*2.1. Location and Plant Material*

The study was carried out for two successive years (2018–2019) between April and July, at the Tohni Experimental Station (34◦44 00 N; 33◦20 15 E) of the Agricultural Research Institute of Cyprus. The area has a typical Mediterranean climate with rainfall occurring mainly between November and March. During the study, average day-time temperature ranged from 29 to 40 ◦C. Transplants of two mini (3–5 kg) diploid cultivars (Esmeralda and Vivlos), two mini triploid cultivars (Extazy and Petite) and a large-fruited (8–12 kg) diploid cultivar (Pegasus) were grafted onto *C. maxima* × *C. moschata* (TZ148) and *Lagenaria siceraria* (Festival) rootstocks. Grafts were made by approach grafting as described previously by Soteriou and Kyriacou [10]. All transplants were produced at a commercial nursery. Planting was performed in late April, on an alkaline (pH 7.5) clay-loam soil at a plant density of approximately 3333 plants ha−<sup>1</sup> with 1.0 m spacing on the row and 3.0 m between rows. An amount of 350 kg ha−<sup>1</sup> of compound fertilizer 14 N-9.6 P-7.5 K was applied into the soil before transplanting. Daily fertigation of 100–120 N: 20–40 P: 110–130 K in g m−<sup>3</sup> was administered through the drip irrigation beginning ten days after transplanting; the higher rates were provided with flowering initiation. Daily inspection and flower tagging at anthesis (fruit setting) secured uniformity in fruit harvest maturity [11]. Applied pest and disease control practices were standard for the region. The postharvest period spanned 10 days of storage in a refrigerated chamber equipped with a Carel, UE001PD000 humidifying system (Carel Industries S.p.A., Brugine PD, Italy) held at 25 ± 0.5 ◦C and 90% relative humidity.
