SUMMARY. Fruit cracking is an important disorder that can cause severe loss of
marketable yield and revenue in the muskmelon (Cucumis melo) fruit industry. The
physiological and environmental factors causing cracking are poorly understood.
Although generally considered a physiological disorder caused by fluctuating
environmental conditions, current evidence indicates that this disorder also has
a genetic as well as a genotype · environment component. Certain cultivars are more
susceptible than others, but wide fluctuations in irrigation, temperature, and
nutrition during late fruit maturation stages appear to predispose fruit to cracking.
This article summarizes the current state of our understanding of the causes of fruit
splitting in muskmelons.