Breeding report of a new muskmelon cultivar Lanbai 946

Lanbai 946 is a new muskmelon cultivar bred by heterosis. Its parents were the monophyletic materials 20G5 and 20G25. The female parent 20G5 was selected from C56 that was introduced from Gansu Branch of the National Germplasm Bank in 2015. The male parent 20G25 was selected from PI 618819 that was introduced from the Plant Introduction Station in North-central America in 2015. The parent lines were purified by successive generations. The 29 hybrid combinations of muskmelon were selected in a greenhouse in the spring of 2020, and preliminarily assessed in the autumn of 2020 at Lanzhou. The combinations were assessed again in the spring of 2021 and 2022, and the combination C61 was selected for its excellent comprehensive characteristics. The varietal yield test was performed for two years in the spring from 2021 to 2022, and the combination C61 was selected for its excellent comprehensive characteristics. The regional adaptability testing was carried out at five sites of the Gansu Province over two years from 2022 to 2023, and it was finally selected and named Lanbai 946. It is a medium-maturity variety, the whole growth period is about 110 days and the fruit development period is about 45 days in the plastic greenhouse in Gaolan County, Lanzhou City of Gansu Province. The plant grows strongly and the plant shape is sparse. The leaf shape is pentagonal with shallow-incised leaf and the color is yellowish to green. The male flowers and the bisexual flowers grow on the same plant. The fruit shape is oval with the fruit shape index of 1.1. The pericarp is greyish-white with irregular fine lines. The flesh is green with the thickness is 5.0 cm, the soluble solids content is about 16.8% and the Vc content is about 15.6 mg per 100 g. The flesh is crisp and juicy with the original flavor of Lanzhou Bailan melon. The average fruit weight is about 2.0 kg. The average yield per 666.7 m2 is up to 2501 kg. In vertical cultivation, the best density is 1500-1600 plants per 666.7 m2 , with 1-2 vines, and the secondary vine bears fruits. In crawl cultivation, the best density is 1200- 1300 plants per 666.7 m2 , thestem tips are pinched in the period of 7-8 leaves with 3-4 secondary vines, and the tertiary vine bears fruits, one fruit for each plant. The seeds have yellowish-brown coat and the thousand-grain weight is about 36 g. It is moderate resistant to powdery mildew and mildew. It is suitable for protected cultivation in central and western regions of Gansu Province. The soil water content must be strictly controlled during flowering, and irrigation should be stopped before harvest. The carpopodium is easy to shed after full maturity, and by this time the storage and transportation capacities were reduced, so it is recommended to be harvested timely. Attention should be paid to prevent the occurrence of diseases and pests during maturity. It has been registered as Non-Major Crop Variety by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in December 2024.