Watermelon Fruit Disorders

Maynard, Donald N.; Hopkins, D. L.

doi:10.21273/horttech.9.2.155

Cited by 38 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…The purpose of planting the 'SP1' plants 3 weeks after the triploid plants was to decrease the incidence of hollow heart in the triploid fruit, especially because hollow heart is more prevalent in the crown set (Maynard and Hopkins, 1999). However, we found hollow heart to be more extensive in the late planting of 'SP1', and yields were lower with later pollenizer planting.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 69%

“…In addition to planting 'SP1' on the same date as the triploid plants, a second individual 'SP1' treatment was included in which the pollenizer plants were transplanted in the field 3 weeks after the triploid plants. This treatment was used to improve fruit set and quality by preventing crown fruit set because hollow heart occurs more often in the crown fruit set (Maynard and Hopkins, 1999).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Use of Commercially Available Pollenizers for Optimizing Triploid Watermelon Production

Dittmar¹,

Monks²,

Schultheis³

2010

horts

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An experiment was conducted during 2005 and 2006 in Kinston, NC, with the objective of maximizing triploid watermelon [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. and Nak.] fruit yield and quality by optimizing the choice and use of pollenizers. Treatments were pollenizer cultivars planted singly [‘Companion’, ‘Super Pollenizer 1’ (‘SP1’), ‘Summer Flavor 800’ (‘SF800’), and ‘Mickylee’] or in pairs (‘Companion’ + ‘SP1’, ‘Companion’ + ‘SF800’, and ‘SP1’ + ‘SF800’). All pollenizers from these seven treatments were interplanted with the triploid cultivar Tri-X-313. Planting arrangement was compared by establishing ‘SF800’ in a hill versus an interplanted field arrangement. Effect of pollenizer establishment timing on triploid fruit yields and quality was evaluated by establishing ‘SP1’ 3 weeks after planting and comparing it with the establishment of ‘SP1’ at the time of triploid plant establishment. Finally, a triploid planting with no pollenizer (control) was included to determine pollen movement. Fruit yield from the control was 22% or less of yield of the other treatments containing a pollenizer and less than 10% in the initial or early harvests. Pollen movement was minimal among plots and differences in yield and fruit quality could be attributed to pollenizer treatment. In 2005, the use of ‘Companion’, ‘SP1’, or ‘Mickylee’ as pollenizers produced similar total yields, whereas ‘SF800’ produced the lowest yield. In 2005, ‘Companion’ produced more large fruit than the other individual pollenizer treatments. Combining the pollenizers generally did not enhance triploid yields or quality. Interplanting of pollenizers consistently resulted in greater yield compared with the hill system. Late planting of ‘SP1’ increased the incidence of hollow heart in the marketable fruit and decreased yield compared with simultaneously planting ‘SP1’ and triploid plants. Thus, selection of pollenizer, planting arrangement, and time of pollenizer establishment are all important considerations to optimizing triploid yield and quality.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 69%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Use of Commercially Available Pollenizers for Optimizing Triploid Watermelon Production

Dittmar¹,

Monks²,

Schultheis³

2010

horts

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“…Rind thickness was recorded to the nearest 1/8 inch, on four regions of the fruit, starting at the stem end, and thereafter every 90°. The occurrence of hollow heart (Maynard and Hopkins, 1999), for each fruit, was obtained with length and width measures of the hollow area to the nearest 1/8 inch. Fruit shape was obtained by measuring the length and width of five fruit.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The length-to-width ratio was calculated, and a rating of 1 indicated the fruit was round, while a rating >1 indicated the fruit tended toward an oblong shape. Triploid watermelons are generally seedless but dark hard seedcoats have been reported to form within the flesh of the fruit (Maynard and Hopkins, 1999). These objectionable seedcoats are in part influenced by the environment (Maynard, 2001), but are influenced by other factors.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

In-row Distance in Triploid Miniwatermelon Cultivars Affects Yield and Quality in Diverse Environments in the Southeastern United States

Hassell

Schultheis

Jester

et al. 2009

hortte

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The goals of these studies were to determine how miniwatermelon (Citrullus lanatus) cultivars differed and responded to plant in-row spacing in terms of percentage of marketable fruit and yields, and if plant spacing impacted internal fruit quality. Three genetically diverse triploid miniwatermelon cultivars (Mohican, Petite Perfection, and Xite) were selected. These cultivars were evaluated in field locations at northern Florida (Quincy), central South Carolina (Blackville), coastal South Carolina (Charleston), and eastern North Carolina (Kinston) at five within-row distances. Within-row distance included 9, 12, 15, 18, and 21 inches. All plots were15 ft long with row middles 9 ft apart. Fruit were categorized as marketable if they weighed between 3.1 and 9.0 lb per fruit. Within this range further categories were divided as follows: ≤3.0 lb (cull), 3.1 to 5.0 lb (small), 5.1 to 7.0 lb (average), 7.1 to 9.0 lb (large), and ≥9.1 lb (cull). There was a cultivar by location interaction, suggesting that the three cultivars responded differently at each of the four locations. ‘Petite Perfection’ was among the highest yielding at all locations except Quincy, where it was the lowest yielding cultivar. As with total yields, the percentage of marketable fruit was similar for some cultivars across locations. Cultivar Petite Perfection produced the highest percentage of marketable fruit at three of the four locations. The exception was the Quincy site where ‘Xite’ had the highest percentage of marketable fruit. Within-row plant distances and populations affected total marketable yield, both for fruit weight and number per plant, regardless of cultivar and location. As the plant population increased from eight plants per plot (21-inch in-row spacing) to 12 plants per plot (15-inch in-row spacing), total marketable miniwatermelon fruit yields increased in total fruit number as well as total weight. There was a cultivar by location interaction for the percentage of soluble solids and the rind thickness measurements, suggesting that some cultivars responded differently at each of the four locations. Quality effects were more apparent with ‘Mohican’ and ‘Xite’, as they were more responsive to location than ‘Petite Perfection’.

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“…Commercial seed fields are inspected at the transplant or first true leaf stage and at the mature melon stage. Plant and fruit symptoms are well documented (Isakeit,1999;Maynard and Hopkins, 1999). In the greenhouse, each flat of transplants will be inspected for cotyledonary symptoms.…”

Section: Field and Transplant Inspectionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

California Crop Improvement Association Disease Inspection Program: Production Practices for Clean Seed

Sundstrom¹,

Guzmán²,

Stewart³

2003

horttech

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Pathogen free seed has long played a critical role in reducing or eliminating the severity of various diseases in commercial fields. The California Crop Improvement Association (CCIA) provides quality assurance services to the seed industry that are designed to promote the production, distribution and use of high quality seedstocks for agricultural production. To that end, CCIA has developed a Disease Inspection Program to assist vegetable seed producers in eliminating the bacterium, Acidovorax avenae subsp. citrulli (AAC), from cucurbit (Cucurbitaceae) seedstocks. This program utilizes recommendations and standards beginning at parent seed production of hybrids through the production of commercial seedlots. Training of field personnel, field inspections and tissue tests, followed by growouts of at least 30,000 seedlings are used as components of this quality assurance program.

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Watermelon Fruit Disorders

Cited by 38 publications

References 8 publications

Use of Commercially Available Pollenizers for Optimizing Triploid Watermelon Production

Use of Commercially Available Pollenizers for Optimizing Triploid Watermelon Production

In-row Distance in Triploid Miniwatermelon Cultivars Affects Yield and Quality in Diverse Environments in the Southeastern United States

California Crop Improvement Association Disease Inspection Program: Production Practices for Clean Seed

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