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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #132451
Title: Watermelon stand establishment and disease control

Author
item ROBERTS, WARREN - OKLAHOMA STATE UNIV.
item Bruton, Benny
item EDELSON, JONATHAN - OKLAHOMA STATE UNIV.
item SHREFLER, JIM - OKLAHOMA STATE UNIV.
item TAYLOR, MERRITT - OKLAHOMA STATE UNIV.

Submitted to: HortScience
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/1/2003
Publication Date: 10/1/2003
Citation: Roberts, W., Bruton, B.D., Edelson, J., Shrefler, J., Taylor, M. 2003. Watermelon stand establishment and disease control [abstract]. HortScience. 38(6):1278-1279.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Inadequate germination, or plant death after germination and prior to harvest, causes significant loss to watermelon producers. A variety of causal agents have been implicated and correlated with such plant losses. A study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of various cultural practices in reducing plant loss, or in maintaining plant stands until harvest. Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus cv. Sangria) was planted at one of three planting dates, May 4, May 25, or June 15, at the Lane Agricultural Center in Lane, Oklahoma. Within each planting date, watermelons were either transplanted or direct seeded. Within each planting method, one of four chemical treatments was applied, including Vapam, Quadris, Ridomil Gold, or an untreated control. Vapam was applied pre-plant, about 3 weeks before planting. Quadris and Ridomil were applied post-plant, just after planting. Stand counts were taken weekly. In the third planting, stand counts were substantially lower in direct-seeded plots than in transplanted plots. There were more plants with phloem discoloration and stem xylem discoloration in the second planting than in the first or third planting. In the second planting, the greatest stand counts occurred with plots that had received Vapam. However, in the first and third plantings, the plots that received Vapam had lower stand counts than did the other chemical treatments or the control. Yield was greater in the second planting than in the first or third planting.