KARAKTERISASI DAN UJI DAYA HASIL TANAMAN SEMANGKA HIBRIDA (F1) CALON VARIETAS AURA SLO 01 DENGAN 3 VARIETAS PEMBANDING DI CV AURA SEED INDONESIA

Watermelon is a summer fruit with a sweet taste that is popular in Indonesia. However, watermelon
production in Indonesia remains relatively low, and the market is saturated due to the bright yellow
color fruits pulp. This study aims to gather information on the characteristics and productivity of the
new variety Aura SLO 01 compared to three other varieties. The research took place from August
2023 to October 2023 at the Research and Development (RnD) area of CV. Seeds Aura Indonesia in
Bunut, Bringin, Kediri Regency, East Java. This study used a simple Randomized Block Design
(RAK) experimental design and 5% BNJ further test. There was one factor that was repeated 4 times,
and compared 1 new candidate variety Arua SLO 01 with 3 comparison varieties. The observation
variables included qualitative traits (such as leaf color, stem characteristics, fruit peel appearance,
peel lines, pulp color, and fruit shape) and quantitative traits (such as days to flower appearance, fruit
weight, fruit length, fruit diameter, sugar content/brix, rind thickness, stem diameter, leaf length, leaf
width, harvest age, and productivity). The results showed that the pulp color of the Aura SLO 01
variety was more intense compared to the other three varieties, with a uniformly orange flesh color.
The test results suggest that Aura SLO 01 has the potential to compete in the seed variety market and
meets the requirements for plant variety registration.