The Spanish Region of Madrid willevaluate 40 different melon varieties, 26 of which regionally produced, to facilitategrowers the task of choosing the ones better suited to their needs and toimprove the fruit's quality, profitability and competitiveness.
The councillor of Environment andRegional Planning, Borja Sarasola, presented this research project during thetasting of 15 melon varieties at a restaurant in Madrid, where he also offereddetails on the latest advances made in terms of research.
According to the councillor, the goalis to improve the productivity and gastronomic quality of Madrid's melons. Itis all down to evaluating their productive potential, among other aspects, andto analyse the number of days it takes for the plant to reach the variousgrowth and maturing stages.
Of the 40 melon varieties being studied, 26 areproduced in towns from the Region of Madrid (Alcalá de Henares, Chinchón,Patones, Pedrezuela, Titulcia and Villaconejos).
Accordingto Sarasola, the first results from the tests show that traditional varietiesfrom Madrid "present, in general, good sensory and nutritional qualities."
Inaddition to their performance in the plantations, the study also takes intoaccount the sensory analyses of different varieties and their acceptance byrestaurant owners.
Tothis end, a report on the acceptance or preference of four traditionalvarieties is elaborated from the ratings of 16 tasters and the opinions of 200 volunteers and restaurant professionals.
Thisnew study arrives after other IMDRA projects focused on melons, like the"Melonomics" project, through which a team of scientists obtained thefull genome sequence of melons to be able to locate the areas in their DNAwhere the fruit's quality features reside.
From the results of this research, it will bepossible to create new melon varieties of greater agronomic interest; in otherwords, more resistant to pests and soil stress and better able to adapt toconsumers' needs.
Lastyear, the Region of Madrid produced 2,250 tonnes of melons, grown in 260hectares, most of them irrigated.
Source:Eleconomista.es
