MUSKMELON (Cucumis melo L.)

I. Application and Amplification of General Seed Certification Standards

The General Seed Certification Standards are basic and, together with the following specific standards constitute the standards for certification of  muskmelon seed. 

II. Land requirements

Land to be used for seed production of muskmelon shall be free of volunteer plants. 

III. Field Inspection

A minimum of three inspections shall be made, the first before flowering, the second during flowering and fruiting stage, and the third at mature fruit stage and prior harvesting.

IV. Field Standards

A. General requirements

1. Isolation

Seed fields shall be isolated from the contaminants shown in the column 1 of the Table below by the distances specified in columns 2 and 3 of the said Table:

        Contaminants                                                                                   Minimum distance (meters)

                                                                                                                Foundation        Certified

            1                                                                                                         2                     3

Fields of other varieties                                                                                 1000                 500

Fields of the same variety not conforming to 

varietal purity requirements for certification  and from longmelon

Cucumis melo L.var utilissimus Duth. & Full.), oriental pickling melon

(Cucumis melo L. var. conomon Makino), snapmelon phnoot:

Cucumis melo L.var. momordica Duth.& Full., Cucumis prophetarum;

weedmelon (Takmek) (Cucumis melo (L.) Var. agrestis Naud. and 

other non-dessert forms of Cucumis melo (L.) known to cross or 

suspected of being able to cross                                                                      1000                 500  

B. Specific requirements

        Factor                                                                                              Maximum permitted (%)*

                                                                                                                Foundation            Certified

      Offtypes                                                                                               0.10                    0.20   

 ** Objectionable weed plants                                                                   None                   None   

*** Plants effected by seed borne disease                                                  0.10                    0.20

*    Standards for offtypes and objectionable weeds shall be met at any inspection conducted at and after 

      flowering and for seed borne disease at final inspection.

**  Objectionable weed shall be : Cucumis prophetarum; Weedmelon (Takmek): (Cucumis melo (L.) Var. 

       agrestis Naud. and other non-dessert forms of Cucumis melo (L.)

*** Seed born disease shall be : Cucumber Mosaic Virus (CMV).    

V. Seed standards

        Factor                                                                                              Standards for each class

                                                                                                                Foundation            Certified

Pure seed (minimum)                                                                                98.0%                    98.0%

Inert matter (maximum)                                                                              2.0%                       2.0%

Other crop seeds (maximum)                                                                     5/ kg                     10 / kg

Total Weed seeds (maximum)                                                                   None                      None

* Objectionable weed seed (maximum)                                                     None                      None

Germination (minimum)                                                                              60%                        60%

Moisture (maximum)                                                                                  7.0%                       7.0%

For vapour-proof containers (maximum)                                                    6.0%                       6.0%

* Objectionable weeds are the same as given at IV B above.