Abstract:

This experiment used the newly bred muskmelon variety Tianduyinmi（parent：F-ckbr×N-1712）and the local variety Kukebaire from southern Xinjiang as materials. The open-field "double-film small arch" flat bed cultivation method was adopted to conduct a comparative test on the plant growth and development，fruit traits，fruit quality，disease resistance，yield and economic benefits of the two varieties. The experimental results showed that the full growth period of Tianduyinmi was relatively short，reaching 103 days. During the ripening stage，the vine length of Tianduyinmi was significantly （p<0.05） higher than Kukebaire and its SPAD values during the flowering and melon expansion stages were significantly higher than those of Kukebaire. Additionally，Tianduyinmi had significantly more leaves and stem nodes during the fruit setting and melon expansion stages compared to Kukebaire. However，there were no significant differences in leaf area between the two varieties at various growth stages. Both varieties were crisp and sweet，with similar single melon weights. Nevertheless，the fruit diameter of Tianduyinmi was significantly larger than that of Kukebaire，and its central soluble solid content was also significantly higher. There were no significant differences between the two varieties in fruit shape index，edge soluble solid content，flesh thickness，and fruit firmness. In addition，Tianduyinmi exhibited better resistance to powdery mildew than Kukebaire. The yield of Tianduyinmi per 667 m² was 2 432.22 kg，slightly higher than that of Kukebairi（2 345.51 kg）. However，the first-grade commercial fruit rate and the net profit per 667 m² of Tianduyinmi were both higher than those of Kukebairi，at 40% and 3 601.66 yuan，respectively.In conclusion， the overall performance of Tianduyinmi is superior to that of Kukebaire， making it suitable for promotion in the southern Xinjiang region.

Key words: southern Xinjiang, muskmelon, new variety, Tianduyinmi, Kukebaire, comparative test