ABSTRACT
Melon (cucumis melo L.) belongs to the family Cucurbitaceae, which includes several other important crops such as watermelon, cucumber, pumpkin and squash. Melon is one of the most intensively studied species in terms of fruit ripening and sex determination and is becoming an increasingly important economic vegetable crop. During 2003-2005, the average global production of melon reached 60.4 billion pounds, ranking at the 16th position and sharing 1.3% of the world production of fruits and vegetables (FAOStat database, 05/2006). In addition, melon is also one of the favorite fruits for dessert and salad uses because of its unique fl avor and aroma. The average per capita consumption of melon in the US has been increasing consecutively each decade since the 1960s. During the past few years (2000-2006), the estimated average US per capita consumption exceeded 12 pounds per year, an 8% rise from 1990-1999 (Vegetables and Melons outlook/VGS-320/April 19, 2007; Economic Research Service, USDA).
