Empirical rule of fruit rind fragmentation in muskmelon netting

TL;DR

This study quantitatively analyzes the geometry of muskmelon rind netting, revealing a universal statistical law governing fragment areas that aligns with fracture behavior theories of brittle materials.

Contribution

It introduces a quantitative analysis of rind netting fragment areas and uncovers a universal distribution law based on the modified Bessel function.

Findings

Fragment area distribution follows a universal law.

Distribution aligns with fracture behavior of brittle materials.

Provides a quantitative basis for assessing muskmelon quality.

Abstract

The suberized netting tissue on the surface of muskmelons is a remnant of the rind fragmentation caused by the mechanical imbalance between the expanding flesh meat and the solidified epidermis during growth. The appearance of this netting pattern is an important indicator for assessing the quality of muskmelons; however, very few quantitative studies have been conducted on the geometry of the netting. This study statistically analyzed the areas of fine epidermis fragments surrounded by the net using image analysis and explored a common rule governing the probability distribution of the fragment area. We found that the fragment area distribution follows a universal law by the modified Bessel function, which is consistent with the theoretical argument for the fracture behavior of brittle materials.