shelf-life, meaning we can wait for the market to be good for harvesting."
Atos F1
The typical flavor of Sicilian melons, which characterizes the entire HM.Clause melon range, is best expressed in Atos F1.
"The flesh is crunchy, aromatic and boasts a good Brix level (16), with the capability of maintaining these characteristics unaltered over time and meeting all of the chain's needs - from producers and commercial operators to consumers. Fruits in fact meet the needs of our buyers when it comes to both roughness and yellow color of the peel, as well as to grades (between 2.4 and 3 kg). This is also met by a uniform external appearance that makes post-harvesting processing easier."
Alessandro Cinquerrui, sales and development manager for Western Sicily at HM.Clause, adds that "this year, summer started very early and temperatures were high from the beginning. This is why Antonino Fasulle defined Atos F1 as 'stubborn'. The vigor, rusticity and thick dark foliage mean Atos F1 plants can withstand the most extreme conditions while guaranteeing a good shelf-life despite the ripeness."
"Fruits boast the classic heart shape and have a thick rough rind of a golden yellow color with a white crunchy flesh, just as requested by market operators. After all, it is not easy to preserve these characteristics when fruits remain under the Sicilian sun for days. It is even harder to maintain the flavor, which always tends to be altered by the high temperatures."
Atos F1
But the quality of the fruits is not the only thing that makes Atos F1 innovative, as the variety is characterized by plants with a considerable range of genetic resistances: both those against powdery mildew infections, as well as the VAT gene against aphids. This means Atos F1 plants require fewer chemical treatments than any other variety and also means growers can save money and that the final product is healthier and with a controlled residue, thus meeting the increasingly stricter needs in terms of residues."
"We are also pleased when it comes to quantity, with average yields of 10 kg per plant during a far from excellent year. These yields have been made possible by the plasticity of plants, which adapts to the most extreme and irregular climate conditions during setting. The added value of Atos F1 is that it combines yields with high-quality."
For further information: 
HM.CLAUSE ITALIA
Alessandro Cinquerrui
Responsabile Sviluppo e Vendita Sicilia Ovest
+39 337 1588105
alessandro.cinquerrui@hmclause.com