174 Effect of Planting Method, Mulch, and Rowcover Combinations on Earliness, Yield, and Fruit Size of `Arriba' Watermelon

Colorado-grown watermelons command a premium price on the market based on their sweetness and overall flavor. Unfortunately, melon production is limited to mid-August through early September. This study was conducted to determine whether intensive production methods could enhance the traditional marketing period. The effects of different combinations of establishment methods, mulches, and rowcovers on `Arriba' (Hollar Seeds) watermelon growth and productivity were investigated in a field trial at the Arkansas Valley Research Center in Rocky Ford, Colo. In 1997, the combinations of transplanting, clear plastic mulch, and perforated or slitted rowcovers produced the earliest harvest and highest yield and fruit weight. The first harvest of the earliest treatments occurred on 4 July. Direct-seeding through clear plastic mulch, both with and without rowcovers, also enhanced earliness relative to the traditional marketing period. However, compared to transplanting, yield and fruit weight were less if the crop was direct-seeded. Intensive plasticulture techniques could substantially increase the earliness of Colorado-grown watermelons. The increased cost of production would be easily off-set by higher productivity and early season prices

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Tolerance of Direct-seeded Pepper (Capsicum annuum) Under Plastic Mulch to Herbicides

Weed Technology ◽

10.1017/s0890037x00040999 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 900-906 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jose Cavero ◽

Carlos Zaragoza ◽

Ramiro Gil-Ortega

Keyword(s):

Capsicum Annuum ◽

Weed Control ◽

Dry Weight ◽

Fruit Weight ◽

Plant Mortality ◽

Plastic Mulch ◽

Loamy Soil ◽

Emergence Period ◽

Direct Seeded ◽

Clear Plastic

Tolerance of direct-seeded pepper under clear plastic mulch to herbicides applied pre- and post-emergence was investigated in 1991 and 1992. Weed control of herbicides applied preemergence was also studied. Paprika cultivar ‘Buketen’ and canning cultivars ‘Piquillo de Lodosa’ and ‘Pico de Mendavia’ were seeded in the field in Zaragoza, Spain, in a loamy soil. Percent emergence, plant mortality after the postemergence treatment, dry weight of plants, and fruit weight were recorded. Pepper was tolerant to diphenamid and napropamide applied preemergence but these herbicides did not control broadleaf weeds. Clomazone, when applied preemergence resulted in chlorotic seedlings and at 2 kg ai/ha reduced the final stand, but was selective when applied at the 6 to 8-leaf stage of the crop. Pepper was tolerant to diethatyl-ethyl when applied preemergence. However, diethatyl-ethyl applied postemergence caused severe phytotoxicity symptoms, and when mixed with diphenamid, fruit ripeness in 1992 was delayed. Weed control during the crop emergence period was better when diethatyl-ethyl was used mixed with diphenamid or napropamide.

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Planting Method, Plastic Mulch, and Fumigation Influence Growth, Yield, and Root Structure of Watermelon

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.43.5.1410 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 43 (5) ◽

pp. 1410-1414 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Daniel S. Egel ◽

Ray Martyn ◽

Chris Gunter

Keyword(s):

Growth Yield ◽

Direct Seeding ◽

Growth And Yield ◽

Root Structure ◽

Plastic Mulch ◽

Vine Growth ◽

Tap Root ◽

Direct Seeded ◽

Black Plastic ◽

Planting Method

A 2-year field study was conducted to determine the influence of planting method, i.e., transplanting or direct seeding, black plastic mulch, and soil fumigation on the vine growth, yield, and root structure of diploid hybrid watermelon. The experiment was a split-plot design with fumigation as the main plot and there were four replications. Methyl bromide (337 L·ha−1) was applied to the soil, which was then tarped. Black plastic mulch, 0.61 m wide × 2 mil (Visqueen 4020™) was applied to appropriate rows. Vine growth was measured during the season and yield was determined by the number and weight of fruit from each treatment. After fruit harvest, plant roots were excavated so that root structure was maintained with minimal damage and roots were photographed. Root systems were scored for tap root dominance and overall root distribution. Direct-seeded watermelon had more vine growth and higher yields in both years than transplanted watermelon. The advantage of direct seeding was likely the result of the growth and root expansion that occurred for these plants while the transplants were still in the greenhouse. Direct-seeded plants also displayed greater tap root dominance in each year than transplanted watermelon. Roots of both direct-seeded plants and transplants had a greater range in size distribution in both years under plastic mulch than those grown on bare ground. In late-planted watermelon, direct-seeded plants had more favorable vine growth and yield without the aberrant roots systems produced by transplants.

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Maturity of Fresh-market Sweet Corn with Direct-seeded Plants, Transplants, Clear Plastic Mulch, and Rowcover Combinations

HortTechnology ◽

10.21273/horttech.9.3.420 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. 420-425 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Joseph Aguyoh ◽

Henry G. Taber ◽

Vince Lawson

Keyword(s):

Sweet Corn ◽

Bare Soil ◽

Silt Loam ◽

Plastic Mulch ◽

Fresh Market ◽

Marketable Yield ◽

Inadequate Information ◽

Direct Seeded ◽

Clear Plastic ◽

Crop Maturity

Sweet corn (Zea mays L.) growers in the upper midwestern U.S. have used clear plastic mulch to improve early yield and advance crop maturity. Results of this practice have been inconsistent because of early season temperature variability and inadequate information on cultivar adaptation. Our objective was to improve the performance consistency by investigating earliness techniques with the early, sugary-enhancer (se) cultivar Temptation planted at two sites. Treatments were bare soil or clear plastic mulch, rowcovers or none, and direct-seeded or transplanted plants. Transplants were produced in the greenhouse in either 50-cell plastic trays or peat pot strips, 2.3 inches × 4.0 inches deep (6 × 10 cm) and were evaluated according to transplant age and cell size. In the cold springs of 1996 and 1997, the use of clear plastic mulch shortened maturity of sweet corn by 1 and 10 days, respectively, for the silt loam site; but no maturity advantage was observed for the loamy sand site. Clear plastic raised the minimum soil temperature by 3.8 to 4.0 °F (2.1 to 2.2 °C) at both sites. The 2-week-old 50-cell tray transplants matured 6 days earlier than the peat pot strip transplants or direct seeded at both locations in 1997. Marketable yield from the transplants was inconsistent by location and year. Four-week-old transplants did not withstand field stress and performed poorly regardless of type of container. Ear quality as indicated by row number, ear diameter, ear length, and tipfill was lowest with transplants.

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Differential Watermelon Fruit Size Distribution in Response to Plastic Mulch and Spunbonded Polyester Rowcover

HortTechnology ◽

10.21273/horttech.18.1.45 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

pp. 45-52 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Ramón A. Arancibia ◽

Carl E. Motsenbocker

Keyword(s):

Air Temperature ◽

Citrullus Lanatus ◽

Fruit Size ◽

Fruit Weight ◽

Growth And Yield ◽

Net Benefit ◽

Plastic Mulch ◽

Marketable Yield ◽

Ambient Temperatures ◽

Horticultural Crops

Plasticulture has been successfully used to enhance growth and yield of horticultural crops, and also for season extension in cooler climates. The effect of three plastic mulches (silver on black, photoselective thermal green, and black) in combination with spunbonded polyester rowcover (0.9 oz/yard2) on spring-planted watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) production was investigated. Two red-fleshed cultivars [Sangria (seeded) and Crimson Jewel (triploid)] were used. Plastic mulches increased early and total marketable yield in comparison with bare ground for both cultivars, but net benefit increased in ‘Crimson Jewel’ only. In contrast, yield and net benefit were the same among plastic mulches. Rowcover increased soil and air temperature, with the effect being greatest at lower ambient temperatures. During a near-freeze event, air temperature under the rowcover was about 7.2 °F higher than without a rowcover. Rowcover increased early and total marketable yield, but fruit weight decreased in both cultivars. Yield distribution into three fruit size categories was inconsistent between the cultivars. In ‘Sangria’, the large fruit category had the highest yield proportion for all treatments. In contrast, the highest yield proportion of ‘Crimson Jewel’, with exception of mulch without rowcover, corresponded to small fruit. Rowcover increased gross income at wholesale prices, but net benefit was not different from without rowcover. Protection of high-value plants, such as triploid watermelon, against light freezes, however, may still justify the use of rowcover in early plantings.

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Evaluation of Watermelon Varieties under Organic Production Practices in Georgia

HortTechnology ◽

10.21273/horttech04199-18 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 29 (3) ◽

pp. 382-388 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

George E. Boyhan ◽

Suzanne O’Connell ◽

Ryan McNeill ◽

Suzanne Stone

Keyword(s):

Production Systems ◽

Citrullus Lanatus ◽

Fruit Size ◽

Fruit Weight ◽

Organic Production ◽

Soluble Solids ◽

Plastic Mulch ◽

Production Practices ◽

Certified Organic ◽

Solids Content

Organic production is a fast-growing sector of agriculture in need of variety evaluations under their unique production systems. This study evaluated 16 watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) varieties for their performance characteristics under organic production practices. Plants were grown on plastic mulch-covered beds on land that had been certified organic in accordance with the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Organic Program. Six of the entries were F1 hybrids; the remaining entries were open-pollinated (OP) varieties. Of the 10 OP varieties, three were considered heirloom varieties, including Cream of Saskatchewan, Georgia Rattlesnake, and Moon & Stars. ‘Georgia Rattlesnake’ was the highest yielding variety and had the greatest average fruit weight. Along with ‘Georgia Rattlesnake’, ‘Nunhems 800’, ‘Nunhems 860’, ‘Orangeglo’, and ‘SSX 8585’ were included in the top five yielding varieties. The top five yielding varieties had fruit size that averaged more than 20 lb. Fruit size correlated with rind thickness, with lighter fruit having thinner rind (Pearson’s correlation, r = 0.779), which is not unexpected. ‘Sangria’ had the greatest average soluble solids content at 11.2%, which was greater than all entries with soluble solids less than 10%.

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Response of Long- and Short-vine Tropical Pumpkins to Varying Cultural Practices

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.30.4.884a ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 30 (4) ◽

pp. 884A-884

Author(s):

J. Irizarry-Morales ◽

L. Wessel-Beaver ◽

D. Maynard ◽

G. Elmstrom

Keyword(s):

Puerto Rico ◽

Field Experiments ◽

Cultural Practices ◽

Total Yield ◽

Fruit Weight ◽

Planting Density ◽

Cucurbita Moschata ◽

Plastic Mulch ◽

Planting Method ◽

Planting Distance

Three field experiments were carried out in Lajas, Puerto Rico, to compare the effects of planting method (direct and transplant), plastic mulch (with and without), and planting density (1.8 x 1.8 m, 3.6 x 0.9 m, 1.8 x 0.9 m between and within rows) on production of short-and long-vined tropical pumpkins (Cucurbita moschata). The long-vine genotype produced greater yields and larger but fewer fruit than the short-vine genotype. However, most of the planting densities tested were probably not optimum for short-vine cultivars. Direct seeding of pumpkin was more efficient than transplanting and resulted in the same early and total yield as transplanting. Yields with plastic-covered banks were similar to yields without the use of plastic. However, use of plastic mulch increased the number of fruit and decreased the average fruit weight in the plots. The best planting distance depended on the type of genotype used. The long-vine genotype had the highest yields at 1.8 x 1.8 m, while the short-vine cultivar performed best with half that amount of space per plant (1.8 x 0.9 m). Production of short-vine cultivars might be improved by using even narrower planting distances.

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Fruit size and quality of pineapples cv. Vitória in response to micronutrient doses and way of application and to soil covers

Revista Brasileira de Fruticultura ◽

10.1590/s0100-29452011000500068 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 33 (spe1) ◽

pp. 505-510 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Aiala Vieira Amorim ◽

Claudivan Feitosa de Lacerda ◽

Carlos Farley Herbster Moura ◽

Enéas Gomes Filho

Keyword(s):

Soil Cover ◽

Floral Induction ◽

Fruit Size ◽

Titratable Acidity ◽

Fruit Weight ◽

Induction Treatment ◽

Plastic Mulch ◽

Foliar Fertilization ◽

Four Levels

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of foundation and leaf fertilization with micronutrients on fruit size and quality of pineapple cv. Vitória under the environmental conditions of the Baixo Acaraú irrigated perimeter in Northern Ceará State, Brazil, under two covers (bagana and black plastic) of the sandy soil of low fertility. The experimental design was a randomized split blocks one with four levels of soil dressing and four levels of foliar fertilization, with five replications. Micronutrient soil dressing was studied as FTE-12 at doses of 0, 60, 120 and 180 kg ha-1. The four levels of foliar fertilization were: LF0 (without fertilizer), LF 1 (15 leaf fertilization, using the amount of 1158.75 g Fe ha-1, 844.65 g Mn ha-1, 391.5 g ha-1 Zn, 322.65 g ha-1 Cu and 216 g ha-1 B), LF2 (15 leaf fertilization, using twice the quantities of level LF1) and LF3 (15 leaf fertilization, using three times the amount of level LF1). At 13 months after planting the micropropagated plantlets was carried out the floral induction treatment and five months later the fruit harvest determining the following variables: fruit weight and median diameter, soluble solids content (SS) and titratable acidity (TA). Both fruit weight and diameter increased with increasing doses of micronutrients applied to the soil and to the leaves, of plants grown both on bagana soil cover and plastic mulch. On the other hand fruit pulp quality was little affected by the treatments studied. There were a small increase of SS contents for plants grown on bagana soil cover and a small decrease of titratable acidity for those grown on plastic mulch, in both cases just in response to micronutrient foliar application.

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Effects of Water Application Rates, Plastic-Mulch, and Staking on Size Arrangements of Mature Green Tomatoes Under Drip Irrigation

The Journal of Agriculture of the University of Puerto Rico ◽

10.46429/jaupr.v67i3.7722 ◽

1969 ◽

Vol 67 (3) ◽

pp. 293-302

Author(s):

Rubén Guadalupe-Luna ◽

Megh R. Goyal ◽

Magaly Cintrón ◽

Luis E. Rivera ◽

María del C. Prieto de López

Keyword(s):

Vitamin A ◽

Drip Irrigation ◽

Fruit Size ◽

Fruit Weight ◽

Size Class ◽

Water Application ◽

Plastic Mulch ◽

Percentage Distribution ◽

Application Rates

Size arrangements, percentage distribution of fresh harvested mature green tomatoes and vitamin A content were evaluated for plastic mulched-staked (PS), plastic mulched-nonstaked (PNS), non-mulched-staked (NPS), and nonmulched- nonstaked (NPNS) tomatoes under drip irrigation in wet, moist and dry treatments, respectively. Percentage distribution of number of fruits was highest in USDA fruit size class No. 6 for all treatments and subtreatments. For all treatments, the average fruit weight was highest during the second picking in the NPNS, NPS and PNS plots compared to the first picking in the PS plots. The dry treatment gave highest percentage of US grade I tomatoes in the NPNS and PS plots compared to that of the moist treatment in the NPS and the wet treatment in the PNS plots, respectively. The vitamin A content was highest in NPNS plots for wet and moist treatments, and in PS plots for dry treatment. The PS plots in the wet and moist treatments, and NPS plots in the dry treatment gave the lowest values of vitamin A content.

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Earliness and Yield of Tropical Winter Squash Improved by Transplants, Plastic Mulch, and Row Cover

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.38.2.203 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 38 (2) ◽

pp. 203-206 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Matthew T. Rulevich ◽

Francis X. Mangan ◽

Anne K. Carter

Keyword(s):

Fruit Set ◽

Total Yield ◽

Fruit Size ◽

Bare Soil ◽

Direct Seeding ◽

Wet Season ◽

Plastic Mulch ◽

Direct Seeded ◽

Winter Squash ◽

Polyethylene Mulch

Field studies were conducted in 1998 and 1999 in Massachusetts to assess the effects of transplants, black polyethylene mulch, and polyester spun-bonded row cover on early fruit set and total yield of two squash (Cucurbita moschata Duchesne) cultivars: `C42 × La Segunda' calabaza and `Waltham' butternut. Treatment comparisons included direct-seeded or transplanted squash, with or without black polyethylene mulch, and with or without the addition of a row cover in all combinations. The use of transplants was more effective at stimulating early fruit set and highest total yield than the use of mulch and row cover. The initiation of fruit set using transplants was advanced 9 days relative to direct-seeding. Mulch and row cover treatments significantly advanced early fruit set by 7 and 5 days, respectively, but only in 1998. Yields for both winter squash were 45% higher using transplants compared to direct seeding, 19% higher using mulch compared to bare soil, and 16% higher using row cover compared to no row cover. Total yields were higher for both cultivars in 1999 (warm, dry season) than in 1998 (cool, wet season). Use of transplants with plastic and row cover compared to the use of direct seed with neither plastic nor row cover increased yield of calabaza by 100% in both 1998 and 1999. Only the direct seeded plus plastic plus row cover treatment had yields that were similar to any of the transplanted treatments. Transplant treatments also increased number of fruit per plant and fruit size for both calabaza and butternut.

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Relationships Between Yield, Crop Density Coefficient and Average Fruit Weight in `Lobo' Apple Trees Under Various Planting Systems and Irrigation Treatments

HortTechnology ◽

10.21273/horttech.11.2.248 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 248-254 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Waldemar Treder ◽

Augustyn Mika

Keyword(s):

Cultural Practices ◽

Soil Water Potential ◽

Fruit Size ◽

Fruit Weight ◽

Tree Age ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Crop Density ◽

Wide Range ◽

Planting Method ◽

Density Coefficient

`Lobo' apple (Malus {XtimesX} domestica) trees grafted on Malling 26 (M.26) were planted on flat ground or on raised beds covered with black polyethylene. In both planting systems trees were drip irrigated to maintain soil water potential within the range of 0 to -0.02 MPa (0 to -0.3 lb/inch2) or were left without irrigation. Planting methods and irrigation influenced tree growth. Standard planted trees and irrigated trees grew stronger, whereas planted on beds less vigorously, irrespective to irrigation. The yield of all trees increased with time until the fourth year of production. Fruit size decreased as yield increased. Also lack of irrigation considerably reduced average fruit weight. Yield and trunk cross-sectional area (TCA) measurements were used to calculate crop density coefficient (CD). CD values varied considerably between the treatments showing their dependence on planting method, irrigation and tree age. In most cases, the correlation coefficient between CD and average fruit weight were negative, indicatingthat the weight of individual fruit decreased with increasing numbers of fruit per unit of TCA. We question whether CD coefficient may be universally used under wide range of environmental conditions and cultural practices.

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