The company held a new edition of the Water&Melon Show, the major professional event dedicated to melon and watermelon, which brought together more than 1,000 attendees.
Under the slogan “From Fitó to the world”, the company showcased a portfolio comprising more than 25 melon and watermelon varieties grown within the same greenhouse — an agronomic and technical challenge designed to demonstrate the adaptability, stability and quality of its varieties even under demanding climatic conditions.
Claudio, Fitó’s new cantaloupe bet
The main star of this edition was Claudio, a cantaloupe variety developed to meet the current demands of growers and export markets.
Claudio combines earliness, strong plant health and a broad resistance package against powdery mildew and aphids, while also delivering uniform fruits with excellent internal quality and high °Brix levels.
The variety is particularly well adapted to greenhouse conditions and stands out for its performance under high temperatures and intense solar radiation, maintaining both productivity and quality throughout the crop cycle.
“Claudio is a vigorous plant whose key differentiating value is that it remains fresh until the end of the cycle. It combines resistance to aphids and powdery mildew, fruit uniformity, firm flesh and excellent postharvest performance — exactly what growers are asking for,” explains Miguel Ángel Fernández, Melon and Watermelon Specialist at Semillas Fitó.
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Alongside Claudio, Fitó also presented other strategic references from its melon portfolio, including the cantaloupe Solmarin, the Galia varieties Mojacar and Grazalema, the yellow melon Indurain and the piel de sapo variety Callejon, all reflecting the company’s breeding efforts to provide solutions adapted to different production areas and growing calendars.
The company also introduced GLV 250097, a new variety currently under development that features a more commercial and manageable size profile, high internal quality and resistance to powdery mildew race 6.
Watermelon takes centre stage
Among the main watermelon novelties was SAT 250405, a variety under development that focuses on uniform fruits weighing between 5 and 7 kg, with intense red flesh and excellent adaptability across different growing areas and production conditions.
Taylor also featured prominently, a striped seedless watermelon distinguished by its earliness, uniformity and excellent postharvest performance, together with Leiva and Amaral, two new pollinators developed to provide high pollination capacity and outstanding internal quality.
Taylor offers uniform fruits with high sugar content and intense red flesh, designed to guarantee strong commercial performance and excellent consumer acceptance at destination.
Leiva stands out for its synchronised ripening with the main variety and its ability to improve fruit set while preventing hollow heart issues. Amaral, meanwhile, contributes excellent flavour and differentiated postharvest performance.
The company also showcased Rhiana, a variety already well established in the market thanks to its flavour, earliness and high °Brix levels.
