scholarly journals Yield and Quality of Triploid Watermelon Cultivars and Experimental Hybrids Grown in Mississippi

2003 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 375-380 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kent E. Cushman ◽  
Richard G. Snyder ◽  
David H. Nagel ◽  
Patrick D. Gerard

Evaluations of 21 entries (commercial cultivars and breeders' experimental hybrids) of triploid watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) were conducted in northern and central Mississippi during 2000 and 2001. The purpose of this research was to identify high-yielding, medium-sized triploid cultivars with good horticultural characteristics and consumer qualities for commercial production in Mississippi. Most entries were similar to `Tri-X 313' and had red flesh, oval shape, and a mottle stripe rind pattern. SXW 5052, `Triple Crown,' `Crimson Trio,' `SeedWay 4502,' and `Millionaire' produced the highest total marketable yields; however, SXW 5052 is no longer available. `Crimson Trio' produced slightly smaller-sized melons compared to other entries and `SeedWay 4502' produced melons with relatively low soluble solids concentration. Based on total marketable yield, average size of melons, soluble solids concentration, and lack of undesirable characteristics such as hollowheart, black and colored seed, and rind necrosis, `Triple Crown,' `Millionaire,' `Cooperstown,' `Summer Sweet 5244,' and `Crimson Trio' can be recommended as mid- to late-maturing cultivars for commercial production in Mississippi. Based on early marketable yield, and using the same criteria listed above, `Tri-X 313' and `Tri-X Carousel' can be recommended as early-maturing cultivars for commercial production in Mississippi. `Tri-X 313' exhibited only one undesirable trait, producing a relatively high number of black and colored seeds. `Diamond' had high early and total yields, as well as high soluble solids concentration, but it should be recommended only on a trial basis to determine its potential susceptibility to hollowheart.

2007 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 518-522 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua H. Freeman ◽  
G.A. Miller ◽  
S.M. Olson ◽  
W.M. Stall

As triploid watermelons (Citrullus lanatus) increase in popularity, production has shifted away from seeded watermelons. To achieve successful fruit set in triploid watermelons, a diploid watermelon cultivar must be planted as a pollen source. Three diploid cultivars in 2005 and seven diploid cultivars in 2006 were evaluated at one and three locations, respectively, to determine their effectiveness as pollenizers. Each cultivar was planted within plots of the triploid watermelons ‘Tri-X 313’ (2005) and ‘Supercrisp’ (2006) with buffers on all sides of the plots to contain pollen flow within individual plots. Performance of pollenizers was based on triploid watermelon yield, soluble solids concentration, and incidence of hollowheart. In 2005, there were no significant differences in total weight, fruit per acre, average weight, or soluble solids concentration among pollenizers. In 2006, significant differences in yield were observed, and plots with ‘Sidekick’ as a pollenizer yielded the highest but were not significantly different from ‘Patron’, ‘SP-1’, ‘Jenny’, or ‘Mickylee’. In 2006, there were no significant differences in fruit per acre, soluble solids concentration, or incidence of hollowheart between pollenizers. The experimental design was successful in isolating pollenizers and there was minimal pollen flow outside of experimental plots as indicated by minimal fruit set in control plots.


HortScience ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 200-205 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jordan L. Hartman ◽  
Penelope Perkins-Veazie ◽  
Todd C. Wehner

Watermelon fruit [Citrullus lanatus (Thumb) Matsum & Nakai] is a natural source of phytonutrients, including lycopene, citrulline, and arginine. Two segregating, highly outcrossed North Carolina watermelon populations, NC High Yield (NCHYW) and NC Small Fruit (NCSFW), were evaluated for these traits and for indicators of ripeness (pH and soluble solids content). Parents tested in 2015 (NSF = 300, NHY = 300) were sampled for the above and offspring were tested in 2016 if the sampled fruit of the parents were of qualifying ripeness [soluble solids concentration (SSC) ≥8, pH 5.5–6.5], resulting in 251 families (NSF = 72, NHY = 175). Narrow-sense heritability was estimated in each of the populations using the methods of 1) parent-offspring regression and 2) variance of half-sibling family means. Heritability for citrulline in NCHYW was moderate in both parent-offspring and half-sibling estimations (38% and 43%), as was arginine (40% and 44%) and lycopene (46% and 47%, respectively). Estimates for these traits in NCSFW were considerably different, with parent-offspring and half-sibling estimations for citrulline (65% and 22%), arginine (9% and 20%), and lycopene (44% and 68%). In NCHYW, moderate phenotypic correlations were found between SSC and citrulline (0.40), arginine (0.40), their combination (0.45), and lycopene (0.30) all of which were significant, except lycopene. Lycopene was significantly and weakly correlated to citrulline (0.22), but was not correlated to arginine (0.06). Similar correlations were found in NCSFW; SSC was significantly correlated to citrulline (0.24), arginine (0.18), and their combination (0.23), whereas lycopene was slightly correlated to citrulline (0.15) and not significantly correlated to arginine. Based on these heritabilities and phenotypic correlations, tandem selection for high lycopene and citrulline content may be accomplished efficiently using progeny rows with minimal replication using the NCSFW population, whereas replication with multiple years, rows, and locations may be necessary for creating stable lines using the NCHYW population.


2009 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 538-545
Author(s):  
Richard L. Hassell ◽  
Jonathan R. Schultheis ◽  
Wilfred R. Jester ◽  
Stephen M. Olson ◽  
Gilbert A. Miller

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’.


HortScience ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 510A-510
Author(s):  
Thomas Horgan ◽  
Richard Snyder ◽  
Peter Hudson ◽  
Edgar Vinson ◽  
Joseph Kemble

Ten “mini” or personal size seedless watermelons were evaluated at three locations: north and central Mississippi and in central Alabama. `Betsy', `Bobbie', `Demi-Sweet', `Extazy', `Mini Yellow', `Petite Treat', `Solitaire', `Valdoria', `Vanessa', and `Wonder' were the cultivars trialed. Seedlings were started, in a greenhouse, four weeks before planting. All locations used drip irrigation and black plastic mulch and were fertilized according to soil testing lab recommendations. A personal size diploid (seeded) variety, `Jenny', was used as the pollinator. One pollinator was planted, and interspaced evenly, for every three triploid plants. Four harvests were made at each location on 7-day intervals. Yields reported are based on 2,074 triploid plants per acre and 1,037 pollinizer plants per acre. Only the triploid yield reported. Plant spacing was 14 ft2 per plant. For total yield (lb/acre) the cultivars `Petite Treat' (27,210), `Valdoria' (25,700), and `Demi-Sweet' (26,400) were among the top producers at each location. `Mini Yellow' was a top producer at all locations averaging 22,480 lb/acre. For total yield (fruit/acre) the cultivars `Valdoria' (3,380), `Petite Treat' (3,470), `Bobbie' (3,470), `Betsy' (3,380), and `Vanessa' (2,740), were among the top producers at each location. For total yield (lb/fruit) `Betsy' (6.9), `Wonder' (6.7), and `Vanessa' (6.1) had the overall lowest individual fruit weights. `Demi-Sweet' had the highest individual fruit weight in central Alabama (10.0) and north Mississippi (8.8). One problem observed was that a number of melons among cultivars were above or below size class. Also determining melon ripeness was a challenge. Melon quality was good. The soluble solids concentration (sweetness) of all melons was excellent. `Demi-Sweet' had the highest incidence of hollowheart. `Wonder' and `Extazy' had no incidences of hollowheart at any location. Rind thickness had no significant differences, however in both locations measured `Mini Yellow' had the thinnest rind. Rind necrosis was not encountered.


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 789-796
Author(s):  
Roy D. Flanagan ◽  
Jayesh B. Samtani ◽  
Mikel Ann Manchester ◽  
Stephanie Romelczyk ◽  
Charles S. Johnson ◽  
...  

Strawberries (Fragaria ×ananassa) are one of the major high-value crops in North America. There is increasing interest in commercial strawberry production for local markets in Virginia and surrounding states, but information on the performance of newer cultivars is extremely limited. We tested 10 commercially available June-bearing cultivars [Benicia, Camarosa, Camino Real, Chandler, Strawberry Festival, Flavorfest, FL Radiance, Treasure, Sweet Charlie, and Winterstar™ (FL 05-107)] and two day-neutral cultivars (Albion and San Andreas) for their spring and summer fruiting capacity in Virginia production systems in a randomized, replicated study, at three on-farm locations. Data were collected on vegetative growth, yield performance, fruit quality, sweetness, and fruit diameter. Cultivars with the highest total yields averaged across all three locations were Benicia, Camino Real, Chandler, and Camarosa. ‘Camino Real’ had the highest marketable yield at all three locations, not significantly different from ‘Chandler’, and ‘Benicia’ and ‘Camarosa’ had the highest marketable yield at two of the three locations. ‘Flavorfest’ and ‘Sweet Charlie’ had the highest total soluble solids concentration for the harvest season. Overall, for all locations, ‘Benicia’ and ‘Camino Real’ had the largest fruit diameter, and ‘Strawberry Festival’ had the smallest fruit diameter.


HortScience ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 590c-590
Author(s):  
Kevin R. Day ◽  
Ted M. DeJong

Girdling has been shown to increase fruit size and soluble solids concentration and advance fruit maturity. Performed improperly, girdling can also have a debilitating effect on trees. To minimize this, growers often use alternatives to the standard complete girdle. However, the efficacy of these alternative techniques has not been evaluated. Three methods of girdling: 1) complete girdle of all scaffolds, 2) complete girdle of all but one “nurse” scaffold, and 3) spiral (overlapping) girdle of all scaffolds, were compared to ungirdled trees to determine their effect on fruit and tree performance. All of the girdling treatments increased fruit size and marketable yield, and advanced maturity over ungirdled trees. Fruit on ungirdled nurse limbs were similar in size to fruit on ungirdled trees, while the fruit on the remaining girdled limbs were slightly larger than fruit on the trees which had all scaffolds girdled. Overall fruit size and yield of trees with a nurse limb were similar to the other girdle treatments.


2007 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 604-607
Author(s):  
Ricardo Goenaga

There is a scarcity of information on how carambola (Averrhoa carambola) cultivars perform in various agroenvironments. Nine carambola cultivars—Arkin, B-10, B-16, B-17, Kajang, Kari, Lara, Sri Kembangan, and Thai Knight—grown on an Oxisol, an Ultisol, and a Mollisol were evaluated for 4 years under intensive management at Isabela, Corozal, and Juana Díaz, PR, respectively. There were no significant differences in number and weight of marketable fruit per hectare area among locations averaging 258,761 fruit/ha and 30,978 kg·ha−1, respectively. There were no significant differences of marketable fruit weight per hectare among highest yielding cultivars B-17, Thai Knight, and Sri Kembangan between locations. The average marketable fruit weight for these highest-yielding cultivars was 36,060 kg·ha−1. ‘Arkin’ and ‘B-16’ were the lowest yielding cultivars, averaging 23,490 kg·ha−1 of marketable fruit. ‘Kari’ produced significantly longer fruit at all locations, whereas ‘B-16’ produced the shortest fruit. Significantly higher soluble solids concentration values were obtained from fruit of ‘B-17’ at all locations, whereas lower values were obtained from those of ‘Arkin’. Overall, cultivars were highly adaptable to the diverse agroenvironments in which they were planted. The fact that ‘B-17’ had high production of marketable fruit, high marketable yield, and high soluble solids concentration at all locations makes this cultivar suitable for planting in diverse agroenvironments.


HortScience ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 594e-594
Author(s):  
Charles J. Graham

Research is needed to better understand the influence of cell volume and fertility on watermelon transplant size and field performance in order to determine the most economic production practices. `Jubilee' watermelon transplants were grown using a 4 x 4 factorial experimental design consisting of 4 cell volumes (30.7, 65.5, 147.5, and 349.6 cm3) and 4 fertility rates (0, 1/4, 1/2, and full-strength Hoagland's solution). Transplant shoot dry weight significantly increased as cell volume and fertility increased. Increasing cell volume linearly increased watermelon number/ha and tons/ha for early and total harvest in 1995. The average weight per watermelon significantly increased for early-harvested fruit but not for total harvest as cell volume increased in 1995. Soluble solids concentration linearly increased with increasing cell volume for early and total harvests in 1995. Cell volume had no significant influence on the harvest parameters measured in 1997. In 1995, increasing fertility linearly increased watermelon number/ha and tons/ha for early harvests. Increasing fertility increased the soluble solids concentration linearly for early-harvested watermelons in 1997 but not in 1995. Fertility rate had no significant influence on any of the other harvest parameters measured in 1995 and 1997. The growing conditions and disease pressure in 1997 reduced melons/ha, yield, and soluble solids content when compared to 1995 values. The half-strength Hoagland's solution produced the greatest number of watermelons/ha, tons/ha, and the highest soluble solids concentration in 1995 and 1997. Pretransplant nutritional conditioning had no significant effect on total `Jubilee' watermelon production in Louisiana for 1995 and 1997.


Bragantia ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 73 (2) ◽  
pp. 106-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Newdmar Vieira Fernandes ◽  
Benito Moreira de Azevedo ◽  
Joaquim Raimundo Nascimento Neto ◽  
Thales Vinícius de Araújo Viana ◽  
Geocleber Gomes de Sousa

This study evaluates the influence of different irrigation frequencies and different nitrogen fertigation frequencies on the growth performance of the watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) culture. Two experiments were conducted at the Paraguay farm in the Cruz municipality, Ceará, Brazil. They was randomized blocks design with six treatments and four replications. The irrigation frequency experiment consisted of the application of different irrigation frequencies. The treatments were: DM - daily irrigation in the morning with 100% daily dosage; DT - daily irrigation in the afternoon, with 100% daily dosage; DMT - twice daily irrigation, with 50% daily dosage in the morning and 50% daily dosage in the afternoon; 2D - irrigation every two days; 3D - irrigation every three days and 4D - irrigation every four days. To the experiment with different nitrogen fertigation frequencies, the treatments used were: 2F - 2 fertigations in a cycle; 4F - 4 fertigations in a cycle; 8F - 8 fertigations in a cycle; 16F - 16 fertigations in a cycle; 32F - 32 fertigations in a cycle and 64F - 64 fertigations in a cycle. We evaluated the marketable yield (PC), fruit weight (M), polar diameter (DP), equatorial diameter (DE), shell thickness (EC) and soluble solids (SS). The irrigation frequency treatments influenced all variables significantly, with twice daily irrigation (DMT, 50% in the morning and the 50% in the afternoon) promoting the highest productivity (69.79 t ha-1). The different frequencies of fertigation also significantly influenced all variables, except for the shell thickness, the highest yield (80.69 t ha-1) being obtained with treatment 64 fertigations in a cycle.


2001 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 561-566 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gene E. Lester ◽  
Michael A. Grusak

Commercially grown honey dew fruit [Cucumis melo (Inodorus group)] typically are harvested before abscission because fruit cut unripe have a longer storage life than fully ripe fruit. However, because fully ripe fruit contain higher concentrations of soluble solids (predominantly as sugars), an attribute that increases their preference among consumers, methods are being explored to extend the storage life of fully ripe fruit. In this study, fully abscised honey dew fruit were evaluated for tissue attributes and consumer preference following postharvest dipping in either chelated or nonchelated calcium (Ca) solutions. Calcium sources were an amino acid-chelated Ca, ethylene-diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA)-chelated Ca, or calcium chloride (CaCl2), with each provided at three different rates. Fruit were evaluated at harvest, and after 14 or 22 days commercial storage. Evaluations were peel surface changes (color and disorders), hypodermal-mesocarp tissue Ca concentration, flesh firmness, soluble solids concentration, and consumer preference of the edible flesh. Peel color became yellowed and lighter during storage for all fruit, with higher Ca rates resulting in more intensely yellowed fruit. Hypodermal-mesocarp tissue Ca concentration was 0.90 mg·g-1 of fresh weight (900 ppm) at harvest, and declined in all fruit by 22 days storage. Peel disorders (disease and spotting) were none to slight for all fruit by 14 days storage, but by 22 days storage disease incidence ranged from none to severe, depending on the Ca source and rate. Fruit firmness declined in all fruit throughout storage, with the smallest declines measured in fruit treated with the amino acid-chelated Ca. Soluble solids concentration of fully ripe fruit was 12.3% at harvest, and showed either no decline or slight declines with storage among the treatments. Consumer preference was highest for freshly harvested fruit, but fruit were desirable even after 22 days storage across all treatments. Postharvest application of Ca at ≤0.16 m Ca in an amino acid-chelated form, versus EDTA-chelated Ca or CaCl2, slowed honey dew melon senescence so that after 22 days of commercial and retail storage the fruit were of high marketable quality, and there was no detrimental effect on consumer preference for the edible flesh.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document