In the United States, preharvest
cracking among nettedmelon (C. melo
Reticulatus Group) and honeydew
melon (C. melo Inodorus Group) fruit
is not as widespread as with thin-rind
melon types. This is in part because of
their thicker rinds, which can be up to
1-cm thick (Lester, 1988). However,
cracking is becoming more prevalent
in the United States, especially with
smooth-skinned specialty melon cultivars
(Fig. 1A and B) that are sweeter
(soluble solids of 11% to 15%) and
seen as replacements for the netted
cultivars that have frequently been
linked to microbial (enteric bacteria)
contamination.