June 2006


Harris Moran: Innovation emerging daily
Yuma trials unveil newest melons and watermelons

Harris Moran displayed its latest varieties of melons and watermelons recently during trials in Yuma, Arizona.

About 100 customers attended the two-day event at JV Farms, braving the desert heat.

Between-rows, customers touched, squeezed, sliced, cut, and tasted everything from new Italian-sutchered cantaloupes to Crunchy Red watermelon, fresh cut adaptable.

“They came to look at diversity,” said Meir Peretz, HM product manager for melons and watermelons.

“They’re looking for something exciting to complement the usual and ordinary.”

Harris Moran breeders were on hand to walk them through each variety: benefits, features, disease resistance, and taste.

Highlighting the trials were:

Navigator cantaloupe: Excellent flesh color, great flavor, very sweet, attractive appearance – a good fresh, cut melon.

Summer Dew (photo right): Newest honeydew. Crunchy flesh to the bite. Very sweet. Good for fresh cut.

Crunchy Red: New watermelon with brilliant red color. Crunchy flesh. Super sweet. Good for fresh cut. Mas Rico cantaloupe: Companion to Oro Rico. Small cavity. Firm flesh. Sweet, excellent flavor. Winter Dew honeydew: Mid-early, thick flesh, firm flesh, very sweet, large fruit, fresh-cut adapted.

“They’re looking for flavor, sweetness, and color in the melons. And I think they found what they were looking for,’ said Peretz. “It was a very successful trial. You can tell the customers appreciate the work Harris Moran is doing as a melon company.”

Harris Moran is part of the largest independently owned seed company in the world. It is owned by Groupe Limagrain, a cooperative owned, run, and operated by farmers.