• The Melons Australia USA Study Tour involved 10 participants visiting key agricultural sites across California.
• The tour aligned with Seed Week in Davis, providing access to variety trials and discussions with major seed companies.
• Participants explored advanced breeding labs and discussed melon varieties, disease management, and food safety.
• A visit to Van Groningen and Sons highlighted successful farming practices and innovative food waste reduction.
• The tour included technology demonstrations at Hazel Technologies and market insights from multiple retail visits, including Walmart and Safeway. The Melons Australia USA Study Tour brought together a group of 10 growers, researchers, and industry representatives. The tour began in San Francisco, traveling through Davis, Woodland, Fresno, Manteca, Salinas, and then returning to San Francisco to conclude.

The tour was strategically scheduled to coincide with Seed Week in Davis, California, a key time when leading seed companies present their variety trials to growers from across the United States, Mexico, Central America and beyond. The group was given guided tours of variety trials from major companies such as Syngenta, BASF/Nunhems, Bayer/Seminis, Terranova/Origene, and HM Clause. This provided participants with a unique opportunity to interact directly with breeders, sample promising new watermelon and melon varieties, and discuss the specific needs of Australian growers and consumers.’

Another highlight was the detailed tours of high-tech breeding and testing laboratories at leading seed companies, including Bayer, Syngenta, and BASF/Nunhems. These tours and presentations by breeders and researchers offered deep insights into the extensive work involved in developing new varieties focused on yield, flavour, rind colour, shelf life, harvest indicators, and disease resistance.

The tour also featured meetings with expert plant pathologists, including Tera Pitman from UC Davis and Dr. Bill Wintermantel and Jim McCreight from the USDA in Salinas. They generously shared their knowledge on the history, spread, and impact of various cucurbit disease outbreaks in the U.S., and discussed their research efforts to manage pathogens not yet present in Australia (some of which are on Australia's high-priority exotic pest list) as well as those common to both countries, such as CGMMV.

Meetings with the Western Growers Association provided insights into their efforts to address food safety issues related to both melons and leafy greens. This exchange allowed Australian representatives, particularly Dr. SP Singh and Johnathon Davey, to share the positive steps and programs in place to protect the Australian melon industry.

A standout experience was the visit to Van Groningen and Sons, one of the largest watermelon growers in the U.S. The group toured their farm, packing shed, and juicing facility, guided by members of the three generations of the family actively involved in the business. This vertically integrated operation, which has fully embraced the principles of reducing food waste, served as an inspiring example for Australian growers. They even supply mini melons to a local tequila bar for watermelon Margaritas! The Australian team hopes to host Van Groningen and Sons in Australia soon.

Another interesting visit was to the Hazel Technologies Laboratory, where CEO Parker Booth and his team demonstrated their innovative technology for extending product shelf life. This technology holds significant potential for the Australian industry, particularly for future export markets requiring longer freight times.

In addition to scheduled meetings and tours, the group visited multiple retail outlets along the way, including Walmart and Safeway. This allowed participants to observe how melon products are displayed in U.S. markets, the pricing, value-added products, and overall product quality at the retail level.

The group also had the pleasure of meeting Jules Singley, the newly crowned National Watermelon Queen for 2024, during Seed Week in Davis. Funded by major seed companies, she serves as a fantastic ambassador for the melon industry, with her primary mission being to encourage consumers to eat more melons.

We extend our gratitude to all the businesses that hosted us, making the tour a great success. We also appreciate the support of the National Watermelon Association in helping us establish connections, organise meetings, and arrange tours.

This study tour was delivered using Melon Levy funds from Hort Innovation, with contribution from Melon levies and the Australian Government