Xiaoliangshan Watermelon

Xiaoliangshan Watermelon

Xiaoliangshan Watermelon is a geographical indication protected product.

Xiaoliangshan Watermelon is an agricultural product geographical indication.

　　Xiaoliangshan Watermelon

　　Xinmin City is known as the "Hometown of Watermelons," and the watermelons produced in Liangshan Town and several surrounding towns are even more famous, referred to as "Xiaoliangshan Watermelons." The total planting area reaches 250,000 mu, with per capita annual income from watermelon farming exceeding 3,000 yuan. "Of course, the large-scale cultivation of watermelons is primarily related to natural conditions. The soil here has good breathability, low rainfall, and large diurnal temperature variations, which are very conducive to sugar accumulation in the fruit."

　　Geographic Scope

　　Xiaoliangshan Watermelons are produced in three towns in Xinmin City: Liangshan Town, Lutun Township, and Yaobao Township. Xinmin City is located on the Liaohe Plain, in the central part of Liaoning Province, with geographic coordinates between 122°27′–123°20′ east longitude and 41°42′–42°17′ north latitude, and an average elevation of 31 meters. The main production area of Xiaoliangshan Watermelons is in the western part of Xinmin City, bordered by RaoYang River to the west, adjacent to DaHongqi Town and Liuhegou Town to the south, extending to Liuhe River to the east, and bordering ZhouTuozizhen to the north. The total production area is 32,627 hectares, with an annual output of 1.22 million tons.

　　Natural Ecological Environment and Humanistic Historical Factors

　　(1) Soil and Topography: The soils in Xinmin City can be broadly divided into five types: meadow soil, paddy soil, brown earth, marsh soil, and sandy soil, with meadow soil being the most prevalent, covering 86% of the city’s total area, followed by paddy soil at 6.7%. The soil pH ranges between 6.86 and 7.68. Soil fertility is moderate. The terrain of Xinmin City is higher in the northeast and lower in the southwest. Apart from some hills in the northeast, most of the area consists of the Liaohe alluvial plain.

　　(2) Hydrology: The main rivers in Xinmin City include the Liaohe River, Liuhe River, RaoYang River, Yangximu River, Xiushui River, and Puhe River, with a total length of 239.1 km. The city has abundant groundwater resources, with two major water systems — the Liaohe and Liuhe Rivers. The water table is about 1.5 meters below the surface, and the water quality is better below 70 meters, providing excellent irrigation conditions for Xiaoliangshan Watermelons.

　　(3) Climate: Xinmin City experiences distinct seasons and has a warm temperate semi-humid continental monsoon climate.

　　Winters are cold and dry, with prevailing north and northwest winds; summers are hot and rainy, with frequent south and southwest winds; spring and autumn see rapid temperature changes. The prevailing wind direction is southwest, with an average wind speed of 4.1 m/s and a maximum wind speed of 20 m/s. The annual average temperature is 8.2°C, with an average annual rainfall of 417.7 mm, an average frost-free period of 160 days, an average annual sunshine duration of 2,753.2 hours, and accumulated active temperature of 3,348°C. During the growing season, there is ample sunlight, moderate rainfall, and sufficient heat to support the growth of Xiaoliangshan Watermelons.

　　(4) Humanistic and Historical Background: Xinmin City has a long history of watermelon cultivation, especially in Liangshan Town. As far back as the Guangxu era, watermelons were grown in the Xiaoliangshan area of Xinmin, planted sporadically in sandy soil using old thick-skinned, large-seeded varieties. When the melons ripened, nearby villages or travelers would buy them from makeshift sheds to quench their thirst and cool off, but few were sold outside the region. According to a 1951 survey, the watermelon planting area in Xinmin was 516.4 hectares, with fluctuations in subsequent years and a gradual shift from thick-skinned, large-seeded varieties to thin-skinned, small-seeded ones. Though cultivation techniques changed little, commercial yields increased year by year, mostly for local consumption. During the Cultural Revolution, the cultivation of Xiaoliangshan Watermelons was considered one of the “frivolous pursuits” and was damaged, with only 272.4 hectares remaining by 1976. After the Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee, with rural economic reforms and adjustments in agricultural planting structure, the cultivation of Xiaoliangshan Watermelons developed rapidly. By 1985, the city’s watermelon planting area exceeded 1,300 hectares, with a total output of 187.4 million kilograms. By 1986, Liangshan Town alone planted nearly 1,000 hectares of watermelons, yielding 17.58 million kilograms — 70% of the city’s total output — becoming a watermelon production base and earning the title “Hometown of Watermelons.” With the development of the commodity economy, cultivation techniques for Xiaoliangshan Watermelons continued to improve. In 1981, the Feijia Gangzi Team 3 in Liangshan Town successfully conducted a small-scale trial of plastic mulching, which was expanded to 35 mu in 1982, yielding an average of 2,000 kg per mu — a 166% increase over the 750 kg per mu from open-field cultivation. By 1984, plastic mulching covered over 90% of the town’s watermelon fields. Meanwhile, watermelon varieties also improved significantly. Older varieties such as Zaohua were phased out, replaced by new ones like Qihong, Xin Hongbao, Jinzhong Guanlong, and Dahongbao, which offered high yield and quality. Qihong and Dahongbao are not only large in size but also sweet, crispy, and juicy, with even better quality when grown in virgin soil.

　　Production Technical Requirements

　　(1) Site Selection: The three towns — Liangshan Town, Lutun Township, and Yaobao Township — must have environmental quality that meets the requirements of the "Pollution-Free Food Watermelon Production Site Environmental Conditions" (NT5110-2002), and the selected plots must have good drainage and irrigation.

　　(2) Variety Selection: Varieties that are resistant to pests and diseases, easy to set fruit, and have good external and internal quality should be chosen. For full and semi-cover cultivation, cold-resistant, weak-light-tolerant, and moisture-resistant varieties should be used first. For grafting cultivation, pumpkin varieties immune to watermelon fusarium wilt should be selected.

　　(3) Production Process Management: The production process of Xiaoliangshan Watermelons must follow the "Pollution-Free Food Watermelon Production Technical Regulations" (NY/T5111-2002).

　　(4) Product Harvesting and Post-Harvest Handling: Mid- to late-maturing varieties for local sales should be harvested when fully ripe, while early-maturing and mid- to late-maturing varieties for export may be harvested slightly earlier. The optimal harvesting time is between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM. Use scissors to cut the fruit stem at the base, leaving a section of green stem on each fruit.

　　(5) Production Record Requirements: A complete field production record must be established for the entire production process of Xiaoliangshan Watermelons, thoroughly documented and properly stored for future reference.

　　Product Quality Characteristics and Safety Standards

　　(1) External Sensory Features: Xiaoliangshan Watermelons come in shapes such as mine-shaped, oval, and oblong. The rind is grass green or emerald green, with dark green stripes.

　　(2) Internal Quality Indicators: Xiaoliangshan Watermelons have thin rinds, sweet flesh, and are juicy. The flesh is red or light red, with a sugar content of over 12%.

　　(3) Safety Requirements: Xiaoliangshan Watermelons comply with the "Pollution-Free Food Melons" standard (NY5109-2005).

　　Packaging and Labeling Regulations

　　After harvest, Xiaoliangshan Watermelons are graded into three levels by size: Special Grade, Premium Grade, and First Grade. They are packed in cartons with ventilation holes around the sides — four melons per box. Each watermelon is labeled with an anti-counterfeit pollution-free agricultural product tag, wrapped in a shockproof net bag, and separated by cardboard to prevent movement inside the box. Cartons must be sturdy, non-toxic, unpolluted, and dry. Labels on the cartons must indicate the product name, specifications, gross weight, net weight, origin, harvest date, and shockproof information. Transport requires fast loading, shipping, and unloading. Exposure to direct sunlight and rain is strictly prohibited. Loading and unloading must be done carefully, and throwing or dropping is not allowed. Vehicles, tools, padding, and rain protection facilities used for transport must be clean and dry, and finished products must not come into contact with contaminants. Storage areas for temporary holding should be well ventilated, dry, and clean.