2020 Seedless Watermelon Variety Evaluation in Indiana
Wenjing Guan ([email protected]) Dan Egel ([email protected]) Dennis Nowaskie Southwest Purdue Agricultural Center Vincennes, IN 47591 812-886-0198 Standard-sized triploid watermelon
Variety Seed Source • The trial included 29 varieties and NUN 7187 BASF NUN 7197 BASF one grafted watermelon variety * NUN 6177 BASF Embasy BASF • Sandy-loam soil, 1.2% organic matter * E26C.00124 Enza Zaden Fertilizers applied preplant * Red Amber Enza Zaden • Traveler HM • Spacing: 4’ in-row spacing, 8’ * Wayfarer HM Crunchy Red HM between-row spacing * Secretariat Sakata * Charismatic Sakata • Pollenizer ‘SP7’, 1:2 ratio Unbridled Sakata • Transplanted on May 20, 2020 * Kingman Sakata Road Trip Seminis • Harvested four times on July 23, July * Tailgate Seminis * Shoreline Seminis 30, Aug. 6 and Aug. 13 Joy Ride Seminis • Randomized complete block design, * WDL6421 Syngenta WDL6429 Syngenta 3 blocks * WDL7401 Syngenta * WDL6411 Syngenta Pollenizer plant WDL7408 Syngenta * WDL7403 Syngenta Scarlet Crisp Syngenta Seedless plant * Fascination Syngenta Captivation Syngenta * Excursion Syngenta Exclamation Syngenta Juanita United Genetics 2 Grafted Fascination Standard-sized triploid watermelon
The soil was treated with a non- tarped application of soil fumigant 85.5% chloropicrin in spring 2020
Fusarium wilt was confirmed in the trial that negatively affected yields of several varieties.
Fungicides and insecticides were sprayed to control foliar diseases and insect pests.
3 Standard-sized triploid watermelon
Total yield (lbs/acre) and yield in 45-count fruit category of standard-sized triploid watermelons evaluated in 2020 in Indiana
60000
50000
40000
30000
20000
10000
0
Yield in 45 count Total yield 4 Standard-sized triploid watermelon
Total yield (lbs/acre) and yield in 45-count fruit category of standard-sized triploid watermelons evaluated in 2020 in Indiana
60000 • Crunchy Red and Red Amber --- 45 count • Traveler and Wayfarer tend to produce smaller fruit 50000 • Scarlet Crisp and Grafted Fascination tend to produce larger fruit 40000 • Average fruit weight of grafted Fascination was significantly higher than non-grafted Fascination 30000
20000
10000
0
Yield in 45 count Total yield 5 Standard-sized triploid watermelon
14 6
12 5
10 4
8 3 6
2 firmness Flesh 4 Total soluble soluble solids Total 1 2
0 0
soluble solids content Firmness
6 Standard-sized triploid watermelon
Yield (lbs/acre) and Fusarium wilt disease severity rating of standard-sized triploid watermelon varieties
60000 400
350 50000
300
40000 250
30000 200
150 20000
100
10000 50
0 0
Yield Disease rating 7 Personal-sized triploid watermelon
• The trial included 12 varieties Variety Seed Source • Sandy-loam soil, 1.3% organic matter Sirius Syngenta • Fertilizers applied preplant Rambla United Genetics • Spacing: 2’ in-row spacing, 6’ between-row UG 190315 United Genetics spacing UG 222817 United Genetics • Pollenizer ‘SP7’, 1:3 ratio Excite Hazera • Harvested four times on July 20, July 27, Aug. 3 Cheetah Hazera and Aug. 10 Ocelot Hazera • Randomized complete block design, 3 blocks Nectaro/50025 Hazera Expert/50033 Hazera Pollenizer plants Seedless plants USAW 16104 US Agriseeds Ana SWPAC Beach Ball SWPAC Experimental plot
8 Personal-sized triploid watermelon
• Phytophthora blight was observed at first harvest. • late-season vine decline after heavy rainfalls in the middle of the harvest season • Phytophthora blight and late-season vine decline negatively affected yield of all varieties
9 10 Personal-sized triploid watermelon
Yield and average fruit weight of personal-sized triploid watermelon varieties
60,000 Average fruit weight: 8.78 lb 50,000
40,000 6.31 5.91 6.54 6.47 7.89 6.55 6.25 5.62 5.73 7.48 5.26
30,000
20,000
10,000
0
Marketable yield Cull
11 UG222817 2020 Cantaloupe and Specialty Melon Variety Evaluation in Indiana Wenjing Guan ([email protected]) Dan Egel ([email protected]) Petrus Langenhoven Dennis Nowaskie Cantaloupe
• Sandy-loam soil, 1.5% organic matter Aphrodite • Fertilizers applied preplant • Spacing: 2.5’ in-row spacing, 6’ between-row spacing • Seedlings were transplanted on May 21. • Harvest July 13 to Aug. 7, every 2-4 days • Randomized complete block design, 3 blocks
Cultivars Seed Source Accolade Syngenta Aphrodite Syngenta ME8892 (Damaris) Syngenta Slip ME8977 Syngenta MS7350 (Heidi) Syngenta Sun Pac HM Clause HMC 458279 HM Clause Cantaloupe
Total and marketable yield (lb/acre) 50000 a 45000 ab abc abc abc 40000 bc c 35000
30000
25000 a ab ab ab b ab ab 20000
15000
10000
5000
0 MS7350 ME8892 ME8977 Accolade Aphrodites HMC 458279 Sun Pac Marketable Cull Cantaloupe
Average fruit weight (lb) 8 a 7 ab c bc 6 cd cd
5 d
4
3
2
1
0 MS7350 ME8892 ME8977 Accolade Aphrodites HMC 458279 Sun Pac
15 MS7350 Aphrodite
ME8892 Sun Pac
ME8977 HMC458285
Accolade
16 Cantaloupe
Firmness Total soluble solids (°Brix) 10 14
9 12 8
7 10
6 8 5 6 4
3 4 2 2 1
0 0
17 Specialty melon
Sugar Cubes (Personal-size cantaloupe) Melemon (Sweet/sour melon)
Napoli (Tuscan) Full moon (Honeydew)
Snow Leopard (Ivory Gaya) Amy (Canary)
18 Torpedo (Korean) Sheba (green-flesh cantaloupe)
New Century (Hami) Golden Crush (Golden melon)
San Juan (Ananas) Honey Orange (Honeydew)
Arava (Galia) King Show (Santa Clause melon)
19 Specialty melon
Specialty melon marketable and total yield (lbs/acre) 60000
50000
40000
30000
20000
10000
0
Napoli Golden Crush Marketable (lb/acre) cull wt San Juan Arava
20 Specialty melon
Average fruit weight (lb) 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
New Century Torpedo Snow Leopard Sugar Cube
21 Specialty melon
Firmness Soluble Solids content (°Brix) 10 16
9 14
8 12 7 10 6
5 8
4 6
3 4 2 2 1
0 0
22 Acknowledgements
Seed Companies Harris Moran Southwest Purdue Hazera Agricultural Center HighMark Dennis Nowaskie Enza Zaden Dean Haseman Known-You Seed Angie Thompson Nunhems/BASF Sakata Barbara Joyner Seedway Bill Davis Seminis Syngenta Sostena Origene US Agriseeds United Genetics 23