Preparations for the upcoming melon season in Almería are already underway. This year, among HM.CLAUSE’s proposals for the greenhouse segment, two varieties stand out: Vendaval F1, a galia type, and Cormorán F1, an orange-flesh cantaloupe.
Vendaval, a flavourful galia for Almería
“Vendaval F1 (HMC 46 3062) is a turning point in galia,” says Miguel Ángel Rodríguez, development technician at HM.CLAUSE. This variety marks a new stage in the company’s galia breeding programme. Vendaval F1 stands out for its excellent netting, a flavour highly valued by the market, and a very uniform commercial calibre.
This will be its first commercial season, following a pre-commercial phase with promising results in which different planting dates and management strategies were tested.
For plantings from 5–10 February onwards, Vendaval F1 offers notable plant vigour and positions itself as an ideal option for Almería and even Murcia.
The variety is highly productive and incorporates resistance to powdery mildew and aphids. Rodríguez also highlights that “its very small cavity maximises the amount of flesh, making the fruit more usable.”
Cormorán F1 strengthens the cantaloupe segment
Meanwhile, Cormorán F1 continues to gain ground in the professional market. This cantaloupe (Charentais LSL) with orange flesh, adapted to greenhouse conditions, is recommended for planting between 20 January and 15 March. The plant is vigorous, offers good coverage and maintains plant health until the end of the cycle.
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This material combines attractive colour, netting and sutures with a crisp, firm texture, high Brix levels and an intense aroma. “You want to keep eating it,” Rodríguez notes. Its strong post-harvest performance makes it a highly valued option for export markets, without compromising flavour.
With a commercial calibre of 1–1.2 kg, this will be its second commercial year in Almería and its fourth in Murcia, where it has already proven its reliability. Its behaviour against fruit cracking and pitting in early planting dates has surprised companies that rely on Cormorán F1.
