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2014 Report
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2014 Watermelon Research & Development Working Group Annual Meeting

In Conjunction with the Southern Region of the American Society for Horticultural Sciences Annual Meeting

 

Friday, January 31, 2014

1:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Majestic Room 7

and

Saturday, February 1, 2014

8:30a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Sheraton Dallas Hotel

Majestic Room 1

Dallas, TX

Phone: 1-888-627-8191

Web site:

http://www.sheratondallashotel.com/

Agenda: Friday, January 31

1:00 p.m.   Welcome: James Brusca, Chair, WRDWG

1:15 p.m.   Introductions: All in attendance

Industry Updates

1:45 p.m.   Regional Watermelon Production Updates

                  California & Arizona - Brenda Lanini

                  Carolinas - Gilbert Miller

                  DelMarva - Kate Everts

                  Georgia - Tim Coolong

                  Indiana & Midwest - Shubin Saha

                  Texas - Clegg Smith

2:30 p.m. International markets update

           

                  Mexico - Jerome Bernier

                  Russia - James Brusca

 

3:00 p.m.   Variety updates from Seed Companies

 

3:30 p.m.  Break

 

Research Reports:

Variety Trials

 

4:00 p.m.         Texas Statewide Watermelon Trials for 2013.  Joseph Masabni1*, Juan Anciso2, Larry Stein3, and Russell Wallace4. Department of Horticultural Sciences, Texas A&M University, 1College Station, TX 77843-2134, 2Weslaco, TX 78593, 3Uvalde, TX 78802, 4Lubbock, TX 79403. (jmasabni@ag.tamu.edu)

 

4:20 p.m.         Evaluation of Pollenizer Varieties for Triploid Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) Production in Southwestern Indiana, 2013.  Shubin K. Saha1* and Dan Egel2, 1Department of Horticulture, University of Kentucky, Ag Science Building North, N-322C, Lexington, KY 40546-0091, 2Botany and Plant Pathology Department, Purdue University, 4369 N. Purdue Rd., Vincennes, IN 47591. (Shubin.saha@uky.edu)

 

Evaluation of Triploid Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) Varieties in Southwestern Indiana, 2013. Shubin K. Saha1* and Larry Sutterer2, 1Department of Horticulture, University of Kentucky, Ag Science Building North, N-322C, Lexington, KY 40546-0091, 2Horticulture and Landscape Architecture Department, Purdue University, 4369 N. Purdue Rd., Vincennes, IN 47591. (Shubin.saha@uky.edu)

4:50                 2013 Watermelon Cultigen Yield and Quality Trial Results in North Carolina.  Jonathan R. Schultheis* and W. Bradfred Thompson, Department of Horticultural Science, Kilgore Hall, Box 7609, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7609. (jonr@ncsu.edu)         

5:10                 2013 EREC Watermelon Variety Trials.  Gilbert Miller, Clemson University, Edisto Research and Education Center, 64 Research Road, Blackville, SC 29817

 

5:30           Adjourn

 

Agenda: Saturday, February 1

 

8:30 a.m.   Day 2 Welcome: James Brusca, Chair, WRDWG and additional introductions

 

Research Reports

 

                  Flowering and Pollination

9:00 a.m.         Synchronized Flowering of Triploid Watermelon Cultivars and Diploid Pollenizers.  Cecilia E. McGregor* and Vickie Waters, Department of Horticulture, University of Georgia, 1111 Miller Plant Science Bldg., Athens, GA 30602. (cmcgre1@uga.edu)

 

9:20 a.m.         Pollination, Fruit Development and Hollow Heart Disorder in Watermelon.  Gordon C. Johnson* and Donald Seifrit, University of Delaware,  Carvel REC, 16483 County Seat Highway, Georgetown, DE  19947, Delaware. (gcjohn@udel.edu)

 

                  Grafting

9:40 a.m.         Grafted Watermelon Methods: Where Are We Now?  Richard L. Hassell*and Shawna Daley, Clemson University, Coastal REC, 2700 Savannah Highway, Charleston, SC 29414. (r.hassell@clemson.edu)

 

10:00 a.m.       Grafted Watermelon Response to Various Nitrogen Rates.  David H. Suchoff1, Jonathan R. Schultheis1*, Christopher C. Gunter1 and Richard L. Hassell2, 1Department of Horticultural Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7609, 2Clemson University, Coastal REC, 2700 Savannah Highway, Charleston, SC 29414. (jonr@ncsu.edu)

 

10:20 a.m.Break

 

10:50 a.m.       Grafted Watermelon Root Length Density and Distribution under Different Soil Moisture Treatments.  Gilbert Miller1*, Ahmad Khalilian1, Jeffrey W. Adelberg2 ,Hamid J. Farahani3,Richard L. Hassell4,  andChristina E. Wells5, 1Clemson University, Edisto Research and Education Center, 64 Research Road, Blackville, SC 29817, 2School of Agriculture, Forest, and Environmental Sciences, Clemson University, E-143 Poole Agricultural Center, Box 340319, Clemson, SC 29634, 3Water Management Engineer, USDA-NRCS East National Technology Support Center, 2901 E. Lee Street, Suite 2100, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901, 4School of Agriculture, Forest, and Environmental Sciences, Coastal REC, 2700 Savannah Highway, Charleston, SC 29414,  5Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, 150 Long Hall, Clemson, SC 29634. (gmllr@clemson.edu)

 

 

 

                  Genetics and Breeding

11:10 a.m.       Survey of gene sequences present in Citrullus sp. but not in cultivated watermelon.  Amnon Levi1*, Laura Massey1*, Ryan Donahoo1, Robert Jarret2, Zhangjun Fei3, and Pat Wechter1, 1United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, (USDA, ARS), U.S. Vegetable Laboratory, 2700 Savannah Highway, Charleston, SC 29414, 2Plant Genetics Resources Conservation Unit, 1109 Experiment St., Griffin, GA, 30223, 3Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850. (amnon.levi@ars.usda.gov)

 

11:30a.m.        Identification and development of multiple disease resistant (fruit rot, powdery mildew) watermelon germplasm.  C.S. Kousik*, J.L. Ikerd, W.P. Wechter, and A. Levi

United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, (USDA, ARS), U.S. Vegetable Laboratory, 2700 Savannah Highway, Charleston, SC 29414. (shaker.kousik@ars.usda.gov )

 

Noon         Lunch

 

1:15 p.m.         National Watermelon Promotion Board Update. Mark Arney, Executive Director.

 

1:30 p.m.         USVL-360, a Citrullus lanatus var. citroides tetraploid germplasm line.  Amnon Levi1*, J.A. Thies1, P.W. Wechter1, M. Farnham1, Y. Weng1, S. Kousik1 and R. Hassell2, 1United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, (USDA, ARS), U.S. Vegetable Laboratory, 2700 Savannah Highway, Charleston, SC 29414, 2Clemson University, Coastal REC, 2700 Savannah Highway, Charleston, SC 29414. (amnon.levi@ars.usda.gov)

 

1:50 p.m.         Development of root-knot nematode resistant rootstocks for watermelon.  Judy A. Thies1*, Sharon Buckner1, Richard Hassell2, and Amnon Levi1 ,1U.S. Vegetable Laboratory, USDA, ARS, Charleston, SC, 2Clemson University, CREC, Charleston, SC. (judy.thies@ars.usda.gov)

 

2:10 p.m.         Evaluation of watermelon plant introductions (PI) for tolerance to postemergence herbicide, halosulfuron.  H.F. Harrison*, Jr., A. Levi and C.S. Kousik, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, (USDA, ARS), U.S. Vegetable Laboratory, 2700 Savannah Highway, Charleston, SC 29414. (Howard.Harrison@ars.usda.gov )

 

2:30 p.m.  Break

 

Disease

3:00 p.m.         CGMMV Update.  Eyal Vardi, Origene Seeds, Israel.

 

3:20 p.m.         Cover Crops Induce General Suppression of Watermelon Fusarium wilt in the Mid-Atlantic. Jennifer Himmelstein1 and Kathryne L. Everts2*, 1Office of International Research Education and Development, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg VA, 227664 Nanticoke Rd., Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland College Park, Salisbury, 21801. (keverts@umd.edu)

 

3:40 p.m.  WRDG Business

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