The black seedless watermelon Samba has become Cora Seeds Iberia’s flagship introduction. The variety is already commercialised in Italy, where it has established itself as a benchmark in Sicily within the sugar baby seedless segment, and last year it demonstrated its potential in Spain through a series of trials carried out across all production zones, including the preliminary phase in Senegal.
According to Francisco Solera, director of Cora Seeds Iberia, the results showed the variety’s strong adaptation and its ability to maintain a continuous supply throughout most of the year. “The cycle can begin with plantings in Senegal, scheduled for mid-February harvesting, and continue across all key Spanish regions — from Almería and Murcia to the final harvests in Castilla-La Mancha at the end of September.”
The overlap of these different production windows allows for planning a campaign without interruptions — a feature highly valued by retailers and operators who require a regular and uniform supply.
This year, Cora Seeds Iberia is expanding its presence among growers seeking a uniform, recognisable product that is easy to handle. The company summarises its value proposition in three points: guaranteed production thanks to reliable fruit set in all planting windows; commercial efficiency through consistent fruit sizes throughout the season; and simplicity in sales, as Samba delivers the same watermelon in terms of weight, appearance and flavour from the start to the end of the campaign.
Reliable fruit set and production
One of Samba’s distinctive traits is its ease of fruit set. It performs consistently under cold, cloudy or otherwise unfavourable conditions, producing a high number of fruits per plant. In greenhouse conditions in Almería, yields of up to 10 kg/m² have been recorded.
Its commercial efficiency is supported by a very concentrated size distribution. Virtually all fruits range between 4 and 7 kilos, with an average of 5–6 kilos. Even in La Mancha’s late season, 60% of production fell within this range. “Only 30% exceeded 6 kilos without surpassing 7.”
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In open field conditions, Samba offers yields of 75,000–80,000 kg/ha. This combination of productivity and controlled calibres facilitates harvest planning and order preparation, significantly reducing waste and last-minute adjustments.
