scholarly journals In-row Diploid Watermelon Pollenizer Competition with Triploid Watermelon Based on Four Planting Ratios

2012 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 70-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua I. Adkins ◽  
Joshua H. Freeman ◽  
Stephen M. Olson
Keyword(s):  
Field Experiments ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Citrullus Lanatus ◽  
Plant Competition ◽  
Viable Pollen ◽  
Triploid Plant ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Triploid Watermelon

Diploid watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) pollenizers are planted within triploid watermelon fields to provide viable pollen for triploid fruit set. In recent years, pollenizer cultivars with desirable characteristics for planting in-row with triploid watermelons have been commercially available. The degree of plant competition from in-row pollenizers grown in the commercially common arrangement where pollenizers are placed equidistant from neighboring triploid plants has not been reported. Field experiments were conducted in 2005, 2006, and 2007 in Quincy, FL, to examine the competitive impact of in-row pollenizers grown equidistant from neighboring triploid plants. Four ratios of pollenizers-to-triploids: 1:1, 1:2, 1:3, and 1:4 were used to provide various levels of pollenizer competition. No significant difference in yield based on the weight or number of fruit per triploid plant resulted from the varied pollenizer ratios. Therefore, pollenizers grown in-row at an equidistant spacing from the neighboring triploid plants had no competitive impact on the yield of the triploid watermelon crop.

scholarly journals Pollen Viability of Selected Diploid Watermelon Pollenizer Cultivars

HortScience ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 274-275 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josh H. Freeman ◽  
Stephen M. Olson ◽  
Eileen A. Kabelka
Keyword(s):  
Fruit Quality ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Citrullus Lanatus ◽  
Pollen Viability ◽  
Viable Pollen ◽  
Diploid Cultivar ◽  
Triploid Watermelon

In the Spring and Fall 2006, the pollen viability of four diploid watermelon pollenizers was evaluated in Quincy, FL. Triploid watermelon plants [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai.] do not produce sufficient viable pollen to pollenize themselves and a diploid cultivar must be interplanted as a pollen source. Recent studies have illustrated differences in triploid watermelon yields as a result of the pollenizer cultivar used. The viability of the pollen produced by pollenizer cultivars may greatly influence the fruit set and fruit quality in the triploid watermelon crop. Pollen samples were taken from ‘Companion’, ‘Jenny’, ‘Mickylee’, and ‘SP-1’ and were stained to determine their viability. There were no significant differences in pollen viability among cultivars and all cultivars had high average viability. Pollen viability was never lower than 95% for any cultivar. This study indicates that pollen viability of the cultivars evaluated should not influence their effectiveness as pollenizers.

scholarly journals Competitive Effect of In-row Diploid Watermelon Pollenizers on Triploid Watermelon Yield

HortScience ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 42 (7) ◽  
pp. 1575-1577 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua H. Freeman ◽  
Stephen M. Olson ◽  
William M. Stall
Keyword(s):  
Fruit Set ◽  
Growth Habit ◽  
Citrullus Lanatus ◽  
Plant Competition ◽  
Growth And Yield ◽  
Linear Effect ◽  
Attractive Option ◽  
Triploid Watermelon ◽  
Effect On Yield ◽  
Growth Habits

Successful fruit set in triploid watermelons [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai] requires a diploid watermelon cultivar, or pollenizer, to be planted nearby as a pollen source. Pollenizer cultivars have been developed to be planted in-row with triploid plants without spacing change, which decreases area per plant. These cultivars have different growth habits, from highly reduced foliage to standard foliage, and it is uncertain how pollenizer growth habit may affect triploid plant growth and yield. Two diploid watermelon pollenizers, ‘Mickylee’ and ‘SP-1’, with markedly different growth habits were planted at five in-row spacings from triploid plants to determine the effect of plant competition on triploid watermelon yield. All treatments used a 1:1 pollenizer to triploid ratio to measure the direct effect of pollenizer growth on associated triploid yields. Experiments were conducted at two locations during Spring 2006 (Quincy and Citra, FL) and one during Fall 2006 (Quincy). Triploid plants paired with ‘Mickylee’ yielded 11.4% (Citra) and 22.4% (Quincy) less weight in the spring and 8.5% less in the fall than plants paired with ‘SP-1’ and also produced fewer fruits per plant. However, the results from the fall trial were not significant. Pollenizer to triploid spacing had a linear effect on yield per plant and fruits per plant, and there was no interaction between pollenizer cultivar and spacing. The use of ‘Mickylee’ as a pollenizer may be an attractive option because of lower seed costs compared with other pollenizers, but these results indicated lower triploid watermelon yields from plants paired with ‘Mickylee’, which is most likely a result of increased plant competition.

scholarly journals Diploid Watermelon Pollenizer Cultivars Differ with Respect to Triploid Watermelon Yield

2007 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 518-522 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua H. Freeman ◽  
G.A. Miller ◽  
S.M. Olson ◽  
W.M. Stall
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Design ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Citrullus Lanatus ◽  
Pollen Flow ◽  
Soluble Solids ◽  
Average Weight ◽  
Solids Concentration ◽  
Triploid Watermelon ◽  
Experimental Plots ◽  
Soluble Solids Concentration

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.

scholarly journals Influence of Honey Bee Pollination on Triploid Watermelon Fruit Set and Quality

HortScience ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 1118C-1118
Author(s):  
S. Alan Walters
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Citrullus Lanatus ◽  
Hollow Heart ◽  
Pistillate Flower ◽  
Soluble Solids ◽  
Vegetable Crops ◽  
Bee Pollination ◽  
Male Flowers ◽  
Triploid Watermelon

Cucurbit vegetable crops, such as watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), require insect pollination for fruit set, which is usually achieved by placing honey bee (Apismellifera) colonies in a field or relying upon natural bee populations. Pistillate (or female) watermelon flowers require multiple honey bee (or other bee) visitations after visiting staminate (or male) flowers for fruit set, and pollination is even more of a concern in triploid watermelon production since staminate flowers contain mostly nonviable pollen. Six honey bee visitation treatments, 1) no visitation control, 2) two visits, 3) four visits, 4) eight visits, 5) 16 visits, and 6) open-pollinated control, were evaluated to determine the effect of honey bee pollination on `Millionaire' triploid watermelon fruit set, yield, and quality utilizing `Crimson Sweet' at a 33% pollinizer frequency. No differences (P> 0.05) between honey bee pollination treatments were observed for `Millionaire' quality characters (hollow heart disorder or percent soluble solids). The lowest pistillate flower abortion rate (20%) and subsequently the greatest triploid watermelon yields (fruit numbers and weights per hectare) occurred with the openpollinated control compared to all other honey bee visitation treatments. Fruit abortion rates decreased linearly, while fruit numbers and weights per hectare increased linearly as number of honey bee visits to pistillate flowers increased from 0 (no visit control) to the open-pollinated control (≈24 visits). This study indicated that >16 honey bee visits are required to achieve maximum triploid watermelon fruit set and yields, which is twice the number of honey bee visits required by diploid watermelons to achieve similar results.

scholarly journals Flowering Patterns of Pollenizer and Triploid Watermelon Cultivars

HortScience ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 49 (6) ◽  
pp. 714-721 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cecilia E. McGregor ◽  
Vickie Waters
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Citrullus Lanatus ◽  
Staminate Flower ◽  
The United States ◽  
Specific Production ◽  
The Past ◽  
Seedless Watermelon ◽  
Triploid Watermelon ◽  
Fundamental Requirement

The past 10 years has seen a steep increase in production of seedless watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) in the United States. Seedless fruit is produced on triploid plants that require pollination from diploid pollenizers for fruit set. Synchronization of the staminate flowers on the pollenizers with the appearance of pistillate flowers on the triploids is a fundamental requirement for this production system. Previous research suggested that pistillate flowers reach peak production early in the season, but data are only available for a small number of triploid cultivars. We compared the flowering patterns of 29 triploid cultivars and 20 pollenizers, including 10 harvested pollenizers, during the first 6 weeks after transplanting over 2 years. The average number of days from transplanting (DAT) to the first staminate flower was between 5.3 days and 19.1 days in 2012 and 9.7 days and 24.4 days in 2013 for the pollenizers and between 18.7 days and 27.6 days and 22.1 days and 32.7 days for the pistillate triploid flowers in the 2 years, respectively. K-means clustering of the weekly percentage of plants with staminate and pistillate flowers for the different cultivars shows that different triploid and pollenizer cultivars have different flowering patterns and that some combinations have better synchronized flowering than others. Growers should take particular care when choosing pollenizers for early-flowering triploid cultivars. Harvested pollenizers are better suited to late-flowering triploids and growers should choose triploid and pollenizer cultivar combinations with flowering patterns that best satisfy their specific production goals.

scholarly journals Fruit Set of Triploid Watermelons as a Function of Distance from a Diploid Pollinizer

HortScience ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Scott NeSmith ◽  
John R. Duval
Keyword(s):  
Fruit Set ◽  
Citrullus Lanatus ◽  
Fruit Yield ◽  
Similar Distribution ◽  
Land Area ◽  
Density Data ◽  
Single Row ◽  
Triploid Watermelon ◽  
Made In

During 1998 and 1999, `Genesis' triploid watermelons [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nak.] were grown in large blocks with a single row of the diploid `Ferarri' planted as a pollinizer in the middle. A once-over harvest each year was made in harvest lanes 0, 1.5, 3.0, 4.5, 6.0, 7.5, and 9.0 m perpendicular distances from the pollinizer row. Individual fruit were weighed and counted. Data from both years indicated a similar distribution of triploid fruit with respect to distance from the pollinizer row. The greatest number of triploid fruit per unit land area was in the harvest row 3.0 m from the pollinizer row. When distance from the pollinizer row was 6.0 m or greater, triploid fruit numbers diminished substantially. Yield estimates made each year using the fruit density data suggested that a 1 pollinizer: 4 triploid ratio gave the maximum total triploid fruit yield per hectare for 1.5-m row spacings. These results should prove useful in designing field planting strategies to optimize triploid watermelon production.

scholarly journals Honey Bee Pollination Requirements for Triploid Watermelon

HortScience ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 40 (5) ◽  
pp. 1268-1270 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Alan Walters
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Citrullus Lanatus ◽  
Hollow Heart ◽  
Subsequent Development ◽  
Soluble Solids ◽  
Bee Pollination ◽  
Male Flowers ◽  
Triploid Watermelon

Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) are important pollinators of triploid watermelon [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum & Nakai]. Pistillate (or female) watermelon flowers require multiple honey bee or other wild bee visitations after visiting staminate (or male) flowers for fruit set, and pollination is even more of a concern in triploid watermelon production since staminate flowers contain mostly nonviable pollen. Six honey bee visitation treatments—1) no visitation control, 2) two visits, 3) four visits, 4) eight visits, 5) 16 visits, and 6) open-pollinated control—were evaluated to determine the effectiveness of honey bee pollination on `Millionaire' triploid watermelon fruit set, yield, and quality utilizing `Crimson Sweet' at a 33% pollenizer frequency. `Millionaire' quality characters (hollow heart disorder or percent soluble solids) did not differ (P > 0.05) between honey bee pollination treatments. The open-pollinated control provided the highest fruit set rate (80%) and the greatest triploid watermelon numbers and weights per plot compared to all other honey bee visitation treatments. Fruit set, and fruit numbers and weights per plot increased linearly as number of honey bee visits to pistillate flowers increased from 0 (no visit control) to the open-pollinated control (about 24 visits). This study indicated that between 16 and 24 honey bee visits are required to achieve maximum triploid watermelon fruit set and yields at a 33% pollenizer frequency, which is twice the number of honey bee visits required by seeded watermelons to achieve similar results. This is probably due to many honey bees visiting staminate triploid watermelon flowers (that are in close proximity) before visiting pistillate flowers thus providing mostly nonviable pollen that is useless for fruit set and development. Therefore, more honey bee visits to pistillate triploid watermelon flowers would be required to achieve maximum fruit set and subsequent development compared to seeded watermelons.

scholarly journals Extruded breakfast meal from malted finger millet (Eleusine coracana) and watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) seed flour: in-vivo nutritional qualities study

2021 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Oghenewogaga Owheruo ◽  
Timilehin David Oluwajuyitan ◽  
Beatrice Olawunmi Ifesan ◽  
Matthew Kolawole Bolade
Keyword(s):  
Finger Millet ◽  
Citrullus Lanatus ◽  
Breakfast Meal ◽  
Formulated Diets ◽  
Cell Counts ◽  
Formulated Diet ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Nutritional Qualities ◽  
Flour Blends

Abstract Background The study aimed at evaluating the in-vivo nutritional qualities of extruded breakfast meal produced from flour blends of malted finger millet and watermelon seed. Results The proximate compositions of the flour blends revealed that there was progressive increase in protein (12.83–15.14) %, with increase in the watermelon substitution. The protein quality evaluation of the extrudate showed that the protein efficiency ratio ranged from 0.64 to 89.75, while the biological values were between (87.82–89.75)%. The relative organs weight of rats fed with extruded breakfast meal showed that, the weights of the kidney and liver of rats fed with extruded breakfast meal were significantly lower compared with rats fed with goldenmorn. The hematological indices showed that the packed cell volume and the red blood cell counts of rats fed with the formulated diets were significantly lower compared with those fed  with goldenmorn but significantly higher than rats fed with basal. Meanwhile, the values of the white blood cells count for the formulated diet shows no significant difference compared with rats fed with goldenmorn. Conclusions Evidently, the growth performance of the rats fed with the extruded breakfast meal revealed that the formulated diets promote growth status of the animals with relatively low effect on organs of experimental rat used in this study. Hence, formulated diet may serve as alternative to expensive commercial breakfast meal.

scholarly journals Do s genes or deleterious recessives control late-acting self-incompatibility in Handroanthus heptaphyllus (Bignoniaceae)? A diallel study with four full sib progeny arrays

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta B Bianchi ◽  
Thomas R Meagher ◽  
Peter E Gibbs
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Control ◽  
Inbreeding Depression ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Genetic Model ◽  
Pollen Tubes ◽  
Self Incompatibility ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Partial Embryo ◽  
Ovule Penetration ◽  
S Genes

Abstract Background and Aims Genetically controlled self-incompatibility (SI) mechanisms constrain selfing and thus have contributed to the evolutionary diversity of flowering plants. In homomorphic gametophytic SI (GSI) and homomorphic sporophytic SI (SSI), genetic control is usually by a single multi-allelic locus S. Both GSI and SSI prevent self pollen tubes reaching the ovary and so are pre-zygotic in action. In contrast, in taxa with late-acting self-incompatibility (LSI), rejection is often post-zygotic, since self-pollen tubes grow to the ovary where fertilization may occur prior to floral abscission. Alternatively, lack of self fruit set could be due to early-acting inbreeding depression (EID). The aim of our study was to investigate mechanisms underlying lack of selfed fruit set in Handroanthus heptaphyllus in order to assess the likelihood of LSI versus EID. Methods We employed four full sib diallels to study the genetic control of LSI in Handroanthus heptaphyllus using a precociously flowering variant. We also used fluorescence microscopy to study the incidence of ovule penetration by pollen tubes in pistils that abscised following pollination or initiated fruits. Key Results All diallels showed reciprocally cross-incompatible full-sibs (RCI), reciprocally cross compatible full-sibs (RCC), and non-reciprocally compatible full-sibs (NRC) in almost equal proportions. There was no significant difference between the incidence of ovule penetrations in abscised pistils following self- and cross-incompatible pollinations, but those in successful cross pollinations were around twofold greater. Conclusions A genetic model postulating a single S locus with four s alleles, one of which, in the maternal parent, is dominant to the other three, will produce RCI, RCC and NRC situations each at 33 %, consistent with our diallel results. We favour this simple genetic control over an early-acting inbreeding depression (EID) explanation since none of our pollinations, successful or unsuccessful, resulted in partial embryo development, as would be expected under a whole genome EID effect.

scholarly journals Competition Effects and Productivity in Oat–Forage Legume Relay Intercropping Systems under Organic Farming Conditions

Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 99
Author(s):  
Viktorija Gecaitė ◽  
Aušra Arlauskienė ◽  
Jurgita Cesevičienė
Keyword(s):  
Grain Yield ◽  
Organic Farming ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Plant Competition ◽  
Nutrient Content ◽  
Forage Legume ◽  
Forage Legumes ◽  
Medicago Lupulina ◽  
Competition Effects ◽  
Productivity Indicators

Cereal-legume intercropping is important in many low-input agricultural systems. Interactions between combinations of different plant species vary widely. Field experiments were conducted to determine yield formation regularities and plant competition effects of oat (Avena sativa L.)–black medick (Medicago lupulina L.), oat–white clover (Trifolium repens L.), and oat–Egyptian clover (T. alexandrinum L.) under organic farming conditions. Oats and forage legumes were grown in mono- and intercrops. Aboveground dry matter (DM) measured at flowering, development of fruit and ripened grain, productivity indicators, oat grain yield and nutrient content were established. The results showed that oats dominated in the intercropping systems. Oat competitive performance (CPo), which is characterized by forage legumes aboveground mass reduction compared to monocrops, were 91.4–98.9. As the oats ripened, its competitiveness tendency to declined. In oat–forage legume intercropping systems, the mass of weeds was significantly lower compared to the legume monocrops. Oats and forage legumes competed for P, but N and K accumulation in biomass was not significantly affected. We concluded that, in relay intercrop, under favourable conditions, the forage legumes easily adapted to the growth rhythm and intensity of oats and does not adverse effect on their grain yield.

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