Developing a rockmelon supply chain to meet consumer

Developing a rockmelon supply chain to meet consumer expectations for quality

Dr Gordon Rogers

AHR Environmental Pty Ltd

Project Number: VM09007

VM09007

This report is published by Horticulture Australia Ltd to pass on information concerning horticultural research and development undertaken for the melon industry.

The research contained in this report was funded by Horticulture Australia Ltd with the financial support of Rijk Zwaan Australia Pty Ltd.

All expressions of opinion are not to be regarded as expressing the opinion of Horticulture Australia Ltd or any authority of the Australian Government. The Company and the Australian Government accept no responsibility for any of the opinions or the accuracy of the information contained in this report and readers should rely upon their own enquiries in making decisions concerning their own interests.

ISBN 0 7341 3129 1 Published and distributed by: Horticulture Australia Ltd Level 7 179 Elizabeth Street Sydney NSW 2000 Telephone: (02) 8295 2300 Fax: (02) 8295 2399 © Copyright 2013

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HAL Project Number: VM09007 (Completed May 2013)

Developing a rockmelon supply chain to meet consumer expectations for quality

Gordon Rogers, Matthew Hall and Tim Kimpton AHR Environmental

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Horticulture Australia Project Number: VM09007 May 2013 Project Leader: Gordon Rogers AHR Environmental Suite 352, Biomedical Bldg 1 Central Ave Eveleigh NSW 2015 Key Personnel: Gordon Rogers – AHR Matthew Hall ‐ AHR Tim Kimpton ‐ AHR Funding This project has been funded by HAL using voluntary contributions from industry and matched funds from the Australian Government. The broad objective of this project was to develop a specification for the production and marketing of consistently high quality rockmelons for the Australia market. Any recommendations contained in this publication do not necessarily represent current HAL Limited policy. No person should act on the basis of the contents of this publication, whether as to matters of fact or opinion or other content, without first obtaining specific, independent professional advice in respect of the matters set out in this publication.

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Contents

1. Media Summary ...................................................................................................................... 6

2. Technical Summary ................................................................................................................. 7

3. Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 9

4. Variety screening .................................................................................................................. 11

Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 11

Materials and Methods ................................................................................................................................. 11

Trial 1 – Bowen .......................................................................................................................................... 11

Trial 2 – Gatton .......................................................................................................................................... 12

Trial 3 – Bacchus Marsh ............................................................................................................................. 13

Results ........................................................................................................................................................... 13

Trial 1 – Bowen .......................................................................................................................................... 13

Trial 2 – Gatton .......................................................................................................................................... 21

Trial 3 – Bacchus Marsh ............................................................................................................................. 25

Discussion ...................................................................................................................................................... 26

5. Assessment of fruit quality .................................................................................................... 27

Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 27

Materials and methods ................................................................................................................................. 27

Brix testing methodology .......................................................................................................................... 27

Assessment of picking indicators .............................................................................................................. 28

Results ........................................................................................................................................................... 30

Variability in Brix measurements............................................................................................................... 30

Assessment of cracking around the peduncle as a picking indicator ........................................................ 31

Assessment of netting on the peduncle as a picking indicator ................................................................. 34

Discussion ...................................................................................................................................................... 36

6. Postharvest storage trials ...................................................................................................... 37

Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 37


Trial 1 ‐ Influence of storage temperature and time on the quality of Caribbean Queen fruit from

Bundaberg ................................................................................................................................................. 37

Trial 2 ‐ Influence of storage temperature and time on the quality of Caribbean Queen fruit from Gumlu

................................................................................................................................................................... 39

Trial 3 – Influence of storage time on the quality of Caribbean Gold fruit from Gumlu ........................... 40


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Experimental design .................................................................................................................................. 40

Results ........................................................................................................................................................... 41

Trial 1 – Influence of storage temperature and time on the quality of Caribbean Queen fruit from

Bundaberg ................................................................................................................................................. 41

Trial 2 ‐ Influence of storage temperature and time on the quality of Caribbean Queen fruit from Gumlu

................................................................................................................................................................... 47



Discussion ...................................................................................................................................................... 56

7. Sensory survey ...................................................................................................................... 57

Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 57


Trial 1 – Sensory panel Caribbean Gold and Hot Shot ............................................................................... 57

Trial 2 – Sensory panel Caribbean Gold ..................................................................................................... 59

Results ........................................................................................................................................................... 59

Trial 1 – Comparison between Caribbean Gold and Hot Shot ................................................................... 59

Trial 2 – Sensory panel Caribbean Gold ..................................................................................................... 63

Discussion ...................................................................................................................................................... 66

8. Consumer survey .................................................................................................................. 68

Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 68


Results ........................................................................................................................................................... 69

Q1: For melons generally, which of the following types are you aware of? ............................................. 69

Q2: Can you think of any "brands" of melons? If so, please write the names in the box below. ............. 70

Q3: How many times do you eat any type of melon per week? ............................................................... 70

Q4: When you think of rockmelons, what comes to mind? Is there anything “special” about

rockmelons? Selection of responses. ........................................................................................................ 71

Q5: When do you most like to eat rockmelons? ....................................................................................... 72

Q6: In what form do you like to eat rockmelons? ..................................................................................... 73

Q7: How do you decide whether to buy a rockmelon? ............................................................................. 73

Q8: Where do you normally buy rockmelons? .......................................................................................... 74

Q9: What is the best place to buy rockmelons? ........................................................................................ 75

Q10: How often do you buy rockmelons? ................................................................................................. 76

Q11: How do you like to purchase rockmelons? ....................................................................................... 77

Q12: When you are buying a rockmelon, what "features" do you look for? ............................................ 77

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Q13: What discourages you from buying more rockmelons? ................................................................... 78

Q14: What would encourage you to buy more rockmelons? ................................................................... 78

Q15: Are you male or female? ................................................................................................................... 79

Q16: Are you the main purchaser of fruit that you consume? ................................................................. 79

Q17: What is your age group? ................................................................................................................... 79

Discussion ...................................................................................................................................................... 80

9. Marketing and product labelling ........................................................................................... 83

Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 83


Name for the new melon, design of a logo and POS materials ................................................................. 83

Rockmelon Retail Survey at Sydney Markets ............................................................................................ 85

Name, logo and POS materials produced. ..................................................................................................... 86

Approved logo and name and tag line ...................................................................................................... 86

Final point of sale marketing material ....................................................................................................... 87

10. Discussion ........................................................................................................................... 90

11. References .......................................................................................................................... 91

12. Technology Transfer ............................................................................................................ 92

13. Recommendations .............................................................................................................. 92

14. Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................. 92

15. Appendix 1 – Example of the sensory survey form used ...................................................... 93

16. Appendix 2 – Trial 1 sensory survey additional responses .................................................... 98

17. Appendix 3 – Trial 2 sensory survey additional responses ...................................................104

18. Appendix 4 – Consumer survey ..........................................................................................106

19. Appendix 5 – Consumer survey additional responses .........................................................111

20. Appendix 6 – Retail survey .................................................................................................117

21. Appendix 7: Candidate logos and designs ...........................................................................119

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1. Media Summary

Applied Horticultural Research (AHR) and Rijk Zwaan Seeds have worked together on a successful

project aimed at developing a specification to supply high quality premium rockmelons to

Australian consumers.

The project aimed to supply fruit with a Brix of 10% or above using agronomic methods developed

in a previous project (VX00019), suitable varieties and picking indicators that could accurately

identify fruit which meets the quality specification.

The project found long shelf life (LSL) varieties were able to consistently supply fruit with a high

Brix, and identified Caribbean Gold and Caribbean Queen as consistently above the minimum

standard of ≥10o Brix. The project has identified the presence of netting around the peduncle of

LSL varieties could be used to accurately identify fruit which met the quality specification of more

than 10oBrix. These varieties can be stored for at least 2 weeks without adversely affecting Brix or

visual quality.

Consumer acceptance of the Caribbean Gold melon was tested using sensory analysis and the fruit

was found to be well accepted by consumers, but they did not like the name. The traits that

consumers value in rockmelons were identified using a survey technique and the qualities that

consumers want combined with the properties that Caribbean Gold offers were used to inform the

development of a new name, logo and POS materials.

The name Sweeti was adopted, a new logo developed and evaluated, and suitable POS materials

designed and produced. The full product development is now complete, and ready to be

implemented.

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2. Technical Summary

Applied Horticultural Research (AHR) and Rijk Zwaan Seeds have worked together on a successful

project aimed at developing a specification to supply high quality premium rockmelons to

Australian consumers.

The project aimed to supply fruit with a Brix of 10% or above using agronomic methods developed

in a previous project (VX00019), suitable varieties and picking indicators that could accurately

identify fruit which meets the quality specification.

There were five main components to the project:

Variety screening.

Development of a fruit testing regime.

Optimising the postharvest storage of fruit.

Sensory testing and consumer surveys.

Marketing and product labelling.

The project found that long shelf life (LSL) varieties were able to consistently produce fruit with a

high Brix, and identified Caribbean Gold and Caribbean Queen as consistently above the minimum

standard of ≥10o Brix.

Most consumers surveyed (85%) purchase rockmelon less than once a week. The majority (68%)

purchase fruit from supermarkets, but think a general fruit store is the best place to purchase

rockmelons. The preference (80%) is to buy whole fruit, but consumers like to see one cut open to

determine the internal quality. The biggest deterrent for people not purchasing more rockmelon

was that they are either too small or big.

Other key findings of the project were:

LSL varieties have the best capacity to consistently supply fruit with a high Brix.

It is critical that fruit of LSL varieties are harvested at the correct stage of maturity otherwise

the consistency in Brix cannot be achieved.

The presence of netting on the peduncle is a good indicator of commercial maturity in LSL

varieties.

LSL fruit can be stored at 7oC for at least 2 weeks without affecting Brix or quality, however

quality and food safety risks were increased by storage at 12oC.

Consumers generally preferred the taste and aroma of non‐LSL melons. The firmness of LSL

varieties remains a challenge in acceptance of these types of melons.

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To address the issue of firm fruit, storage at 12oC was tested. This was not a viable technique

because of the formation of off flavours in the fruit and food safety concerns. The problem was

solved by selecting the softer‐fleshed variety, Caribbean Gold.







designed and produced. The full product development is now complete, and ready to be

implemented.

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3. Introduction

The eating quality of rockmelons in Australia is highly variable. A 12‐month survey of rockmelon

flesh soluble solids level showed that the average soluble solids, was 9.8% Brix on average over the

year individual fruit soluble solids levels fluctuated between 5.2 and 15.2% Brix. The sweetest fruit

was on the market from February to early March, then again from late September through to

December. The poorest fruit was on the market around May to June. While there is no accepted

grade standard in Australia relating to minimum acceptable fruit soluble solids levels, 10% Brix is

commonly used as a pseudo standard (Rogers 2007).

An analysis of consumer preferences for rockmelons in Australia (Couteleau 2009) showed that 86%

of Australian consumers would buy more rockmelons if the quality was better. The main quality

issues were taste (73%) and aroma (17%). The simplest method we have for assessing taste is the

soluble solids concentration of the fruit, commonly referred to as Brix. Consumers currently pay

about $3 for a rockmelon and 86% of consumers would be prepared to pay more for better quality

fruit. If a consumer buys a poor tasting rockmelon, they do not buy another one for a month,

compared to an average purchase frequency of one fruit every two weeks if the quality is good

(OneHarvest consumer research). Consumers actually prefer smaller fruit despite the common

wholesaler and grower preference for producing and selling large fruit. A survey of Australian

consumer found that 60% of consumers prefer smaller whole fruit in the range 1.1 to 1.3 kg,

wheras only 35% of consumers want fruit of 1.6 kg or larger (Couteleau 2009). Consumers would

like some way of differentiating better quality fruit and 85% of consumers indicated a label would

be an acceptable means of identifying fruit with consistent quality.

In a project completed in early 1990’s, AHR demonstrated the how rockmelon quality could be

improved using a combined approach of better varieties and agronomic practices. The project

clearly showed that it was possible to raise the average fruit Brix level from an average level in

1998‐1999 of 8.4% Brix to an average of 11.4% Brix in NSW using the newly developed practices

(Rogers 2006).

There are two main reasons that variable quality fruit is still on the market in Australia. First, there

is no clearly defined supply chain which can measure and deliver consistent high‐quality rockmelon

fruit to consumers, and second there is no mechanism for a price premium to be paid to growers

for producing a better quality fruit, despite consumers wanting better quality fruit and indicating

they are willing to pay extra for it.

Fruit Size: Consumers have said rockmelons are too large, and they would prefer smaller fruit. The

effects on yield by growing varieties with smaller fruit can be successfully offset by the vines setting

more fruit per plant. The effect of variety and planting density on rockmelon fruit size and yield has

described in AHR projects VX00019 and the recently completed VM06001. Trial work has shown

that smaller fruit also tends to have a higher Brix than large fruit. This is partially because the

smaller fruit represents a smaller carbohydrate sink on each vine runner.

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Cutting and wrapping: Many rockmelons are cut (halved) and then wrapped in cling wrap in the

store. This is done partly because the consumer does not trust the internal quality of uncut melons,

and also because consumers think the fruit is too large. Cutting is inefficient and reduces shelf life.

The basis of this project is to set up a model supply chain with the necessary checks, feedbacks and

incentives to enable quality fruit to be delivered to consumers and for growers to be rewarded with

better financial returns.

Timing of supply: Rockmelons currently have an “on‐season” and “off‐season” in Australia. The on‐

season is over spring/summer/autumn and the off‐season is essentially winter and the climatically‐

variable spring period. Off‐season production is difficult, because higher prices are traditionally paid

for a limited supply of fruit which is variable in quality and the market focus is less on quality and

more on supply. This makes growers reluctant to invest in consistent taste and quality.

On‐season production however, growers can achieve good quality, but they are not rewarded for

this quality. Prices are lower because of good supply and they face strong competition from other

summer fruits. However there is an excellent opportunity for presenting a product with consistent

good quality that can compete with summer fruits. Consumers have indicated that they will pay a

premium if they trust that the quality will be good.

Long shelf life rockmelons and the role of ethylene in ripening: Long shelf life (LSL) melons do not

produce endogenous ethylene due to an inhibition of the ACC oxidase enzyme. This means that

ethylene dependant pathways are inhibited, especially synthesis of volatile compounds, changes in

skin colour and fruit softening. Sugar accumulation in the fruit is not affected.

If ethylene is supplied to the fruit externally, the normal fruit softening and volatile formation

resumes in the fruit. There is the potential to treat harvested LSL melons with ethylene for a short

period, say 2‐3 days, and this should significantly advance the fruit softening process, and may be

all that is required to correctly condition fruit and ready for consumers, and this should be

evaluated on harvested fruit.

The project: The aim was to develop a blueprint for how to supply Australian consumers with

premium high‐quality sweet rockmelons that will rival other summer fruits. This project will

demonstrate how to develop a value chain capable of supplying consistently high‐quality

rockmelons to Australian consumers. This was achieved by

Selecting appropriate varieties for consistent quality.

Working with good growers who were able to grow rockmelons according to the practices

developed in VX00019.

Developing picking indications that would accurately identify fruit with a Brix over 10o.

Develop an effective marketing and product differentiation strategy.

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4. Variety screening

Introduction

Variety selection is an important consideration when trying to produce a high quality

melons. A range of varieties were evaluated over three sites: Bowen, Gatton and Bacchus

Marsh. Varieties tested included the Caribbean group of melons : Caribbean Dream,

Caribbean Gold, Caribbean Pearl, Caribbean Queen and Caribbean Sun as well as varieties

from other seed companies, and industry standards.

Around half of all melons produced in Australia are grown in Queensland, and for this

reason two of the variety trials were located in the two of the major production regions of

Gatton and Bowen. The third variety screening trial was grown in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria,

another key production area for rockmelons.

The primary objective of these trials was to identify varieties which can consistently supply

high Brix. Selected varieties were then used for further postharvest and sensory evaluation

studies. These trials form the basis for variety selection for further work in this project.

Materials and Methods

Trial 1 – Bowen

A field site was established at Bowen in QLD to examine various quality characteristics of six

rockmelon varieties:

Agustino

Giorgio

Caribbean Dream

Caribbean Gold

Caribbean Pearl

Caribbean Queen

Plants were transplanted on the 5th April 2011 with two replicates per variety. Plot lengths

were 10 m. Bed preparation, plant spacing and the application of fertilizer were as per

commercial standard. In brief: 0.5 m spacing between plants, 1.5 m spacing between row

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centres, base and side dressing fertilizer regime dependent on soil test results. The

experimental layout of the trial was a completely randomized block design (CRBD).

Due to differences in the rate of maturity plants were hand harvested on the 9th and 20th of

June 2011. Basic variety characteristics including mean number of fruit per plant, average

fruit weight and Brix were measured at harvest. External and internal visual quality of fruit

was also recorded.

This field trial was a preliminary study focusing on the Caribbean group of melon varieties,

supplied by Rijk Zwaan. These varieties were chosen as having the best potential to achieve

high Brix, because they not produce endogenous ethylene due to an inhibition of the 1‐

aminocyclopropane carboxylic acid (ACC) Oxydase enzyme. The biosynthesis of this enzyme

is the last step in the production of the plant hormone ethylene.

Trial 2 – Gatton

A field site was established at Gatton in Qld, plants were transplant on the 8th October 2011.

The number of varieties in this trial was expanded to eleven. They included commonly

grown and pre‐commercial varieties with a wide range of characteristics including: with and

without sutures; various fruit shapes; and standard and LSL varieties. The two Caribbean

melons which showed the most potential from trial 1 were further examined in this trial.

The varieties assessed included:

Hard Rock

Triumph

34‐309*

09X8529*

10X85185*

Hot Shot

10X85068*

34‐308*

Caribbean Gold

Caribbean Queen

10X85153*

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*These codes represent pre‐commercial identification codes for different varieties.

Due to differences in the rate of maturity plants were hand harvested on the 12th, 19th and

26th of January 2012. Various characteristics were measured at harvest including: average

number of fruit per plant, average fruit weight, fruit diameter, cavity size, downy mildew

rating, netting rating, flesh colour rating and Brix.

Trial 3 – Bacchus Marsh

This trial was established at Bacchus Marsh in VIC, plants were transplant on the 22nd

November 2011. A total of seven varieties were assessed. The varieties which were included

in this trial focused on LSL varieties from Rijk Zwaan. The varieties assessed included:

Gladial

Sangraal

34‐753*

Caribbean Dream

Caribbean Gold

Caribbean Queen

Caribbean Sun

Plants were hand harvest on the 27th of March 2012. Basic variety characteristics were

measured at harvest including: mean number of fruit per plant, average fruit weight, netting

rating, flesh colour rating and Brix.

Results

Trial 1 – Bowen

Of the varieties assessed, Caribbean Dream and Caribbean Peal had the highest number of

fruit per plant, while the average weight of fruit from these varieties was generally lower

(Table 2). In comparison, the variety Caribbean Queen had the heaviest fruit but the lowest

number of fruit per plant. This trade off between the number and weight of fruit was

expected.

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Table 2: Summary of vine productivity and Brix of six selected rockmelon varieties.

Variety Average number of

fruit per plant

Average fruit weight (kg) Brix (%)

Agustino 1.9 0.70 11.4

Giorgio 2.1 0.84 11.1

Caribbean Dream 2.4 0.62 10.4

Caribbean Gold 2.2 0.85 12.0

Caribbean Pearl 2.4 0.75 7.9

Caribbean Queen 1.5 1.41 9.1

Caribbean Gold showed the highest average Brix of 12% (Table 2). Overall this variety

preformed best; it also had good internal quality when cut open.

The varieties Caribbean Pearl and Caribbean Queen had Brix values lower than the

minimum standard of >10% for sweet melons. Although these varieties were harvest on the

later harvest date perhaps they could have been left to mature for a few more days.

Assessing the maturity of LSL melons in the field is difficult as separation of fruit from the

peduncle does not occur, i.e. they don’t slip. For this reason as part of this project we have

examined the usefulness of various picking indicators for these types of melons.

The varieties examined in this trial had a wide range of physical variations in shape, size and

colour (Table 3).

Table 3: Description of visual characteristics of six selected rockmelon varieties.

Variety Sutures (y/n) Fruit Shape Flesh colour Rind thickness

Agustino y Round Dark Average

Giorgio n Oval Pale Very thin

Caribbean Dream n Round Pale Thick

Caribbean Gold n Oval Dark Average

Caribbean Pearl n Round Light Average

Caribbean Queen n Round Dark Average

Images 1 to 6 show the external and internal characteristics of individual varieties.

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Image 1: External and internal characteristics of the variety Agustino.

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Image 2: External and internal characteristics of the variety Giorgio.

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Image 3: External and internal characteristics of the variety Caribbean Dream.

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Image 4: External and internal characteristics of the variety Caribbean Gold.

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Image 5: External and internal characteristics of the variety Caribbean Pearl.

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Image 6: External and internal characteristics of the variety Caribbean Queen.

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Trial 2 – Gatton

The varieties assessed in trial 2 had a wide range of visual characteristics. Approximately half of the

varieties had sutures on the skin and approximate half of the varieties were either round or oval

(Table 4).

Table 4: Description of visual characteristics of eleven selected rockmelon varieties.

Variety Sutures (y/n) Fruit Shape

Hard Rock y Round

Triumph y Oval

Hot Shot n Oval

Caribbean Queen n Round

Caribbean Gold n Oval

10X85068* n Oval

10X85153* n Round

34‐308* n Oval

34‐309* y Oval

09X8529* y Oval

10X85185* y Round*These codes represent pre‐commercial identification codes for different varieties.

The average number of fruit per plant ranged from around 2.5 to 4.5 (Figure 1). The average

number of fruit for the varieties Caribbean Gold and Caribbean Queen were both higher in this trial

than in trial 1; both of these varieties had around 1 piece of fruit more per plant when compared to

trial 1. The number of fruit per plant were quite variable on varieties Hard Rock and 09X8529,

while all other varieties had a reasonably consistent fruit load between replicates (Figure 1).

The varieties Hot shot, Caribbean Gold, Triumph, 09X8583 and Ricura were most susceptible to

downy mildew (Figure 2). Most of the varieties which exhibited susceptibility to downy mildew also

recorded lower numbers of fruit per plant. The impact of these interrelating factors of susceptibility

to disease pressure, final fruit set and yield, may have influenced the results.

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Figure 1: Average number of fruit per plant for eleven selected varieties of rockmelon.

Figure 2: Average downy mildew rating for eleven selected varieties of rockmelon. Score scale:

1=100% infection, 10=0% infection.

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There were three harvest dates for this trial because of the range in the rate of maturity between

varieties (Table 5). Pre‐commercial varieties generally took longer to mature, while LSL melons

were harvest on the centre harvest date indicating an average maturity rate (Table 5).

Overall the varieties Hard Rock and Caribbean Queen preformed the best with a large fruit

diameter, average cavity size and heavy individual fruit (Table 5).

Table 5: Description of external qualities of eleven selected rockmelon varieties.

Variety Harvest date Fruit diameter (cm) Cavity size

(cm)

Weight (kg)

Triumph 12/01/2011 15 7 1.7

Hot Shot 12/01/2011 12 5 1.5

34‐309 12/01/2011 12 4 1.0

Hard Rock 19/01/2011 15 5 2.0

Caribbean Queen 19/01/2011 15 5 2.3

Caribbean Gold 19/01/2011 14 6 1.6

10X85068 19/01/2011 14 5 1.4

10X85153 26/01/2011 13 6 1.3

34‐308 26/01/2011 16 6 1.8

09X8529 26/01/2011 15 6 1.8

10X85185 26/01/2011 15 7 1.5

In addition, the variety Caribbean Queen also had one of the highest Brix readings at 12% (Table 6).

This variety has shown good potential as a LSL variety which could be used for the guaranteed

sweet melon product.

Another LSL variety, Caribbean Gold had the highest average Brix recorded in this trial (Table 6).

This further illustrates that LSL melons are able to supply consistently sweet fruit.

The usefulness of these two varieties: Caribbean Queen and Caribbean Gold was further examined

in postharvest and sensory evaluation studies.

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Table 6: Description of external qualities of rockmelon varieties.

Variety Brix Netting Flesh colour Comments

Triumph 12.0 7 4 Very large fruit,

Hot Shot 11.0 8 5 Full slip, nice taste, splits when

mature at flower end

34‐309* 8.5 4 5 Pale yellow, thin net, weak vine

with poor leaf cover

Hard Rock 10.5 7 5 Size is the best feature

Caribbean Queen 12.0 4 6 Loose cavity, thin net, green

background

Caribbean Gold 13.5 5 5 Uniform net

10X85068 10.0 5 5 Thin uniform net, not pleasant

tasting

10X85153 10.0 4 5 Sparse net, low Brix, pale colour,

firm flesh

34‐308 9.0 3 4 Uniform netting, but thin, flesh

has an odd reticulate pattern

09X8529 11.5 5 6 A few split fruit, coarse open net,

poor, firm flesh, fruit was

cracking, low sugar taste

10X85185 8.0 4 7 Spares netting, broad sutures,

scalloped edges

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Trial 3 – Bacchus Marsh

All varieties in this trial were harvested on the same day as variation in the rate of maturity

between the different varieties was minimal. Varieties were either oval or round, with the average

number of fruit per plant relatively consistent between varieties, ranging from 2 to 2.8 pieces of

fruit per plant (Table 7). Of the LSL varieties, Caribbean Queen had the largest fruit with an average

weight of 3 kg (Table 7).

Table 7: Description of external qualities of seven selected rockmelon varieties.

The variety Caribbean Queen also had the highest Brix of 14.6o, followed by Caribbean Gold at 12.5o

(Table 8). All LSL varieties achieved Brix values of greater then 10%.

Table 8: Description of external qualities of seven selected rockmelon varieties.

Variety Brix (o) Netting Flesh colour Comments

Caribbean Dream 11.8 7 6 Mostly cracking

Caribbean Gold 12.5 7 7 Good netting

34‐753 9.4 6 7 All split

Caribbean sun 12.3 6 6 Good yield, odd colour

Caribbean Queen 14.6 6 7 Internal cavity appearance not

good

Gladial 10.8 6 6 Probably over ripe

Sangraal 12.5 6 6 Ribbed, over ripe

Variety Harvest date Fruit shape Number of fruit per

plant

Weight (kg)

Gladial 27/03/2012 Oval 2.8 2.5

Sangraal 27/03/2012 Oval 2.0 2.5

34‐753 27/03/2012 Oval 2.0 1.5

Caribbean Dream 27/03/2012 Round 2.5 1.4

Caribbean Gold 27/03/2012 Oval 2.5 2.0

Caribbean Queen 27/03/2012 Round 2.3 3.0

Caribbean Sun 27/03/2012 Round 2.8 2.2

26

Discussion

LSL varieties were consistently sweet over three variety screening trials., and of these varieties

those with the greatest potential for use in a guaranteed sweet melon program were Caribbean

Gold and Caribbean Queen.

These varieties generally produced fruit which: were heavier; had a higher number of harvestable

fruit per vine; and achieved consistently high Brix under varying growth conditions. These factors all

indicate that high yield and sweetness can be best achieved through the use of these LSL varieties.

Further studies in this project consisting of postharvest and sensory evaluation trials will used these

varieties to deliver project outcomes. The fruit used for these studies will be grown by the

collaborative growers Des Chapman (Gumlu, QLD), Russell Chapman (Gumlu, QLD) and Peter

McLennan (Bundaberg, QLD).

A difficulty with LSL varieties is determining maturity. The normal detachment of the peduncle

from the fruit which occurs in non‐LSL melons does not occur for LSL varieties since this abscission

is triggered by ethylene in the plant. It was therefore necessary to examine other physical

indicators of maturity for LSL melons. This will enable growers and fruit pickers to quickly asses if

fruit is harvestable or whether it should be left for subsequent harvests.

Factors such as fine cracking around the peduncle or the amount of netting on the peduncle are

related to flesh firmness and Brix. If these characteristics can be used as maturity or picking

indicators, further helping to ensure that harvested and marketed fruit will be sweet (Brix ≥10%).

The usefulness of these indicators was assessed as part of this project.

27

5. Assessment of fruit quality

Introduction

A Brix testing methodology was developed from an earlier HAL project on rockmelons (VX00019).

There are two main aspects to a robust fruit testing regime. Firstly it entails measuring the Brix or

Total Soluble Solid (TSS) levels of the edible part of the flesh; and secondly the identification of

reliable picking indicators that can be used to determine whether the fruit is sweet enough to be

marketed as a premium quality sweet fruit.

As the peduncle of LSL melons do not detach from the fruit, other identifiers of changes in the

physical characteristics of fruit nearing commercial maturity are required. This is the primary

picking indicator combined with size for these types of rockmelon. Similar clear and easily

identifiable characteristics are required for LSL varieties. This is to ensure that harvested fruit meets

the minimum Brix standard of ≥10%, without the requirement for non‐destructive postharvest

screening, such as Near InfraRed Spectroscopy (NIRS).

Some of the physical characteristics which may show promise as indicators of maturity are: fine

cracking around the peduncle, the amount of netting on the peduncle and the external flesh colour

near the peduncle. The usefulness of these factors in measuring commercial maturity was

examined for LSL varieties.

Materials and methods

Brix testing methodology

Method 1

Fruit was sourced from a local retail outlet on the 17th February 2011. Ten individual core samples

were taken from the same piece of fruit. The cores were taken from within 3 cm of the widest point

around the melon. i.e. between the peduncle and flower end of the melon (Image 7). The diameter

of the core was approximately 1.5 cm. The outer rind and any seeds attached to the cavity side of

the core were removed. Brix was measured using a digital refractometer calibrated using deionised

water. Individual flesh samples were then crushed and the Brix of the resulting juice measured. In

between samples the equipment and refractometer were all cleaned using distilled water and

paper towel. This ensured that the Brix measured was an accurate representation of individual

samples.

28

Image 7: Example of a core sample used for Brix testing.

Method 2

An alternative method of determining Brix was examined where 10 core samples per piece of fruit

were taken. This time all cores were crushed into a composite sample and the Brix was measured

on three sub‐samples of the resulting juice. The main focus of this trial was to determine the level

of variation in Brix measurements around the flesh of the same melon. Thus allowing for a better

sampling procedure to minimise variation and more accurately measure the Brix of fruit.

Assessment of picking indicators

The assessment of picking indicators is crucial to the success of this project, and one of the aims is

to avoid the need for non‐destructive testing such as NIRS in the selection of fruit that meets the

quality criteria of a Brix ≥10%. Two physical characteristics which change when fruit of LSL varieties

mature were investigated:

Fine cracking around the peduncle.

The amount of netting on the peduncle.

The two characteristics were examined for their effectiveness in measuring the two main factors of

maturity, flesh sweetness and firmness.

29

Fine cracking around the peduncle

The presence or absence of fine cracking around the peduncle of fruit was examined as a reliable

picking indicator for LSL varieties (Image 8). The reliability of this characteristic as a maturity

indicator was examined in two separate trials.

Image 8: Example of fine cracking around the peduncle which can be used as an indicator of

maturity.

The amount of netting on the peduncle

The amount of netting coming up the peduncle was evaluated against flesh firmness and Brix.

These characteristics are the most important indicators of maturity as they directly relate to taste

and quality. Fruit for this trial was sourced from Russell Chapman (Gumlu, QLD). Nine boxes of the

variety Caribbean Gold were collected from the Sydney markets on the 29th October 2012. Fruit

was destructively sampled, four penetrometer and two Brix readings were taken per piece of fruit.

A total of 70 pieces of fruit were sampled with the amount of netting on the peduncle recorded. All

fruit in this trial had some amount netting on the peduncle. Therefore the scale of netting was

established from 1 to 5. This scale represents the actual number of netting lines on the peduncle

(Image 9).

30

Image 9: The amount of netting around the peduncle was examined as an indicator of maturity.

In the first trial, Caribbean Queen grown by Peter McLennan (Bundaberg, QLD, 21st May 2012) was

used. A total of 55 pieces of fruit were destructively sampled with four penetrometer and two Brix

readings taken per piece of fruit. The status of the peduncle was then recorded as either cracked or

with no cracking.

For the second trial fruit was grown by Russell Chapman (Gumlu, QLD, 5th November 2012). A total

of 40 pieces of fruit were sampled using the same procedures as that used in trial one.

Results

Variability in Brix measurements

The standard deviation of Brix measurements from individual core samples was higher than from

the composite samples. This lower variation around the mean was expected, as fewer samples

were measured and juice from multiple cores was mixed resulting in further dilution of Brix

variation. The Brix of individual fruit cores from the same melon ranged from 10.8 to 12.9% (Table

9).

31

Table 9: Brix of ten Individual core samples measured from the same melon.

Core Sample number Brix (%)

1 12.1

2 10.9

3 12.6

4 11.1

5 12.8

6 12.0

7 12.9

8 11.0

9 10.8

10 11.5

Mean 11.8

SD 0.8

The use of sub‐sampling from a composite juice sample was more accurate as shown by the lower

standard deviation of this method (Table 10). However the difference between the mean of

alternate Brix methods was only 0.3%. Considering that a larger number of individual samples were

taken, there is no clear benefit in taking composite Brix readings. Particularly considering that this

method takes longer and produces only marginally more accurate results.

Table 10: Brix of three composite core samples measured from the same melon.

Composite core sample number Brix (%)

1 11.5

2 11.4

3 11.6

Mean 11.5

SD 0.1

Assessment of cracking around the peduncle as a picking indicator

The relationship between fruit with fine cracking around the peduncle and flesh firmness was

consistent across the two picking indicator trials. The flesh of fruit with cracking was on average

softer than those with no cracking (Figures 3 and 4). The result shows that fine cracking around the

peduncle is a reliable indicator for flesh firmness, especially for Caribbean Queen which is a

generally former variety. This characteristic can be used as a guide by fruit pickers to help select the

mature from the immature fruit in the field.

32

Figure 3: Relationship between fine cracking around the peduncle and flesh firmness for the variety

Caribbean Queen.

Figure 4: Relationship between fine cracking around the peduncle and flesh firmness for the variety

Caribbean Gold.

33

The relationship between fine cracking of the peduncle and Brix was less clear. Caribbean Queen

fruit without cracking had 2o higher Brix than fruit with cracking (Figure 5). This result is surprising

particularly considering that flesh firmness of fruit with cracks was also lower. It may be relevant

that the Brix of all Caribbean Queen fruit was very high regardless of cracking, and that it was well

above the minimum standard for sweet melons of ≥10%.

The relationship between fine cracking of the peduncle and Brix was not as clear for Carribran Gold,

where Brix levels were again very high regardless of cracking (Figure 6). There was less variation in

Brix for fruit which did not have any cracks, meaning that this physical characteristic is not a very

effective indicator of Brix.

Figure 5: Relationship between fine cracking around the peduncle and Brix for the variety

Caribbean Queen.

34

Figure 6: Relationship between fine cracking around the peduncle and Brix for the variety

Caribbean Gold.

Assessment of netting on the peduncle as a picking indicator

The amount of netting on the peduncle is positively correlated with flesh softness. More netting on

the peduncle generally means that fruit is softer (Figure 7). This physical characteristic is another

good indicator of maturity and could be used in conjunction with peduncle cracking to help select

fruit for harvest in the field.

Fruit Brix was also positively correlated to the level of netting around the peduncle, with a higher

amount of netting generally resulting in higher Brix (Figure 8). The average Brix of Caribbean Gold

melons was again consistently higher than 10%, showing that growers are able to consistently

produce fruit with a high Brix.

35

Figure 7: Relationship between the amount of netting on the peduncle and flesh firmness for the

variety Caribbean Gold. The netting scale reflects the actual number of netting lines on the

peduncle.

Figure 8: Relationship between the amount of netting on the peduncle and Brix for the variety

Caribbean Gold. The netting scale reflects the actual number of netting lines on the peduncle.

36

Discussion

The best way to measure the Brix of rockmelon flesh was examine using two different methods.

There was very little variation in the mean Brix value between these alternate methods, a

difference of only 0.3%. The composite juicing method yielded a more accurate Brix reading, as

reflected by a lower standard deviation. The disadvantage of this method is that it is time

consuming and may not provide a good measure of overall Brix, due to the mixing and possible

dilution of samples.

The best overall method for accurately measuring Brix was by taking a flesh sample from the lateral

side of the melon when placed on the ground spot, and then taking a direct Brix reading from that

individual sample. This method has similar accuracy to the composite method but is much quicker.

It is important that the rind and seed cavity of flesh are removed to avoid potential variations in

Brix measurements.

The results of this study clearly indicate that the amount of cracking and netting around the

peduncle is a good indicator of maturity for LSL melon varieties. Both of these physical

characteristics are particularly useful for non‐destructively determining the flesh firmness of fruit.

The amount of netting on the peduncle was also a good indicator of Brix, with a higher amount of

netting generally meaning a higher Brix of fruit. It is also reasonably clear from this work that

cracking around the peduncle is not well correlated with the Brix of LSL melons.

The use of fine cracking and netting around the peduncle will be used in further postharvest and

sensory evaluation studies to ensure that melons used for assessment are at the correct stage of

maturity. The use of this visual method of fruit selection will also help to avoid the need for NIRS

screening of fruit for high Brix. This method of grading will result in improved consistency of melon

quality, which is critical if a branded sweet melon product is to be successful.

The next steps of this project will focus on ensuring that the collaborative growers produce fruit in

accordance with the agronomic guidelines produced in project VX00019. Once fruit is gown

successfully using these management guidelines the postharvest stability of flesh firmness and Brix

will be examined. This work will help to maintain the quality of produce whilst in the supply chain.

37

6. Postharvest storage trials

Introduction

The growers who participated in this project were selected on their ability to grow high quality

melons, combined with their commitment to create a new branded guaranteed sweet melon

product. Once the production techniques were optimized through effective management

techniques, the next focus was on postharvest management of fruit in the supply chain.

The storage conditions of melons after harvest are important in maintaining the visual and

nutritional quality of produce. As LSL melons do not produce endogenous ethylene they can be

stored for longer than non‐LSL varieties. While this trait can be an advantage it also presents other

limitations which need to be examined. For example, the melon may remain firm during storage

due to the absence of ethylene, but the Brix or respiration rate may change during storage thereby

influencing the overall quality of the melon. The two primary factors of quality in rockmelons are

flesh firmness and Brix. These factors will be measured across different postharvest conditions and

growers. It is critical to the success of this project that a guaranteed sweet melon remains sweet up

until the point of consumption.

Higher temperature storage is one of the methods which will be examined to help soften fruit flesh

during storage. Ethylene has a direct role in influencing flesh firmness; hence LSL melons are much

harder than non‐LSL rockmelons. This is one of the difficulties in gaining widespread acceptance for

these types of melons when compared to softer and more aromatic non‐LSL varieties. Consumers

have communicated their preference for a softer melon through the sensory evaluation component

of this project.


Four separate studies were carried out. The first two trials measured changes in flesh firmness and

Brix at different storage temperatures (7oC and 12oC). The last two trials measured the change in

these factors when stored at 7°C.

Trial 1 ‐ Influence of storage temperature and time on the quality of Caribbean Queen fruit

from Bundaberg

Experimental design

Fruit for this trial was grown by Peter McLennan (Bundaberg, QLD). The harvesting of fruit was

completed in accordance with the picking indicators identified for LSL varieties. Ten boxes of the

rockmelon variety Caribbean Queen and two boxes of the variety Hot Shot were delivered to the

38

AHR laboratory in Sydney on the 21st May 2012. Melons were inspected and were all in good

condition. Half of the fruit was placed in a dark temperature controlled chamber set at 7°C, and the

other half was stored at 12°C. In each storage temperature there were 5 replicates, each containing

6 pieces of fruit.

Sampling

Caribbean Queen melons were destructively sampled at 0, 7, 9, 11, 14, 16 and 18 days after storage

(DAS). At each time interval, 5 melons from each storage temperature were sampled. A hand

operated penetrometer was used to determine the amount of force required to penetrate the

internal flesh (Figure 9). Four penetrometer readings per piece of fruit were taken. The radius of

the penetrometer probe was 3.8 mm. The Brix of fruit was measured by cutting two slices of flesh

taken from either side of the ground spot (Figure 9, Image 10). Samples were crushed and

measured using a digital refractometer (Pocket PAL‐1, Atago, Japan), which was calibrated and

washed using deionised water.

Figure 9: Illustration of the location of penetrometer and Brix readings on a cross section of fruit.

Individual melons were cut in half and penetrometer and Brix readings were taken from the

internal flesh. The same sampling procedure was followed for each piece of fruit to reduce

variability between replicates (Image 10). Hot Shot (control) fruit were sampled at 0 and 9 DAS

using the same procedure as above.

39

Image 10: Example of the melon sampling procedure. Here the melon is being prepared for Brix

measurements.

Statistical analysis

The data were analyzed using GenStat® 13th ed. (Hemel Hempstead, United Kingdom). Restricted

maximum likelihood (REML) was used to analyze the data, with differences between means

determined using the least significant difference (LSD).


from Gumlu

Experimental design

Fruit for this trial was grown by Des Chapman (Gumlu, QLD). Selection and harvesting of fruit was

completed in accordance with the picking indicators identified for LSL varieties. Ten boxes of the

rockmelon variety Caribbean Queen were delivered to the AHR laboratory on 26th September 2012.

Sampling and statistical analysis

Melons were destructively sampled at 0, 7, 12, 19, 21 and 23 DAS. Fruit was stored in controlled

temperature cabinets set at 7 and 12°C. At these time intervals 5 melons from each storage

temperature were randomly sampled. Penetrometer and Brix readings were measured as described

above. Data was analysed using REML as above.

40

Trial 3 – Influence of storage time on the quality of Caribbean Gold fruit from Gumlu

Experimental design

An AHR team member supervised the picking of fruit at Russell Chapman’s farm near Gumlu, QLD.

The harvested fruit was picked in accordance with the LSL picking indicators. This ensured that

selected fruit was at the correct stage of maturity. Caribbean Gold melons were packed into twelve

boxes and sent to the AHR laboratory in Sydney on the 29th October 2012.

Sampling

Melons were destructively sampled at 0, 7, 14 and 21 DAS. At these time intervals 20 melons from

storage at 7°C were randomly sampled. The number of melons sampled at each time interval was

increased in this trial in an effort to reduce variability. Penetrometer and Brix readings were

measured as described above. Data was analysed using REML as above.


Experimental design

Fruit for this trial was sourced from a later planting of Caribbean Gold at Russell Chapman’s farm.

Twelve boxes were and sent to the AHR laboratory in Sydney on the 5th November 2012.

Sampling

Melons were destructively sampled at 0, 7, 14 and 21 DAS. At these time intervals 10 melons from

storage at 7°C were randomly sampled. Penetrometer and Brix reading were measured as

described above. Data was analysed using REML as above.

41

Results

Trial 1 – Influence of storage temperature and time on the quality of Caribbean Queen

fruit from Bundaberg

Effect of storage temperature and time on flesh firmness and Brix

The storage temperature and amount time that fruit is stored for both influenced flesh firmness

and Brix. Flesh firmness steadily decreased from around 3.5 kg/cm2 at the beginning of the storage

period, to 1.5 kg/cm2 for fruit stored at 12°C and 3 kg/cm2 for fruit stored at 7°C (Figure 10).

The flesh firmness of Hot Shot was 0.6 kg/cm2 at the beginning of the trial and 1.7 kg/cm2 after 9

days. Flesh firmness in this variety is regulated by ethylene and hence penetrometer readings for

this variety were much lower than those from Caribbean Queen. The fact that consumers

associated the average firmness of a rockmelon with the variety Hot Shot, creates a challenge for

acceptance of LSL varieties.

Figure 10: Influence of storage temperature and time on flesh firmness as measured using a

penetrometer of the rockmelon Var. Caribbean Queen. Bars represent ± standard error of the

mean.

42

This result shows that low temperature storage (7oC) maintains flesh firmness. One of the negative

impacts on ethylene inhibition in LSL varieties is that the flesh is very hard. One objective of this

study was to examine if higher temperature storage is able to soften the flesh. Storage of fruit at

12°C was able to result in approximately half the flesh firmness when compared to storage at 7°C.

Important note: This storage of fruit at 12oC for 18 days is a significant food safety risk and is not

recommended as a commercial practice.

The Brix of fruit stored at different temperatures was surprisingly similar for the first two weeks of

storage. At the beginning of storage Average Brix levels were around 14%, this was maintained for

at least two weeks, after which fruit stored at 12°C started to decline while fruit stored at 7°C

remained constant throughout the storage period (Figure 11).

Average Brix for the variety Hot Shot was lower than for Caribbean Queen at the beginning of the

trial, and after 9 DAS, with a Brix levels of 7.9 and 8.8% respectively. This result clearly shows that

LSL melons are better able to maintain high Brix when compared to non‐LSL melons grown during

the same period.

Figure 11: Influence of storage temperature and time on Brix of the rockmelon Var. Caribbean

Queen. Bars represent ± standard error of the mean.

43

This result shows that Brix levels can be maintained for at least two weeks and that fluctuation in

temperature commonly experienced during transport and storage are unlikely to negativity

influence the Brix of fruit. This information also helps to confirm that as long as the melon has a

high Brix when it is harvested then it is very likely to still have a high Brix level when purchased by

consumers.

All samples regardless of storage temperature or time meet the minimum Brix standard of ≥10% for

a guaranteed sweet melon product.

Effect of storage temperature and time on the internal and external quality of fruit

Image 11: External appearance of Caribbean Queen at the start of the postharvest trial.

Image 12: Caribbean Queen showing damage to netting at the start of the postharvest trial.

44

Image 13: Internal appearance of Caribbean Queen at the start of the postharvest trial.

Image 14: External appearance of Caribbean Queen fruit held at 7°C for 18 days.

45

Image 15: Internal appearance of Caribbean Gold held at 7°C after 18 days.

Image 16: External appearance of Caribbean Queen fruit held at 12°C for 18 days. Note the skin has

sunken in places.

46

Image 17: Internal appearance of Caribbean Gold held at 12°C after 18 days.

Over mature and off flavours

There was a problem which became apparent after 9 days storage at 12°C where the flesh softened

excessively, became water soaked, developed a distinct off flavour and was inedible (Image 18).

One fruit (out of 5) was affected on day 9 when stored at 12°C, even though external quality was

still good. On days 11 and 14, 2 out of 5 fruit were affected by this problem. None of the fruit

stored at 7°C were affected.

Important note: This disorder is another major limitation to the practice of holding fruit at 12°C,

especially as the external appearance seems normal, in addition to food safety issues.

Image 18: Excessive softening and water soaked appearance of some fruit stored at 12°C.

47


from Gumlu

Flesh firmness steadily declined for Caribbean Queen fruit during storage, this process was

exacerbated by higher temperature storage (Figure 12). Initial flesh firmness started at around 4

kg/cm2; after 23 days storage it hard declined to 1.5 kg/cm2 for fruit stored at 12°C and 2.5 kg/cm2

for fruit stored at 7°C.

Figure 12: Influence of storage temperature and time on flesh firmness as measured using a

penetrometer of the rockmelon Var. Caribbean Queen. Bars represent ± standard error of the

mean.

Interestingly flesh firmness steadily decreased when stored at 7°C, resulting contrast to trial 1

where flesh firmness remained constant during storage. This difference may have been influenced

by preharvest factors or differences in storage conditions immediately after harvest and while fruit

were in transit to the AHR laboratory.

Overall the response of fruit to storage temperature and time is similar to that reported in trial 1,

confirming that higher temperature storage helps to soften the flesh of LSL varieties.

48

The Brix of fruit during storage also showed a similar response to that recorded in trial 1, where

levels are maintained for around 2 weeks, after which the Brix of fruit stored at 12°C starts to

decline (Figure 13).

Figure 13: Influence of storage temperature and time on Brix of the rockmelon Var. Caribbean

Queen. Bars represent ± standard error of the mean.

The Brix of all fruit sampled was well above the minimal level for a guaranteed sweet melon. This

further confirms that the collaborative growers and selection of LSL varieties are best able to

deliver a premium sweet product.

49

Image 19: External appearance of Caribbean Queen at the start of the postharvest trial.

Image 20: External appearance of Caribbean Queen fruit held at 12°C for 19 days. Not the sunken

discoloured skin.

50

Image 21: Internal appearance of Caribbean Queen fruit held at 12°C for 19 days (Note the flesh

breakdown in fruit on top left side of the image.

Over mature and off flavours

Off flavours were again seen in fruit stored at 12°C after 19 days storage. This method of softening

flesh is not viable and will not be further examined as part of this project. The firmness of flesh

from LSL varieties remains a difficulty, with consumers preferring/are familiar with a much softer

rockmelon.


The flesh firmness of Caribbean Gold melons gradually decreased over storage time. Initial firmness

of around 3.5 kg/cm2 was measured, decreasing to around 2.5 kg/cm2 after 3 weeks storage (Figure

14). This initial flesh firmness value is very similar to that measured in the previous postharvest

experiments.

In this trial the number of samples taken for each measurement period was expanded to 20, this

helped to reduce the variability of penetrometer reading, as reflected by the small standard error

bars (Figure 14). This result further supports the fact that when stored at 7°C flesh firmness steadily

declines over storage period. The flesh of LSL melons still remains very firm when compared to non‐

LSL melons.

51

Figure 14: Influence of storage time on flesh firmness as measured using a penetrometer of the

rockmelon Var. Caribbean Gold. Bars represent ± standard error of the mean.

The average Brix at the beginning of the storage period was lower than other fruit sampled so far at

11.5% (Figure 15). This value although slightly lower than that measured for other crops of this

variety is still above the minimum requirement for a guaranteed sweet melon.

The Brix of Caribbean Gold increased slightly during 3 weeks of storage (Figure 15). This increase

was very small <1% and was likely due to natural variation in fruit Brix as opposed to an actual

improvement of Brix caused by storage. This result is positive as it shows that the Brix of LSL melons

can be maintained for at least 3 weeks after harvest. This result supports the findings of previous

trials, meaning that as long as melons are harvested at the correct stage of maturity then

sweetness can be guaranteed throughout the storage period.

52

Figure 15: Influence of storage time on Brix of the rockmelon Var. Caribbean Gold. Bars represent ±

standard error of the mean.


Fruit in this trial showed a similar response between flesh firmness and storage time as that already

observed in other storage trials. The initial flesh firmness of fruit was slightly lower than other trials

at around 2 kg/cm2, which progressively decreased with increasing storage time (Figure 16).

53

Figure 16: Influence of storage time on flesh firmness as measured using a penetrometer of the

rockmelon Var. Caribbean Gold. Bars represent ± standard error of the mean.

The Brix of Caribbean Gold fruit steadily decreased during storage at 7°C from 12% to 10.5% after 3

weeks storage (Figure 17). Although this loss of Brix is small, the average Brix after 2 weeks storage

is very close to the minimum standard of 10%. It is very important for the success of this project

and the branded sweet melon product that the Brix of fruit is maintained above this minimum level.

The lower initial Brix of fruit from this trial was most likely due to a high level of variation between

fruit, indicated by high standard errors of the Brix data. Fruit were selected based on cracking of the

whereas we have now shown that the presence of net on the peduncle is a better indicator of

maturity.

54

Figure 17: Influence of storage time on Brix of the rockmelon Var. Caribbean Gold. Bars represent ±

standard error of the mean.

Image 22: Caribbean Gold external quality at the start of the postharvest trial.

55

Image 23: Caribbean Gold internal quality at the start of the postharvest trial.

Image 24: External appearance of Caribbean Gold fruit held at 7°C for 14 days.

56

Discussion

It is critical to the success of this project that fruit quality can be maintained throughout the supply

chain, this is necessary to ensure that fruit is of high quality and remains sweet up until the point of

sale. There is a real challenge with LSL varieties as they do not soften after harvest as this process is

regulated by ethylene. The results of the sensory evaluation study of this project clearly indicate

that consumers prefer a softer melon. Higher temperature storage was one method examined for

its ability to softening fruit.

The aims of this study were firstly, to determine the stability of Brix during storage; secondly,

establish if the Brix of fruit can be maintained ≥10% throughout a typical storage period; and

thirdly, determine if flesh firmness can be reduced to a more desirable level.

The firmness and Brix of fruit flesh was influenced by storage temperature and time. Fruit flesh

softened more quickly at 12oC that at 7oC however a serious limitation to storage at 12oC was flesh

breakdown and the development off flavours in the flesh. A second, and more serious limitation of

storage at 12oC was the increased risk of microbial contaminants multiplying, resulting a potential

food safety risk.

For these reasons, storage at 12oC is not recommended.

The firmness of LSL rockmelons remains a challenge; however it is much less of an issue with

Caribbean Gold than with Caribbean Queen.

Brix was generally stable throughout the first 2 weeks of storage regardless of storage temperature.

This is an important result as it shows that the sweetness of melons can be maintained in the

supply chain. The goal should be to hold melons in the supply chain for <2 weeks as significant

decreases in Brix and visual quality start to occur after this period.

The Brix of all fruit samples measured in these trials were above the minimum standard set for a

guaranteed sweet melon. This confirms that LSL varieties are a good way of delivery a consistently

sweet melon, it also shows that growers have the ability to consistently produce sweet melons.

Care must be taken to harvest fruit at the correct commercial stage of maturity. The picking

indicators developed as part of this project will help to ensure that fruit of LSL varieties are at the

correct maturity stage when harvested.

Maintaining the visual quality of fruit during storage remains a difficulty. For example, Caribbean

Queen fruit stored a 7°C for 14 days showed major skin discolouration which would render this fruit

unsaleable (Image 24). This loss in visual quality needs to be improved if a premium product it to be

supplied to the market at a premium price.

57

7. Sensory survey

Introduction

There are differences between the sweetness, firmness and aroma of LSL melons when compared

to non‐LSL melons. Flesh firmness and aroma are regulated by ethylene whereas Brix is not, so LSL

melons tend to be firmer and have less aroma than non‐LSL melons. These differences are both

advantages (higher Brix) and challenges (firmness and less aroma) for establishing a guaranteed

premium sweet melon.

It is important to evaluate how consumers perceive these differences between rockmelon before

creating a new brand. The best way to obtain this information is using the sensory analysis

technique.


Trial 1 – Sensory panel Caribbean Gold and Hot Shot

Experimental design

Fruit for this experiment was sourced for Russell Chapman, Gumlu, QLD. Fruit was harvested and

selected based on picking indicators developed by AHR. The harvesting and packing of fruit was

supervised by AHR to ensure that only the highest quality fruit was selected for sensory testing. The

cartons containing the selected fruit were then clearly labelled and sent to the AHR laboratory on

Sydney on the 29th October 2012. Two boxes of the variety Hot Shot were also bought from the

markets on this day.

The sensory panel consisted of a cross section of different gender, ethnicities and ages. A total of 19

subjects were selected. Half the group were young, well educated postgraduate students from the

University of Sydney, both genders. The other half of the group were mature aged people from a

mixed demographic background and ages. The groups were separately served prepared diced fruit

and asked various questions about the visual, aromatic and taste characteristics of the fruit under

standard sensory analysis conditions in isolated cubicles. The sensory survey is attached as

Appendix 1.

This sensory test was done Caribbean Gold fruit which had been stored at 7oC for 12 days after

harvest on 5th November 2012. The average Brix of fruit at the time of serving was measured. Fruit

which had a cracking and netting around the peduncle were chosen for assessment.

58

Test environment

Subjects were seated in individually separated cubicles and served approximately 100 g of room

temperature diced rockmelon. Subjects were also supplied a cup of water and a survey sheet.

Ample time was given to subjects to complete the survey and additional fruit and/or water was

supplied if requested.

Data collection

There were two components of the sensory evaluation process. Firstly, subjects were asked to rate

the following questions on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being very poor and 10 very good:

1. Overall taste/flavour

2. Sweetness

3. Crunchiness

4. Colour

5. Mouth fell

6. Texture

7. Juiciness

Secondly, six open‐ended questions were asked and subjects were required to best describe their

opinions of the following:

1. What do you think of the rockmelon external presentation?

2. What do you think of the rockmelon internal presentation?

3. If you saw this rockmelon in a store, would you purchase?

4. If yes above, how much would you be prepared to pay to purchase this melon?

5. How would you describe the taste of the rockmelon?

6. How would you explain your bit sensation into the melon?

59

Trial 2 – Sensory panel Caribbean Gold

Experimental design

This sensory panel was essentially the same as trial 1 with some minor changes. Fruit was harvested

and selected based on picking indicators, external size and quality. Five boxes of Caribbean Gold

fruit was sent from Russell Chapman’s farm at collected from the Sydney markets on the 5th

November 2012. The assessment of fruit by the panel was conducted on the 19th November 2012,

18 Days after harvest. Fruit was stored at 7°C for 2 weeks prior to assessment. The average Brix of

fruit at the time of serving was measured. The test environment and portion size was the same as

trial 1.

Data collection

There were two components of the sensory evaluation process. The first was a ranking of the

following characteristics:

Overall taste, sweetness, crunchiness, colour, mouth feel, texture and juiciness.

The secondly component involved five open ended questions: Subjects were required to best

describe their opinions of the following:



3. How would you explain your bite sensation into the melon?

4. If you saw this rockmelon in a store, would you purchase it?


Results

Trial 1 – Comparison between Caribbean Gold and Hot Shot

Average Brix of fruit served to subjects:

Caribbean Gold 13.2%

Hot Shot 11.2%

60

Figure 18: Average score for the varieties Caribbean Gold and Hot shot for various characteristics (n=19). Average rating for both varieties is

6.6. Score rating: 1 being very poor and 10 very good.

61

Answers to open ended questions

The responses below detail five selected answers to the open ended questions, response

were selected to best describe the overall response of participants for that particular

question. Please refer to Appendix 2 for a full list of the other responses for each question.

Response to the variety Caribbean gold

Q1: What do you think of the rockmelon external presentation?

Colour not very attractive

Looks soft and ripe and juicy, combination of green and orange

Pale, the colour doesn't look quite right

Looks very ripe, maybe too much, colour of netting is attractive

Looks juicy as it has smooth skin

Q2: What do you think of the rockmelon internal presentation?

Has a thinner skin line (green), the skin has more clear boundary

Good, a standard rockmelon as you would expect

Looks better than sample A

Orange colour somewhat mottled. Seeds are dry looking, so appears less juicy

Stronger colour and thinner skin than A

Q3: If you saw this rockmelon in a store, would you purchase?

13 people responded yes

1 person responded perhaps but would prefer stronger netting

5 people responded no

Q4: If yes above, how much would you be prepared to pay to purchase this melon?

Average price $3.08

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Q5: How would you describe the taste of the rockmelon?

Floral with some honey notes, like honey‐suckle

Little bit less sweet, tastes a little bit bitter

Nice when you get the first bite, but then it's too sweet for me and I didn't like the taste that

remains in the mouth

Nice, although the sample A was better

Sweet, how a rockmelon should taste, met my expectations

Q6: How would you explain your bit sensation into the melon?

A strange combination of firm and soft. Nice amount of juiciness. However, it feels grainy,

which puts me off a bit

Less juicy, good crunch

Crunchy and firm, juicy enough

Crunchy, felt better than sample A

Soft, juicy, sweet

Response to the variety Hot Shot


Nice and good pleasant colour

Doesn’t look soft, looks crunchy but fresh

Better looking than the other sample

Looks like optimal ripeness to buy for eating during the week. Like the dark green colour

Looks good with obvious pattern


Looks juicy and sweet

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Good the white outside makes the inside look juicy and delicious

To many seed, although the colour is beautiful

Beautiful colour gradient. Even orange colour. An attractive orange colour. Appears ripe,

seeds slimy

Colour looks too light, the place where the seeds are located looks a bit messy

Q3: If you saw this rockmelon in a store, would you purchase?


4 people responded perhaps if price, smell or maturity is right

1 person responded no


Average price $3.25


Stronger medium tone almost earthy followed by a watery sweetness

I like this taste compared to the other sample, excellent to prepare and for fruit juice

Not too sweet as I like it, still I was expecting a more punching flavour

Very tasty and sweet, Very sweet, a bit too sweet, it tasted a bit over ripe


Soft and juicy, but it gives well under the teeth, Optimum level of crunch and sweetness,

Soft and juicy, A little bit too soft for me, Very soft and juicy, actually a bit too soft

Trial 2 – Sensory panel Caribbean Gold

The average Brix of fruit served to subjects was 12.7%.

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Figure 19: Average score of the cultivars Caribbean Gold and Hot shot for various characteristics, average rating 7.5.

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Answers to open ended questions

The responses below detail five selected answers to the open ended questions, response were

selected to best describe the overall response of participants for that particular question. Please

refer to Appendix 3 for a full list of the other responses for each question.


Presentation is very good, colour, heart excellent

Looks like a normal rockmelon right amount of seeds and pith, average colour

There were differences between the two melons presented in regards to their internal cavity. It

should be filled with seeds and with moist flesh

Excellent, it's yummy. Nice texture, colour and taste

It should be juicy and seeds need to be separated from the walls (so it is ripened)


The first piece did not taste as nice, the next pieces were better and were quite ok

The taste is good but could be sweeter but has the right amount of firmness and juice

Very tasty at the beginning however at the end it tasted a bit earthy, very soft though

Very sweet and nice

Juicy, not very soft or very hard, need to be sweet

Q3: How would you explain your bite sensation into the melon?

It's juicy enough but is slightly crunchy rather than crisp. Prefer crisp if available

Juicy and firm

Firm and juicy, very easy to chew on, very enjoyable

Juicy and nice texture

Juicy

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Q4: If you saw this rockmelon in a store, would you purchase it?


5 people responded perhaps if price, smell or maturity is right

1 person responded no


Average price $4.31 (note one outlier would pay $11, this influence the average price, if excluded

then average price $3.75)

Discussion

The information gathered in this section of the project was used to inform the subsequent

marketing activities. The effort around brand development for a guaranteed sweet melon is a major

component of this project.

The quality of fruit used for the sensory evaluation was of the highest order. The Brix of Caribbean

Gold from respective trials was 13.2 and 12.7%; while the Brix of Hot shot was 11.2% which is

uncharacteristically high for this variety.

Overall, the respondents from trial 1 preferred the taste and texture of the variety Hot Shot. This

result was expected due to the fact that consumer’s best associate the taste and smell of

rockmelons with this variety. The problem with Hot Shot and similar varieties is that quality is highly

variable, and if this assessment was repeated in winter, it could be expected that Hot Shot would

perform much more poorly.

Of the ten questions asked only two questions were clearly different between the varieties, the

crunchiness and juiciness of flesh (Figure 18). The higher crunchiness score for Caribbean Gold is

not surprising as flesh is much firmer for LSL varieties when compared to non‐LSL varieties. The

lower score for juiciness of Caribbean Gold was also likely a result of the firmer flesh and the

perception of juiciness associated with this difference. The responses to all other question were

lower for Caribbean Gold when compared to Hot Shot, but this difference between varieties was

slight and within the standard error of respondents.

In the second trial the overall score for individual questions showed a similar response to that

observed in trial 1. Interestingly when Caribbean Gold fruit was served on its own the average score

of all categories combined increased from 6.6 to 7.5. This result shows that consumers maybe more

receptive to the taste of LSL varieties when eaten separately. There is still a preference of non‐LSL

varieties, this is partly due to people being more used to these varieties, combined with the fact

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that LSL varieties have very low aroma. The presence of a strong aroma was an important factor

that people look for when purchasing a rockmelon.

The responses to open ended questions were very variable and reflect different people’s

backgrounds and preferences. Respondents generally preferred the external appearance of Hot

Shot as they thought Caribbean Gold looked immature. The internal quality of both varieties was

unanimously approved of with no clear difference between the varieties. Respondents were more

likely to purchase Hot Shot than Caribbean Gold and were willing to pay slightly more for it; a

difference of $0.17 per fruit. The average price consumers were willing to pay for a piece of fruit

was around $3. There was no clear difference between the overall taste of rockmelons, with

respondents providing positive comments for both varieties. The main difference in bit sensation

between varieties was that Caribbean Gold was firmer and was less juicy then Hot Shot. The

average score for these factors was consistent between trials.

The main points of the sensory survey are that consumers generally prefer a melon that has an

average firmness, is aromatic and bright in colour. The main differences between varieties were

their external appearance and aroma, with respondents reporting that Caribbean Gold looks a bit

immature and lacks aroma. Respondents reported favourably to the internal quality and taste of

Caribbean Gold.

If LSL varieties are used as a premium product in the off season then it is highly unlikely that

consumers would notice the firmness and aromatic differences between LSL and non‐LSL varieties.

This creates an opportunity to differentiate a branded melon as a premium product, but also

creates a difficulty in differentiating the overall taste of this product.

The next step of this project is to gather information about the purchasing behaviours of consumers

and the types of physical associations hey have with rockmelons. This information is critical in the

creation of a brand, as the name and colour need to best reflect the current perception of

rockmelons by consumers. This consumer survey will encompass a wide cross section of the

community and form the last step in the sweet melon branding activities.

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8. Consumer survey

Introduction

After the sensory survey was completed, it was decided that a survey of the purchasing behaviours

and preferences of consumers was needed to inform the marketing strategy.

Before the design of the brand and marketing activities could progress it was important to establish

where, why and how often people purchase rockmelons. Various questions were asked to gather

this information from participants. Again a wide cross section of the community was chosen to

participate in a short 17 question long survey. The survey was completed on line with participants

asked to selected answers from a list or they were able to provide a detailed response.

In this component of the project the finer details about consumer habits with regards to

purchasing, preparing and eating rockmelon will be collected. This information will help to establish

potential opportunities in the branding and marketing activities of the sweet melon product.


A consumer survey was designed around 17 questions. These questions were developed closely

with Rijk Zwaan to ensure that useful information was collected.

The survey was managed through an online platform called survey monkey

(www.surveymonkey.com). Please refer to Appendix 4 for the survey questionnaire.

Eighty applicants were invited to participate in the survey with 67 respondents. Participants were

selected from the University of Sydney, mushroom farm labours, and melon industry participants.

The software associated with the online survey compiled the data in Microsoft® excel. Any

comments made by respondents for specific questions were also captured.

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Results

The responses to survey questions are summarised in figures 20 – 32.

Q1: For melons generally, which of the following types are you aware of?

Figure 20: The number of different melon types that respondents are aware of. 67 respondents

answered, 0 skipped the question.

Other melons responses:

Normal watermelon – whatever that is

Non‐netted (smooth) rockmelons

Yellow and Orange melons

Hairy melons, winter melons

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Q2: Can you think of any "brands" of melons? If so, please write the names in the box

below.

21 respondents answered

46 skipped the question

Of those that answered:

14 responded no

2 responded – Moon rocks

2 responded – Charentais

1 responded – Del Monte

1 responded ‐ Hard Rock

1 responded – Australian grown

Q3: How many times do you eat any type of melon per week?

Figure 21: The frequency that people eat any type of melon per week. 67 respondents answered, 0

skipped the question.

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Q4: When you think of rockmelons, what comes to mind? Is there anything “special” about

rockmelons? Selection of responses.

Pink, nice colours

Not very sweet, nice texture, a bit bland

Yes, I remember the melon which we have in Iran, they are sweet and tender

Juicy, fleshy melons, its significant sweet taste and aroma

Childhood. Mum used to always have cold rockmelon on hand after a hot day. Juicy and not

too sweet

Medium size, grey‐rough skin, orange flesh, usually sweet

Harder than the ordinary water melons in the market

I love this hardness/sweetness

Aroma, colour

Fresh, sweetness, orange, delicious

Water taste, fresh

Very delightful smelling

Sweet flavoured fleshy juicy fruit

Appearance and size

Allergy (my husband is allergic to rockmelon one/two bits ok but not more than that)

The smell (sweet)

Nutritious, healthy fruit with cool taste

A juice fruit, sweet and nice smell

Sweet, nice peach/pinkish colour, very good skin and hydration

Smooth flesh, nice orange/apricot colour sitting on the back verandah in the middle of

summer eating melon with my Dad

The firm and textured rind (when buying), overall the smell, on eating the sweet taste and

cool sensation

Summer sweetness and aroma

Refer Appendix 5 for full respondents

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Q5: When do you most like to eat rockmelons?

Figure 22: The time of day when respondents usually eat rockmelons. 65 respondents answered, 2

skipped the question.

Other responses:

As a fruit drink

Cut up for kids lunch boxes, after school or before swimming training

All of the above

I have to say all the above, we eat them often

Never

All the above, even as a starter with some stuffing

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Q6: In what form do you like to eat rockmelons?

Figure 23: The eating preference of respondents.

Other comments:

Covered with sugar

Cubed with yoghurt or lime

As a fruit drink

Q7: How do you decide whether to buy a rockmelon?

Figure 24: The purchase behaviour or respondents.

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Other responses:

If making fruit salad

Aroma and season of the fruit

Season and smell of the skin if it doesn’t smell like a rockmelon on the stem end then it’s

likely not ripe/picked too early

Seasonality

Smell

In summer

Q8: Where do you normally buy rockmelons?

Figure 25: The location that responded generally purchase rockmelon from.

Other responses:

Depends where I am

ADLI and Flemington

ADLI

Fruit box delivered weekly by Aus Growers

Paddy’s markets

ALDI

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Q9: What is the best place to buy rockmelons?

Figure 26: The place where respondents perceive the best place to purchase rockmelons is.

Other responses:

ALDI, Flemington

Direct from a farmer

ADLI

Probably not supermarket

Unsure

Farmer direct

Was Martelli’s but now out of area, Coles and they have been quite good

All of them depends on quality

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Q10: How often do you buy rockmelons?

Figure 27: The frequency which respondents purchase melons.

Other responses:

May have 1‐2 times a year

At least 2‐3 times a month

In summer, sometimes I buy rockmelons 2 times per week, I love it!

One of the reasons I don’t buy many rockmelons is because it’s hard to cut the whole melon

and it’s a bit bulky for the limited space I have in the fridge

This is mainly due to the fact that I am the only person to eat rockmelon at home

Summer months

More frequent in warmer weather

Usually it’s delivered in the weekly fruit box, which depends on availability

Once a fortnight in summer

I have had many bad rockmelons. Consequently I find it hard to purchase them. As it is large

and needs refrigeration and often get forgotten in the back of the fridge

A few times a year when they come into season

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Q11: How do you like to purchase rockmelons?

Figure 28: Purchasing preference for rockmelons

Q12: When you are buying a rockmelon, what "features" do you look for?

Nice shape, No change in colour

Medium size, slightly green on edge suggests that it's fresh

I always like to buy mature melon

Colour, aroma for sweetness, Ripe/unripe, Price!!

Smell (must smell like a rockmelon), No bruises

Heavy, clear mark on the skin, not old, smells sweet and fresh

Hard cover/roughness, Generally fresh looking

Aroma and colour

Colour, smell, flavour

Smell, weight, shape

Colour (orange), Smell it

Sweet, Firm (nice texture), Juice

Sweet, Good flavour, Reasonable size not too big not too

small

Sweet and fresh

Texture, Colour, Aroma

Firm flesh, Nice colour and that lovely smell

Feel, smell, ripeness

No blemishes, strong netting, aroma

Smell, Size, Softness, Colour

Ripeness and smell

Refer to Appendix 5 for full respondents

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Q13: What discourages you from buying more rockmelons?

Figure 29: Factors which discourage consumers from purchasing rockmelon more frequently.

Q14: What would encourage you to buy more rockmelons?

Price and size (smaller)

If it was sweeter, More information about rockmelons in general (there is not

much marketing out there)

Lower price with more sweetness

Season of the fruit. I like to eat more in summer, The aroma always

encourages me to buy

Slightly smaller would be good, Picked at the right time

Cheap price, hot weather, strong aroma

Price, Taste

Better quality, better price

To think that they are good for my health, Price

A good quality melon (sweet, aroma etc.) at a reasonable price

Cheap, Sweet, Tasty

Cheap, easy to carry, sweet

Cheap price, Sure of taste before I buy

If I was more organised in my grocery purchasing and diet regime I would eat

more melon

Sweetness, Consistency

If I knew beforehand that the melon I bought would taste good

Refer to Appendix 5 for full respondents

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Q15: Are you male or female?

Figure 30: The gender breakdown of respondents.

Q16: Are you the main purchaser of fruit that you consume?

Figure 31: Depiction of purchasing behaviour of respondents.

Q17: What is your age group?

Figure 32: The age breakdown of respondents.

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Discussion

The consumer survey collected information about the way in which people choose, use and enjoy

rockmelons. It was not focussed around LSL varieties, but rockmelons generally. A total of 67

participants completed a 17‐question survey. This information was used to inform the development

of a brand name, logo and point of sale material.

Fifty six percent of respondents were female and forty four percent male, this split in gender is

relatively even (Figure 30). The age groups 21‐31 and 31‐40 accounted for 38% of the respondents,

respectively (Figure 32). The combined responses from these age groups accounted for around 76%

of survey responses. The range in age group of respondents was skewed towards younger people,

as reflected by the participation of students and farm labourers. There was participation by older

members with 16 and 8% of respondents in the age groups 41‐50 and 51‐65 respectively.

All participants are aware of the main melon types in Australia: rockmelons, seedless watermelons

and honeydews. A small percentage (<10%) of respondents were aware of other melon types such

as: casaba, personal, charantais and hami melons. This result is consistent with the main types of

melons grown in Australia.

Most respondents were unaware of any brands of melons. Sixty of the sixty seven respondents

were unable to name a single brand of melons. Of those that responded the melon brands were

actually varieties or types of melons. This lack of brand recognition creates a great opportunity to

market sweet melons as there is currently no brand space competition.

The vast majority (82%) of respondents eat any type of melon less than once a week (Figure 21).

This relatively low purchase frequency of melons means that there is great potential to increase the

consumption of melons. This process of product replacement is usually quite difficult however, as

another fruit or vegetable item usually needs to be substituted in order for customers to purchase

more rockmelon.

Most respondents think of summer, sweetness, colour and aroma when they think about

rockmelons. These core universal associations need to be incorporated into the branding of the

premium sweet melon product. The use of colour and imagery need to convey all of these common

associations to ensure acceptance and brand recognition.

There was no clear relationship between when and how people eat rockmelon. Respondents

consume rockmelon very differently, with the responses spread widely over the different meal

categories. Slightly higher responses were recorded for eating rockmelon for a snake or dessert, 26

and 25% respectively (Figure 22). Three respondents provided additional comments explaining that

they eat rockmelons at each of these meal times, and that this depends on the season,

temperature and fruit quality at their local store.

Most people prefer to eat rockmelons when cut into slices (60%), others also cut fruit into cubes

(45%) or incorporate fruit into fruit salads (35%). A small number of people like eating rockmelons

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with sugar, yogurt or lime juice (Figure 23). Most people responded that they consume fruit in

more than one way and that the decision on how to prepare fruit depends on how they are feeling

at the time.

The main factors that influence whether or not a consumer will purchase a rockmelon are: how the

fruit looks in the store (57%), and whether the price is good (47%). These two main factors were

much more influential in determining whether a consumer will buy a rockmelon than things like: an

impulse buy, regular purchase or that it’s on a shopping list (Figure 24). This means that it is critical

that the visual quality of produce is high and that price is competitive when compared to other

fruits. Three respondents provided additional comments detailing the importance of aroma in their

purchase discussion. This factor was also very important in the sensory evaluation study.

Most people (68%) purchase rockmelons from a supermarket such as Coles or Woolworths, even

thought 28% of people believe that a general store is the best place to purchase fruit (Figures 25

and 26). Small percentages (~20%) of respondents think that specialty fruit stores, small groceries

or growers markets are the best place to buy rockmelons. These locations usually require a special

trip which is why the majority of people purchase from large retailers as it is convenient because all

shopping activities can be completed in one transaction.

Most respondents (79%) purchase rockmelons less than once a week (Figure 27). The next highest

purchase frequency of 1‐2 times per week had the next highest percentage of respondents (14%).

This means that consumers generally purchase rockmelons infrequently, creating an opportunity

for branded premium melons.

The majority of consumers prefer to purchase a whole rockmelon (83%), but they also like to have a

melon cut open on display so that they can see the internal quality of the fruit. When deciding on

whether to purchase a rockmelon most consumers look for similar features such as: colour, aroma,

size, visual quality and price. LSL varieties are able to supply the market with good colour and size,

but the aroma is very low as ethylene has been inhibited. This difficultly could be partly addressed

by point of sale (POS) educational material.

The size of a melon (either too small or large) was the highest factor discouraging people from

purchasing rockmelons more frequently. This factor was on average 3 times more important than a

lack of flavour and sweetness (Figure 29). This result is very interesting and may be influenced by

the fact that consumers cannot taste the melon at the point of sale, and therefore focus their

purchasing decision based on external characteristics such as size and colour. The aspects which

would encourage people to purchase more rockmelons are a better product at a cheaper price. This

response does not illustrate a preference for a premium product at a higher price but a better

product at a lower price. The advantage of LSL melons will be when they are sold next to generic

unbranded melons. Consumers have shown their willingness to try them and if they have a good

experience are highly likely to purchase again.

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The consumer survey has identified some of the main trends in purchasing behaviour and areas of

opportunity which can be used in the marketing and promotional aspect of this project to drive

higher demand for a premium rockmelon product.

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9. Marketing and product labelling

Introduction

The marketing and product labelling activities was final the activity of the branded sweet melon

project. The variety selection and postharvest activities combined with the sensory and consumer

surveys have resulted in a system that can supply a premium quality rockmelon to consumers. The

final step is tell consumers about the new melon concept.

When people think of rockmelons they think of summer, fruit salad, aroma and sweetness. All of

these aspects of taste and fruit association need to be carefully incorporated into the brand name

and logo design. In this section we will present a branded rockmelon design concept as a guide for

the melon industry to implement.


Name for the new melon, design of a logo and POS materials

The first step in the development of a successful marketing strategy was to take the message

learned from the sensory and consumer survey work and turn that into a design brief for the

development of a logo and marketing strategy.

The following design brief was produced and sent to Modo Design for the development of a logo

and POS materials.

New rockmelon design brief

Background

Rockmelon quality is variable – sometimes fruit is excellent but many times it has poor internal

quality – mainly it not sweet enough and is a disappointment to consumers.

AHR and Rijk Zwaan seeds have been working together to take a variety with consistently good

sweetness, and combine this with a growing program and fruit selection techniques that results in

fruit that will be consistently sweet all year round.

The variety name is Caribbean Gold. Rijk Zwaan have developed a sticker and POS materials for this

fruit, but our consumer work has told us that consumers think this fruit comes from the Caribbean

(ie imported).

Feedback from consumer surveys

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We have carried out some sensory testing and consumer surveys, and the messages are:

1. What do you think about when thinking of melons?

Sweet

Taste

Juicy

Refreshing

All these could be communicated via imagery/words.

2. What features do you look for when buying rock melons?

Smell,

Colour,

Firm feel,

Size (not too big)

Some of these can be communicated and some come from observation (size, feel). Smell is a

challenge

3. What sort of presentation do consumers want?

mostly whole fruit

small is OK

some cut to show internals of the fruit

Design brief – what is required

1. Logo design(s) 2. Name for product / tag lines 3. Artwork for a poster 42 cm tall – example of a salanova poster is attached to the email

Usage and messages

1. Logo usage:

a. On rock melons as a sticker in stores

b. On packaging

c. On promotion materials (posters, leaflets, retailer adverts for the products)

2. Products:

a. Rockmelons only

3. Design elements. As a result of the research, and other information, the ideal design should

convey (with images/words):

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a. Sweet, tasty, juicy, refreshing

b. Good internal colour

c. Consistent quality

The designer produced a number of design concepts and these were distributed to the project

team for approval. This went through a number of iterations before the final concepts were agreed.

Rockmelon Retail Survey at Sydney Markets

Once the name, logo and design elements have been determined, the fruit (Caribbean Gold) and

marketing materials can be presented to retailers at the Sydney markets. Arrangements are in place

to do this presentation, and this will be done by Produce Marketing Australia and Rijk Zwaan as

soon fruit are available.

The display will be set up at the Fresh Fruit Company, Sydney markets. Part of the display will

involve asking retailers to complete a short survey. The retail survey is attached as Appendix 6.

Between 20 and 50 retailers will be surveyed at Sydney Markets, Flemington. Retailers will be

invited to have a follow up with a visit from Rijk Zwaan staff. Image 25 shows a Zespri Gold display

set up by Produce Marketing Australia. The rockmelon display would be similar in concept.

Image 25: Example of the proposed retail survey station at the Sydney Markets, Flemington.

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Name, logo and POS materials produced.

The following materials were designed by Modo design and have been approved by the project team,

including Rijk Zwaan. The candidate designs are included as appendix 7. Only the final approved designs are

shown in this section.

Approved logo and name and tag line

The name Sweeti was chosen with the tag line: refreshingly juicy. The logo was selected because the pink

colour is distinctive and is visually appealing. The tag line coveys the ideas of juicy and refreshing which were

identified in the market research.

Image 26: Sweeti brand design 7.

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Final point of sale marketing material

The following point of sale materials have been selected because if their visual appeal and fresh look. They

will be used in A3 size to dress up the promotion at the Sydney market, and in smaller A5 size as in store

promotional POS material.

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Image 27. Point of sale promotional handout for Sweeti rockmelons.

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10. Discussion

The project reviewed a range of rockmelon varieties and chose the LSL Caribbean types as having

the greatest likelihood of consistently delivering sweet rockmelons to the market. Because the LSL

type melons do not produce endogenous ethylene, they ripen slowly and do not produce an

abscission layer. This means the fruit can remain attached to the plant in the field for longer, and

accumulate sugar. The downside of the LSL types is that the synthesis of aroma compounds is

regulated by ethylene and so the fruit has very little aroma. Another negative is that fruit softening

is inhibited by the lack of endogenous ethylene, and LSL fruit tend to be firmer that normal fruit.

Identifying when fruit are mature and have a high enough internal sugar content is critical to being

able to supply the market with consistently sweet fruit. Non‐destructive NIR can be used, but it is

not successful on rockmelons, due to the thick netting. A field indicator had to be developed, and

the one that was found to give the best indication of fruit Brix was the presence of netting on the

peduncle.

To address the issue of firm fruit, storage at 12oC was tested. This was not found to be a viable

technique because of the formation of off flavours in the fruit and food safety concerns. The

problem was solved by selecting the softer‐fleshed variety, Caribbean Gold.







designed and produced.

The full product development is now complete, and ready to be implemented.

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11. References

Couteleau, R. (2009) A comprehensive study of the Australian rockmelon industry. Report

commissioned by Rijk Zwaan Seeds.

J.C. Pech *, M. Bouzayen, A. Latche´ (2008) Climacteric fruit ripening: Ethylene‐dependent and

independent regulation of ripening pathways in melon fruit. Plant Science 175: 1/2 114‐120.

Rogers, G. (2007) Extension of the results from the project VX00019 to improve the sugar‐content

and quality of rockmelons. HAL project VX04002

Rogers, G. (2006) Development of a crop management program to improve the sugar‐content and

quality of rockmelons. HAL project VX00019

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12. Technology Transfer

Technology transfer activities have been restricted to dealings with growers and wholesalers

who have been part of the project.

The project team have had several meetings with Woolworths, Premier Fruits, Fresh Fruit

Company and numerous growers.

13. Recommendations

That the final market promotion be carried as planned, and a supply of Sweeti melons be

produced and marketing Australia. The agronomic package and picking indicators that have

been produced as part of project VG00019 and this project can be used to support growers

and identify how to select and when to pick the fruit.

An ongoing variety evaluation program should be initiated, and this can be funded privately

by Rijk Zwaan seeds and/or other members of the supply chain.

14. Acknowledgements

The project team thank Rijk Zwaan Australia for their financial and technical support. We

also wish to acknowledge the support of HAL in funding the project. Growers Russell

Chapman and Peter McLennan are especially thanked for their support throughout the

project.

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15. Appendix 1 – Example of the sensory survey form used

Please rate each of the following characteristics by placing an X on the line that best

matches your assessment for each characteristic:

Overall taste / flavour

Poor Average Excellent

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Sweetness


1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Crunchiness

Soft Firm Hard

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Colour

Pale Medium Strong

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

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Mouth feel


1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Texture


1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Juiciness

Dry Moist Very Juicy

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

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Open ended questions

Please comment on the following:



3. How would you explain your bite sensation into the melon?

(e.g. soft, juicy, crunchy, dry, firm)

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4. If you saw this rockmelon in a store, would you purchase?


($ per melon)

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Thank you for your participation.

98

16. Appendix 2 – Trial 1 sensory survey additional responses

Response to the variety Caribbean gold


Smooth outer appearance and lighter in colour, a bit soft

Nice, looks like rockmelon, looks a bit green, not well ripened

Looks like a very old stock

Less attractive colour

Looks great on the outside

Not appealing, colour is not right. Smell is not strong

Doesn't look like traditional rockmelon. Looks cross between rock and honey melon

Rather bland yellow, not how I expect a rockmelon

Thin skinned, less well defined patterning than A. More green in skin colour than A.

Feels more dense. Thinner skinned, prefer B

More yellow

Nice yellow colour, skin a little too smooth, no smell

Soft and pale

Not enough netting for my taste


Intense orange colour, has thicker flesh

Nice, I would expect it to be more orange

Looks good but looks like it is over ripen or old stock

Nice colour

Pale orange colour

99

Does not look particularly unappealing inside, smell is almost not there

Very good. Good colour though pale

Unremarkable, both look the same, flesh slightly lighter

Seeds are too big

Slightly less internal flesh, more seeds

Not ripe

Nice textural appearance, no smell

Nice colour, but thick skin, dry seeds

Good structure, prefer A though


Sweet juicy

Moderately sweet

The flavour is not strong enough

Sweet and good flavour, like the smell

Sweetness was pleasant and had a satisfying rockmelon flavour

Fresh, pleasant but not overwhelming so it lingers in the mouth

Not as appealing as sample A, it's ok, but lacks the rockmelon flavour and is sweet, but not

enough to make it overall nice, strange flavour not entirely good

Tastes fine

Sweet but firm, crunchy

Just the right sweetness, very refreshing

Sweet but a little fleshy

Different, not the taste I am used to in rockmelons, but very enjoyable, less sweet, less

flavour, less aroma but less rockmelon but enjoyable nonetheless

I mostly taste sugar but not much else

100


Juicy

Soft, juicy and crunchy

Very crunchy and juicy

Juicy and soft

Too crunchy and the crunch maintained too long, almost a slightly fibrous sensation,

possibly not quite ripe or just needs a day longer

Medium soft

Nice firmness, though too firm to the bottom of the piece. Not uniform firmness that I like

Too hard, is not soft and difficult to bite

Juicy, crunchy, firm

Juicy

Fleshy, a little hard

Perfect for a rockmelon, crunchy, dry, firm, can feel the texture. The dryness was appealing

The crunch is nice, but not combined with the dry, a bit like Styrofoam

Response to the variety Hot Shot


Melon is very rough and dark in appearance, more hard

Nice, looks like rockmelon, I would expect it to be more round

Nice attractive colour and shape

Looks fresh and ripe

Skin is spotty in parts, wouldn’t necessarily choose it in the shop because of that

Looks nice, nice rugged texture with green background and sweet smell

Fine, Looks good

Discoloured which is off putting. I like the bit of green

101

Well defined skin, slightly greyish

Smells better than the other sample, looks thicker skinned

Wetting blotch

I like the relief, but is a little too green, nice sweet smell

Good colour, dry looking

Perfect, strong netting


It has a bit thinner flesh and a bit pale in appearance, light orange

Nice, I would expect to be more orange

Nice colour

Looks good and fresh, new stock, pale colour

Bright orange colour

Looks nice, colour not too intense, but smells great

Good, excellent colour

Unremarkable, both look melon samples look the same, slightly darker flesh

Much more flesh, thinner skin

Appears to have more flesh compared to seed, smells sweeter

Riper, smells good, maybe sweeter?

Looks a little over ripe, nice sweet smell

Excellent colour, thin skin, juicy seeds

Good structure, nice aroma


Juicy

Not very sweet

102

Overall it is sweet, but taste like it’s over ripe

I like the sweetness and flavour, I love eating soft melons

Quite distinctive flavour, not as sweet, but with an almost aromatic sub‐taste, not sure I

entirely like the flavour

Burst of sweetness followed by a lingering acid taste

Very nice and sweet, it isn’t as strong in the typical rockmelon flavour, more overhelming in

sweetness, good through

Sweet and fresh

Very sweet, juicy and tasty

Sweet

Juicy, sweet

Stranger aroma volatiles than I would have expected from the relatively mild sweetness,

good flavour package because of the aroma

It was pleasant, enough sweetness, perhaps could be a little more complex with more

bitter/tangy notes


Soft

Very soft, moderately juicy and crunchy

Too soft, no crunchy feeling at all, juicy

Very juicy, very soft, live it so much

Soft and juicy, this seems riper then the other sample

Soft with a little crunch

Perfect firmness, resistance slight but no falling apart

Soft feeling and refreshing because of the juicy sensation, very nice

Firm, juicy, fantastic

Soft, squashy

Soft, smooth and juicy

103

I would have preferred more crunchiness, it felt too soft for my taste

Juicy, bit I prefer if was the texture is smoother, less gritty

104

17. Appendix 3 – Trial 2 sensory survey additional responses


Very good

Good colour, no imperfections

Consistent colour, fresh a little juicy

Nice colour, but drier than I expected

I like the colour

Looks good

Pale and juicy

Fine, no bruises, firm and crisp flesh

Good

Very nice, looks juicy

Good, it looks ok

It was giving us a good view to start experiment


Taste is great it is sweet, juicy and reasonably soft

Sweet and fresh

Very sweet in comparison. Smooth and easy to eat

Not as sweet as I expected but taste fresh. The sweetness comes after a while

Sweet and fresh. Very nice.

It tastes average. However the aroma is attractive as well as hardness

Sweet crunchy

Mostly good, I had 1 bad piece that didn't taste nice

105

Very good

Sweet and juicy

Sweet, fresh

It is sweet but not crunchy, the colour is normal

Q3: How would you explain your bite sensation into the melon?

Juicy

Firm and fresh

Firm but not hard

I think depending on the part of the melon, some are softer. But overall quite crunchy and

firm

Crunchy enough and juicy and sweet

Crunchy

Soft, crunchy, Armoa (sweet), juicy and cooling

juicy, crunchy

Soft juicy

Firm crunchy

Juicy, crunchy, fresh

It is soft and juicy but not crunchy enough

106

18. Appendix 4 – Consumer survey

107

108

109

110

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19. Appendix 5 – Consumer survey additional responses

Q4: When you think of rockmelons, what comes to mind? Is there anything “special”

about rockmelons?

Nutritious

Great desert

Orange in colour

Soft texture

Honey taste

Sweet and juicy

Fine taste

Juicy

Refreshing

Summer

Second to watermelon

When they are good they are great!

When they are bad they are dreadful

The skin

Summer crop

Sweet and good thirst refreshment

Rockmelons have thick and hard skin

With very sweet and juicy fruit inside

Sweet and juicy

Sweet taste

Good with bacon

They are sweeter than honeydews and smell good

Orange flesh

Sweet

Slimy when to ripe

Orange colour inside

112

Sweetness

Less sweet compared to large melon

Yellowish in colour

Images of sliced rockmelons, yummy and watery

Sweetness and soft texture

Remains me about plants

Rocky, round, orange/brown

Fruit in season, round, green, rough on outside, fruity, sweet orange inside

Rock, orange, sweet taste

Fresh, summer

Normally the taste

Orange in colour, round, rough skin

Rockmelon vines, Kununurra

Fruit salad, it’s a bit plain

Fruit salad, dessert

Smell of it. Cool, refreshing

No

The smell and the vibrant coral colour of the flesh.

Favourite for summer

The smell of a ripe melon

I smell before I buy. Should smell as if it does not smell it is not ripe. Lovely served with

passionfruit over it.

Sweet and juicy

When they are good, they are delicious with intense flavour and sweetness

More often they are low in taste, sweetness, colour and disappointing

The smell

Food safety issues

Refreshing fruit salads

113

Summer time

Sweet smelling, tasty, bright colour, makes a good side serve at a BBQ, makes an easy dessert,

makes an easy appetiser. All round good value.

Nice flavour

The taste and freshness.

Don't like the taste

Very sweet ,nice for hot summer

Sweetness colour

Q12: When you are buying a rockmelon, what "features" do you look for?

Nice, sweet smell, I guess

I feel and smell the bottom, if it's soft and smells sweet then I buy it

Firmness, not too much, but not too soft

Aroma should be intense

Skin should not be dry

Slightly soft to touch, but mainly by aroma (ripe)

How cleanly melon has separated from the vine.

Smell

Firmness

That the point at which the melon rests on the ground isn't spoilt

Smells good

Firmness and netting

Good shape

Colour, yellow to orange

Good external quality

Skin colour, to see if fruit is ripe

Size, to avoid buying too much

Appearance, to see any physical damage

Size and colour

Just the general look of it

114

Undamaged

Softness

Smell ‐ sweet smell

If they are soft on the outside

Skin looks good without any type of damage

Smell

Evenly coloured dry skin

Price

Soft when you push

Smell

Weight

Outside appearance of the fruit

Smell

Weight, should be heavy

Hard shell

Create "pop" noise when you hit on it

Sweetness

Aroma

Flavour

Mature

Price, colour, season

Unmarked skin, firm shell, smell.

Like any other fruit ‐ firm, no marks etc

Smell

Smell, colour firmness price

Firm and smell to indicate that it is ripe and sweet

Aroma

Try to gauge whether stem end is attached indicating picked before

ripe

Not too soft as in deteriorated

colour, smell, fresh look

115

Whether it has been picked at full slip

Smell colour firmness no soft spots

Ripeness, scent, lack of cuts or blemishes on skin, lack of soft spots

or bruises.

Colour and that it's not too soft or too green on the skin.

How it smells, the colour, the look of the melon.

the smell giving off by the melons ...if strong smell usually means

high sugar ...

Firm fresh smell

No dark marks or mould

Q14: What would encourage you to buy more rockmelons?

Sweeter, better aroma rockmelons

Hot weather

Sometimes the flavour needed to be stronger

More frequently available and lower price

Consistency

More engaging marketing

Don't know

Price of the rockmelon

It's quality

Depends on the time of the year. The higher the temperature I usually would buy rockmelon

more often

Low price and great quality

Sustained low price of in‐season fruit ~$3/melon

I only buy fruit once a week (enough quantity to last the entire week). But if I had a nice fruit

market nearby I would buy fresh melon more often.

Taste

116

Not too big, as the big melon that normally available is too much, can't finish

Cheaper price for pre‐cut

Quality as well as price

I buy rockmelon on the amount of people in the house

If I liked to eat it more

More consistent sweet taste

Make it more exciting, looks like a boring melon

Lower price

Only buy in season

We already buy a lot ‐myself and my daughter love them, husband would tolerate in fruit

salad, son doesn’t like them at all!

Smaller size for one person

Freshness, sweet one, colour

Flavour indicator

Better taste

Minimum quality standards in relation to Brix

If there was good quality rockmelons all year round.

Longer availability at reasonable price

If they were cheaper.

To be sure to always get a sweet one ....as sometimes they can be very low in sugar

Consistency in taste ‐ can be a bit hit and miss with rockmelons so often will go for

watermelon or honeydew first.

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20. Appendix 6 – Retail survey

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21. Appendix 7: Candidate logos and designs



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Documents

Developing a rockmelon supply chain to meet consumer