The 'Sweet Berry' watermelon variety is a mid-season, high-yield variety with a maturation period of 60 to 72 days after germination. This variety was developed by specialists in North Dakota, USA, ensuring its adaptation to cool climates and short growing seasons. The fruits have a round-oval shape, weighing from 5 to 7 kg, and can reach up to 12 kg with good agricultural practices. The rind is of medium thickness, strong, and glossy, featuring a characteristic striped coloration in light and dark shades of green; it does not crack and is resistant to sunburn, ensuring good transportability and fruit preservation. The watermelon flesh is bright red, juicy, crisp, and very sweet, with high sugar content (6.1-8.9%) and dry matter. It is characterized by the absence of veins and stringy tissues, and contains very small seeds, making the fruit particularly pleasant to consume. The flesh has a rich and aromatic taste, making this variety one of the best in terms of flavor. Thanks to dense stems and prickly vines, watermelons attach well to the plant, and the plant leaves have a hairy structure and a green color resembling feathers. For successful cultivation in the middle belt, using film coverings and seedlings is recommended, which accelerates maturation by two weeks. Plants are formed into a single stem with removal of side runners on the first internodes and pinching off the rest after the third leaf. When forming three fruits, the main vine is pinched, leaving several leaves to feed the fruits. To increase the sweetness of watermelons before ripening, watering is reduced. Fruits retain their flavor qualities for up to 20 days after harvest, making the variety convenient for storage and transportation.
