TAMU expert discusses how watermelon research shapes melons on the table

Those who think choosing the right watermelon can be challenging, should step into the shoes of the scientists focused on making them healthier, crispier, more flavorful and resilient.

Dr. Kevin Crosby, Texas A&M AgriLife Research vegetable breeder, professor and associate head of graduate programs in the Texas A&M University (TAMU) Department of Horticultural Sciences, has spent more than two decades improving melons with one goal in mind – enhancing the consumer experience while supporting long-term production and sustainability for growers.

“Consumers consistently prefer red watermelons, but this doesn’t mean the eating experience has to stay the same forever,” he said. “We’re looking for characteristics which enhance the consumer experience, but we’re also focused on improving how plants perform for growers because they have bottom lines to consider.”

Unlocking flavor and nutrition potential 

Crosby said there is considerable potential to broaden the fruit’s flavor profile and its nutritional value by exploring genetic variability.

He is crossing cultivated watermelons with wild African relatives. These wild lines bring strong disease resistance but often come with poor eating quality – bitterness, hard texture or oversized fruit. It can take years of strategic crossing to retain resilience while reintroducing sweetness, crisp texture and the sizes shoppers expect.

The work takes time, but the results are promising. 

Crosby’s program uncovers entirely new flavor profiles, including experimental lines with elevated acidity to deliver a sweet‑and‑sour punch reminiscent of pineapple. Others offer tropical notes, and one even draws comparisons to mango.

Crosby said these creative flavor profiles mirror what consumers have embraced in melons, where grocery shelves have expanded far beyond the classic watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew trio.

“Some of these experimental watermelons don’t have the traditional flavor profile, but people say they taste great, and this opens the door to new markets,” he said. “It’s about giving growers and gardeners options and new ways to connect with the people enjoying what they produce.”

The nutritional value in watermelons is another emerging frontier Crosby explores. In partnership with the Vegetable and Fruit Improvement Center, Crosby’s team evaluates compounds like amino acids, carotenoids and lycopene.

Watermelons already contain several beneficial amino acids linked to human wellness, and breeding lines with elevated levels could strengthen the fruit’s role in a healthy diet – all without changing the familiar taste consumers enjoy.

Breeding toward better performing watermelon

Great-tasting, nutrient-rich fruit only matters if it can be grown sustainably. 

Watermelon producers face mounting hurdles, including disease pressure, labor shortages, heat stress and limited irrigation. 

This is where Crosby’s long-term focus on disease resistance becomes critical.

“Watermelon growers can get hammered by disease,” Crosby said. “So, making progress with disease resistance to reduce losses and the cost of fungicide treatments is where we can make a big difference for growers.”

His work targets some of the most damaging pathogens affecting growers from Texas to Florida, helping reduce crop loss, protect yields and lower reliance on chemical inputs.

Improvements in fruit durability and shelf life – from reducing internal breakdown to enhancing crispness – also support both grower profitability and consumer satisfaction.

Whether it’s new flavors, improved nutrition or resilient plants sustaining a vital agricultural industry, Texas A&M AgriLife’s watermelon research is designed to bring better fruit from field to table, and as new experimental lines ripen each summer, Crosby said the potential for innovation is only growing.

“Breeding new melon varieties is a long process,” he said. “We might find amazing disease resistance and then realize the fruit is too big or too bitter, so we go back and start again. Some of these projects have been 20 years in the making, but we’re seeing real progress which could pay dividends for growers and give consumers great options at the grocery store.”

Adam Russell is a communications specialist for Texas A&M AgriLife. This article was originally published by AgriLife Today on April 22.