Sweeter, Fancier Melon Will Make Fans’ Mouths Water

A sweeter, more attractive watermelon has been developed at the University of Florida. The new variety is called Jubilee II and was bred by scientists at the school’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

“Jubilee II fruits have better texture, better flavor and a more attractive color than the original Jubilee watermelon,” says Dr. Jim Crall, a professor and plant pathologist who developed both the original Jubilee and Jubilee II.

Since its release in 1963, the original Jubilee watermelon has become one of the three leading varieties of watermelon in the Southeast, prized for its flavor and resistance to disease, Crall says.

Jubilee II looks like the original. It is a long, striped watermelon.

“There is a very definite market and demand,” Crall says. “A lot of people just don’t consider them watermelons if they don’t have stripes.”

Watermelons are frequently sold now in cut pieces, and their sales are influenced a great deal by their appearance, he says.

“I’m sure you’ll see Jubilee II in stores next summer. I don’t know if you’ll be able to distinguish it from the original Jubilee, but they do taste better.”

Crall began developing the seed for Jubilee II in 1971. Watermelon growers have been eager to replace Jubilee with one more resistant to wilt, he says.

Jubilee II is more resistant to fusarium wilt disease, which causes melon plants to wilt and die.