Fifty Years of
Watermelon Breeding Research
By Dr. J. M. Crall


 In 1930 a tract of land was leased
near Leesburg and 104 varieties were
planted on 10 acres that had been
planted in watermelons three times
in the previous 11 years. Most of
these plants died from Fusarium wilt,
but seed from the survivors were
planted in 1931 and the first crosses
were made on them that year. Em-
phasis in the early years of the pro-
gram was on resistance to Fusarium
.wilt, and many crosses and selec-
tions were made with the object
of developing new wilt-resistant
varieties.
 One of the most fortuitous crosses,
'Hawkesbury WR' x 'Leesburg,' was
made in 1936. Selections from this
cross were made available to many
watermelon breeders. One of them,
designated Florida seedling 124, has
been recognized as the source of high-
level resistance to wilt in 'Calhoun
Gray,' 'Summit,' and 'Calhoun


Sweet.' Four other cultivars with
high-level resistance to wilt
('Smokylee,' 'Verona,' 'White-
hope,' and Texas W5) also have
'Hawkesbury' and 'Leesburg' in their
genealogy. In 1936 anthracnose-re-
sistant breeding lines were acquired
and incorporated into the breeding
program. Lines incorporating an-
thracnose and Fusarium wilt resist-
ances in horticulturally desirable
types were widely distributed to other
breeders, so that Florida lines are
found in the genealogy of many of
the watermelon varieties currently
grown in this country and through-
out the world. From these begin-
nings, the watermelon program at
Leesburg has continued to the pres-
ent time, with additional goals added
from time to time. Important goals
over the years have been the devel-
opment of varieties producing high
yields of early maturing melons with


desirable eating and shipping quali-
ties on vigorous vines with multiple
disease resistance (including resist-
ances to Fusarium wilt, anthrac-
nose, downy mildew, watermelon
mosaic, and gummy stem blight).
 BREEDERS AND
 CULTIVARS
 The Florida breeding program was
begun at Leesburg in 1930 under
the guidance of Marion N. Walker.
He resigned in 1945 to assume du-
ties with the U.S. Department of
Agriculture. Walker was succeeded
by G. Keith Parris, who conducted
the breeding program until 1951.
The author assumed leadership for
watermelon breeding in 1952 and
has continued in that capacity until
the present time. Seven water-
melon cultivars have been released
during the 50-year program
(Table 1).


Table 1. Watermelon cultivars developed from 50-year breeding program at ARC Leesburg.
 Release Description Seed Disease
Cultivar date of fruit color resistance' Parentage
Leesburg 1936 Long, solid green White WR Kleckley Sweet
Blacklee 1944 Long, solid green Black, stippled WR Leesburg, Hawkesbury
Ironsides 1950 Long, solid green Black, stippled WR Leesburg, Hawkesbury,
 Garrison
Jubilee 1963 Long, striped green Black, stippled WR, AR Africa 8, Iowa Belle,
 Leesburg, Hawkesbury,
 Garrison
Smokylee 1971 Long, solid green White WR, AR Texas W5, Charleston Gray
Dixielee, 1979 Round, striped green Black, stippled WR, AR Texas W5, WR Peacock 132,
 Summit, Fairfax, Graybelle
Sugarlee 1981 Round, striped green Black, stippled WR, AR Texas W5, Summit,
 Charleston Gray, Fairfax,
 Crimson Sweet, WR Graybelle
'WR, wilt resistant; AR, anthracnose resistant.