Abstract:

‘Nongkeda 16’is a new mid-maturation watermelon cultivar which was selected from the
cross-combination of LM05 and LF17. It is suitable to cultivate in the open field of northern China
covered with film mulch in the early spring. The whole growth period of‘Nongkeda 16’is about 96 days，
and the period for fruit development is around 28 days. It has a vigorous growth potential with an average
single fruit weight of 1.8 kg and a yield of 46.875 t · hm-2. The fruit shape of‘Nongkeda 16’is oval and its
shape index is 1.2. The fruit skin is dark green covered with clear dark green fine stripes，and the pericarp
thickness is about 0.5 cm. The fruit flesh is red fine sandy and juicy but with less fiber. The center sugar
content is 12.6%，value of that is close to the edge sugar content. More importantly，this cultivar has a high
resistance to disease and other adverse stimuli.

Key words: watermelon, maturing, cultivar