Cultural Practices in Vine Crops for Yield and Quality

Gordon Johnson Extension Fruit and Vegetable Specialist University of Delaware Vine Crops Squash Group A

• pepo – Summer squashes – Most – Ornamental gourds – – Dumpling squash – – Squash Group B • – – Necks • Winter Crooknecks • Neck pumpkins – Cheese or wheel pumpkins – Processing pumpkins • Dickenson field – • Tropical pumpkins – Golden Cushaw Squash Group C • – Giant Pumpkins – Turban squashes – Hubbard/Delicious squashes – Buttercup squashes – squashes – Cinderella/Wheel pumpkins – Banana and Roaster squashes Squash Group D

• (Cucurbita mixta) – Cushaw squashes – Japanese pie squashes Cucumber Group Cucumis melo Group Citrullus - Watermelon Group Lagenaria siceraria – Bottle Gourd Luffa acutangula, Luffa cylindrica Other Edible Cucurbit Species

• Snake Gourd • Bitter Gourd • Wax Gourd • Choyote Interspecific Cucurbita • Rootstocks Hybrids • Processing Squash

• Improved Fruit Quality • Bridges for Breeding – Disease and insect resistance Forms in Vine Crops

Bush Semi-Bush Plant Forms

Small-Medium Vine Long vine Selecting for compact forms – short internode, bush types Monoecious

Except Muskmelons

UD Cooperative 17 Extension Gynoecious – Mostly Female Pollination Female Flowers Male Flowers

5-10 for every female Bee Pollination Qualities Honey Bee vs. Bumble Bee

Bumble Bee

• Buzz Pollination • Long tongue • Forage temperature/weather Pollination • Insect pollination • Native squash bees important in squashes and pumpkins • Add honey bee hives • Flowers open only a few hours – one day • Fruit abortion – Stress such as heat Importance of Squash Bees in Squashes – Lack of pollination and Pumpkins Parthenocarpy Keys with Muskmelons and Specialty Melons • Varieties – Athena-class eastern muskmelons PM resistant – Select specialty types – high sugar, low crack • 125-150 N, 100-250 K2O • B, Mg also needed for sugars • Plastic mulch, drip – Even irrigation 60 % FC minimum • Foliage health • Cucumber beetle control • Avoid phytotoxicities • Avoiding gluts – Many small plantings • Pollination

Muskmelon Trial – July harvest

Average Average Submitting Yield Submitting Variety Yield (lbs/A) Melon Variety Melon Company (melons/A) Company Weight (lbs) Weight (lbs) Minerva 37489 a 7.8 check Halona 6154 a 4.9 check Orange Sherbet 35290 ab 7.1 Seedway Dacona 4978 ab 4.9 Siegers Grand Slam 32432 abc 6.8 Siegers Strike 4978 ab 5.9 Seedway 1136 30588 abc 9.0 Siegers Orange Sherbet 4909 ab 7.1 Seedway Halona 30500 abc 4.9 check Grand Slam 4771 abc 6.8 Siegers 1029 30300 abc 7.6 Siegers Atlantis 4771 abc 6.2 Siegers Atlantis 29826 abcd 6.2 Siegers Minerva 4771 abc 7.8 check Strike 29454 abcd 5.9 Seedway Athena 4633 bcd 6.2 Syngenta Athena 28865 abcd 6.2 Syngenta Jaipur 4494 bcde 5.8 check Superstar 28369 abcd 6.6 Harris Moran Ariel 4425 bcde 6.2 Syngenta Diva 27970 abcd 7.0 Harris Moran Superstar 4356 bcde 6.6 Harris Moran Ariel 27627 abcd 6.2 Syngenta Home Run 4287 bcde 5.4 Siegers Eclipse 27343 bcd 6.7 check Diva 4011 bcdef 7.0 Harris Moran Aphrodite 26181 bcde 7.9 Syngenta Eclipse 4011 bcdef 6.7 check Jaipur 26132 bcde 5.8 check 1032 3941 bcdef 5.9 Siegers Dacona 24797 cde 4.9 Siegers 1029 3941 bcdef 7.6 Siegers 1032 23558 cdef 5.9 Siegers Primo 3941 bcdef 5.1 check Home Run 23300 cdef 5.4 Siegers Goddess 3457 cdef 4.7 check Primo 20051 def 5.1 check 1136 3388 cdef 9.0 Siegers Goddess 16538 efg 4.7 check Aphrodite 3319 def 7.9 Syngenta Caribbean Gold 14465 fg 5.3 Siegers Riviera Sweet 3181 ef 2.8 Harris Moran Riviera Sweet 9422 g 2.8 Harris Moran Caribbean Gold 2697 f 5.3 Siegers p-value 0.0002 p-value 0.0057 LSD 9986.7 LSD 1386.5 Muskmelon Trial – High Yielding Varieties

Minerva Grand Slam

Halona Muskmelon trial – High Yielding Varieties

Orange Sherbet Atlantis

Strike Muskmelon Trial – Soluble Solids Variety % Soluble Solids Riviera Sweet 14.4 a Caribbean Gold 13.3 b Goddess 11.3 c Minerva 11.2 cd 1032 10.7 cde Grand Slam 10.6 cdef Athena 10.6 cdef Riviera Sweet Orange Sherbet 10.6 cdef Aphrodite 10.5 cdefg Primo 10.4 cdefg Jaipur 10.4 cdefg Dacona 10.3 defg Halona 10.1 efgh Eclipse 10.1 efghi Atlantis 9.8 efghi Home Run 9.7 fghi Caribbean Gold 1136 9.7 fghi Strike 9.6 ghi Ariel 9.2 hi Diva 9.1 i 1029 8.0 j Superstar 7.4 j p-value <0.0001 LSD 0.99 Goddess

Specialty Melons

Keys with Watermelons • Varieties – Wide adaptation seedless varieties – Pollenizer selection • Pollination • Rotation • 125-150 N, 100-200 K • Plastic mulch, drip – Even irrigation 60 % FC minimum • Foliage and vine health • Mite, cuke beetle, aphid control • 2-4 plantings 37 38 39 Watermelons

Triploid Seedless What Happened to Seeded Watermelons? Growing Seedless Watermelon Transplants Insulated Sidewalls Temperature Controls “Home-made” germination chamber Special Pollenizers

Wild Card Plus

Pollen Pro Pollination Systems

X X XO X X XO X X XO X Coplant 1 of 3 X X X O X X X O X X X O X Between 3 and 4

X X X O X X X O X X Every 4 holes

X X X X X X X X X X X Every third row X X X X X X X X X X X 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Flowering

46 Pollination

47 Fruit Set

48 Fruit Set

49 Pollination Problem - • Delayed flowering Reduced Pollen Production – Pollenizer variety – Cold weather – Pollenizers replaced • Management – Too much N? – Pollenizer selection • Low male flower numbers – Mixed pollenizers – Pollenizer variety – Extra pollenizers – Pollenizer vigor, health – Loss of pollenizers – Extra bees • Poor transplanting weather – Maintain vigor • Disease • Stops flowering, flowering reduced – Manage disease, – Pollenizer age, fruit load mites, insects – Pollenizer vigor, health – Eliminate damage • Flowers damaged potential – Chemical injury, fertilizer injury

Cooperative Extension 50 Pollination Problem Reduced Pollen Transfer

• Reduced bee flights • Management – Cold weather – Extra bees – Windy weather – Bumblebees? – Rainy, stormy weather – Proper timing • Reduced bees – Pesticide management – Poor colony strength – Bee kills with pesticides – More attractive crops near – Placing hives too early or too late

Cooperative Extension 51 Delaware Seedless Watermelon Variety Trials 2016-2018

Gordon Johnson Extension Fruit and Vegetable Specialist Department of Plant and Soil Sciences University of Delaware

UD Cooperative Extension http://extension.udel.edu/ag/vegetable-fruit- resources/vegetable-small-fruits-program/variety-trial- results/

53 2016 Seedless Trial

54 2017 Seedless Trial

55 2018 Seedless Trial

56 Top Group 2016-2018

All 3 years 2 of 3 years • 7187 (4,17,10) • Premont (3, 13) • Crunchy Red (3, 5, 7) • Road Trip (7, 12) • Maxima (1, 14, 2) • Bottle Rocket (8, 5) • Fascination (6g, 8, 15) • 7197 (12, 15)

57 2018 Watermelon Variety Trials

Gordon Johnson Extension Fruit and Vegetable Specialist Department of Plant and Soil Sciences University of Delaware

UD Cooperative Extension Variety Trial Information

• 36 Varieties • Planted May 22 • 10 Companies • Harvested 3 times • 4 Replications – 8/8 first harvest • UD REC • Individual weights • 9 plant plots, 4 • Soluble solids pollenizers (SP7, • Hard Seed Accomplice, Pollen • Hollow Heart Wingman, Ace +) • Flooded 6/9, delayed harvest 3 weeks

59 Watermelon plant in saturated bed conditions after flooding showing little growth. Oxygen starvation to vegetable roots will cause roots to cease to function resulting in plant stunting, or collapse, with limited recovery potential. For this plant to recover the bed must dry out and aerate enough for the plant to fully regenerate roots.

60 6/29 Our watermelon variety trial stopped growing and aborted fruits after the flooding but has now fully recovered and are starting to fill in. The beds were allowed to dry out for 9 days after flooding and then the crop was fertigated with nitrogen and sulfur. New fruits are now being set but the trial will have few early watermelons. 61 Varieties Syngenta

• Captivation* • Fascination* • Excursion

62 Varieties Nunhems (BASF)

• 7187* • 7197* • 9601 • Warrior* • Embasy*

63 Varieties Seminis

• Joy Ride* • Road Trip* • Summer Breeze* • Bottle Rocket* • Tailgate* • SV 0241 WA*

64 Varieties Sakata

• Charismatic* • Kingman* • Secretariat* • Unbridled* • Eclipse

65 Varieties Origene • Maxima* • ORS 6151* • ORS 6181 • ORS 6260 • ORS 6203 • ORS 6064 • ORS 60599

66 Varieties – Harris Moran (HM Clause)

• Crunchy Red* • Turnpike • Troubadour

67 Varieties – Other Entries

• Sostena – Talca* – Paradigm • Enza Zaden – Red Amber* – Red Garnet • Highmark – Wolverine* • Clifton – Premont* – Cut Above

68 Selecting Varieties

• Yield • Flesh density • Maturity • Limited defects • Longevity – Hollow heart • Size Distribution • Plant vigor • Appearance • Disease resistance – Rind color – Fusarium – Shape – Anthracnose • Quality – Soluble solids (sugar)

69 Top Yielders 2018 Variety Lbs./a No./a Paradigm 131904 9046 Maxima 128276 7663 9601 126470 9046 ORS 60599 124292 8182 Unbridled 121867 8240 ORS 6181 B 120354 7894 Crunchy Red 116774 8412 Embasy 108324 7375 Charismatic 105481 7087 7187 104405 6914 Summer Breeze 101692 6972 Road Trip 97807 6453 Premont 97645 6972 Secretariat 96624 6972 Fascination 92604 6453 Kingman 92319 6396 Joy Ride 9226270 5704 Over 40% 60 Count

• 7187, Summer Breeze, 7197, Cut Above, Premont, 9601, Crunchy Red, Secretariat, 0241 WA, ORS 6151, ORS 6064, Troubadour, and Eclipse. Troubadour

71 Over 40% 45 Count

• All varieties had greater than 40% of the melons harvested in the 45-count class, except for Troubadour, Eclipse, and Summer Breeze. Fascination had the highest percentage of 45 count melons (66.7 %).

Fascination

72 36 and 30 Count Watermelons

Varieties with more than 30% 30 and 36-count fruit were Maxima, Joy Ride, and Bottle Rocket.

Maxima

73 74 75 76 77 Mini Variety Trial Information

• Late summer/fall • Planted June 22 • 12 Varieties • Harvested 3 times • 5 Companies – 9/6 first harvest • 3 Replications • Individual weights • UD REC • Soluble solids • 15 plant plots, 2 • Hard Seed pollenizers (110 WC • Hollow Heart and Minipol)

78 79 80 81 Other Watermelon Research

Gordon Johnson Extension Fruit and Vegetable Specialist Department of Plant and Soil Sciences

UD Cooperative Extension Grafted Watermelons

83 Grafting Cucurbits Grafting Techniques for Watermelon Splice Graft Grafted N and Density Trial • Grafted Fascination and 7187 onto Interspecific Cucurbita Hybrid (HM TZ148) • Tri Hishtil (NC) • 80 and 120 lbs N • 9 and 6 plants per plot • No Differences between Populations • N x Variety interaction • Low N and Low Populations possible depending on variety

86 Variety Lbs N/a In-Row (ft.) Yield Lbs/a 7187 80 3 105181 a 7187 80 4.5 101956 a 7187 120 3 54680 c 7187 120 4.5 55602 c Fascination 80 3 78803 b Fascination 80 4.5 79917 b Fascination 120 3 93861 ab

Fascination 120 4.5 111550 a 87 2018

Higher yields in 7187 with 80 lbs N, Opposite in Fascination when grafted

88 2017 Fruit Set and Hollow Heart Trial

Varieties tested

Liberty (Lower density) 9651 (Dense) Revolution (Long) Wayfarer (Smaller Icebox) Crunchy Red (Dense) 7187 (Lower Density)

Pollen Pro pollenizer

1:16 pollinizer to seedless ratio SSSSSSSSPSSSSSSSS

89 Hollow Heart in Dense vs Non-Dense Varieties By Position 1-8 (3 to 24’ from pollinizer)

The dense variety (Crunchy Red) had much less hollow heart that the less dense variety (Liberty) Limiting pollen had a greater effect on Liberty 90 Foliar Fertilizer on Watermelon • Fascination and 7187 a • 9 foliar treatments b 1. 23-0-0-7 b b b bc 2. 16-3-0-4 bcd cd 3. 22-6-22-2 d 4. 11-8-5 5. 34-4-4-4 6. 28-16-7 7. N-SUL 8. UAN 9. Control Foliar fertilization had significant impacts on yield. 7187 was more responsive than Fascination. S may be a factor. More research necessary. 91 Soil applied N on Watermelon • Fascination and 7187 • 6 N Levels 1. Treatment 1: 100 lbs of N, 3 applications 2. Treatment 2: 120 lbs of N, 4 applications 3. Treatment 3: 120 lbs of N, 3 applications 4. Treatment 4: 140 lbs of N, 4 applications 5. Treatment 5: 140 lbs of N, 3 applications 6. Treatment 6: 160 lbs of N, 4 applications Numbers were increased at 140 lbs of N; fruit weights did not change (average fruit weight 16 lbs) 92 Keys with – Yellow and

• Varieties – PM resistant, Virus resistant • CMV, PRSV, ZYMV, WMVII – Early adapted, Late adapted, PY gene • 75-100 N, 100-200 K • Plastic mulch, drip – Even irrigation 60 % FC minimum • Foliage health • Squash bug, cucumber beetle, aphid control • Frequent Pickings • Pollination Summer Squash

Keys with

• Types – Butternut, Acorn, Buttercup/Kabocha, Spaghetti, Delicata, Hubbard – PM resistant, • 50-100 N, 100-200 K • Best grown on cover crops – Rye – Vetch • Foliage health, fruit rots • Squash bug, aphid control • Pollination • Spacing vine vs bush • Remove before hard frost Winter Squash Variety Selection • Yield and consistency • Uniformity • Maturity • Plant form • Disease resistance • Insect resistance? • Adaptability to growing system • Market – Size, shape, color, flesh characteristics • Quality? Johnny’s Seeds Butternut Comparisons Quality • Does quality matter? • Example: high quality acorn squash varieties – More dry matter – More starches and sugars • Example – high carotene winter squashes Disease Resistance, Insect Tolerance • Powdery Mildew – Some Acorn, Some Butternuts, few others • Black rot – limited • Viruses – limited • Insects – limited, some interspecific hybrids Hybrid vs Open Pollinated

In 2010, the number of marketable fruit produced by 'JWS 6823', 'Betternut 401', 'Metro' and 'Bugle' was not different than by 'Waltham Butternut'. 'Butternut Supreme' and 'Atlas' produced fewer fruit than 'Waltham Butternut'. (Penn State Trials. Photos by Tim Elkner) Acorn Varieties • Large Dark • Specialty – Table Ace* – Table Gold (gold) – Taybelle* – Heart of Gold (white/green)* – Table Queen – Celebration (white/green)* – Table Star* – Jester (white/green)* – Autumn Delight* – Confetti (tan/green)* – Black Bellota – Carnival (multicolor)* – Jet* – Harlequin (multicolor)* – Tiptop* – Festival (multicolor)* • Small Dark – Baked Potatoes* (tan) – Table Treat – Mashed Potato (white)* – Honey Bear* – Cream of the Crop (white)* Autumn Delight Photo credit Tim Elkner Celebration Photo credit Tim Elkner Dumpling and Delicata Varieties

Sweet Dumpling Delicata

Honeyboat Spaghetti Squash Varieties • Pinnacle* • Primavera* • Tivoli* • Stripetti* • Vegetable Spaghetti – Hollar strain – Sakata strain • Small Wonder Primavera Photo from Sakata Seeds Butternut Varieties

Small and Medium Large and Processing • Metro* (short vine) • Waltham • Butterboy* (short vine) • Atlas* • Quantum* • Betternut 23* • Betternut 401* (semi bush) • Ultra* • Betternut 900* (semi bush) • Avalon* • JWS 6823* (short vine) • Victory* (semi bush) Avalon Photo credit Tim Elkner Atlas Specialty Butternut-Class Varieties

Cheese Neck and long • Long Island Cheese (tan) • Neck strains • Autumn Crown* (tan) • Naples long • Musque de Provence (green/orange) • New England Cheddar (tan)

Other • Honeynut Butternut (orange/green) Buttercup and Kabocha Varieties

Kabocha Buttercup • Sunshine* (orange) • Buttercup Burgess • Winter Sweet* (gray) • Autumn Cup* (semi-bush) • Cha-Cha* (dark green) • Bonbon* • Special Export* (dark green) • Space Station* (dark green) • Thunder* (black green) • Sweet Mama* (dark green) Hubbard Varieties • OP blue types • Red Kuri* – New England • Red October* • Blue Magic* • Green Magic* • Blue Ballet* • Heavenly Hubbard* (blue- gray) • Golden delicious types for processing Specialty Buttercup-Class Varieties

Wheel and round types Long types • Jarrahdale (blue ribbed) • Jumbo Pink Banana • Queensland Blue (blue ribbed) • Guatemalan Blue • Sweet Meat (blue smooth) Banana • Grey Ghost* (gray smooth) • Georgia Candy Roaster • Speckled hound* (orange- green) • Porcelain Doll* (Pink) Can We Grow ? • Tropical types of Cucurbita moschata • 4 month growing season • Improved hybrid varieties from University of Florida – La Estrella • Transplants, May planting • May need row covers • Plastic mulch most of the region Calabaza diversity Photo by Frank Mangan, UMass Winter Squash Growing Requirements • Warm Season • Soil temps above 60 F • Most are 90 days+ • Mid May to Mid June planting • Frost and fruit damage • Most soils (no muck) • Good drainage Growing Systems – Conventional • Clean tillage • Direct seeding – Planter types • Herbicides • Cultivation • Advantages – cost, flexibility • Disadvantages – weed management, fruits contact Photo credit: Andrew Cavanagh soil and Ruth Hazzard, Umass Growing Systems No-till or strip till mulch based • Rye, Rye-Vetch, Vetch • Cover crop establishment • Direct seeding or transplant • Planter types • Herbicides • Advantages – mulch benefits (fruit quality), erosion, • Disadvantages – weed management, less flexible, delayed planting Plasticulture Based System • Conventional till • Plastic mulch and drip tape application, can double crop after plasticulture strawberries • Direct seeding or transplant • Planter/transplanter types • Herbicides or mulch between rows • Advantages – Earliness, some weed control, increased yields potentially • Disadvantages –less flexible, cost Fertility • Low to moderate fertility needs • N 50-100 lbs/a – 50 preplant, remainder sidedress – None in vetch systems – Lower in high OM soils – Avoid excess N • P according to soil tests – 0-150 lbs/a • K according to soil tests – 0-200 lbs/a • Other Planting • Planters • Seeds – Vacuum – 0.5-1 inch deep – Overseeding? – Finger • Transplants – Plate – 50 or 72 cell trays – Hand jab – Plant to depth of root ball – Water – Mulch seeders • 5-6’ between rows • No-till • 1-3’ in the row between • Transplanters plants – Water wheel – 12-18” for small fruited types – 24-36” for large types Acorns

Cultivar # lb/fruit # of lb/acre ton/acre SEfruit/plant PA: Marketablefruit/acre Yield 2011 Table Star 15.1 a 1.6 27,407 43,851 21.9 Celebration 12.6 ab 1.2 22,869 27,443 13.7 Table Ace 11.9 abc 1.7 21,599 36,718 18.4 Black Bellota 9.9 bcd 1.6 18,023 28,837 14.4 Harlequin 9.7 bcd 1.5 17,660 26,490 13.2 Autumn 9.4 bcd 1.7 Delight 17,097 29,065 14.5 Tay Belle 9.4 bcd 1.8 17,061 30,710 15.4 Tip Top 8.1 bcde 1.7 14,756 25,085 12.5 Table Treat 7.6 cde 1.6 13,848 22,157 11.1 Jet 7.3 de 2.2 13,213 29,069 14.5 Table Queen 6.8 de 1.4 12,251 17,151 8.6 Honey Bear 4.8 e 1.3 8,639 11,231 5.6 Butternuts

CultivarSE #/plantPA: Marketablelbs/fruit # of Yieldlbs/acre 2011tons/acre fruit/acre Victory 7.9 a 2.3 14,339 32,980 16.5 Metro 7.2 ab 2.3 13,068 30,056 15.0 JWS 6823 6.8 ab 2.3 12,342 28,387 14.2 Betternut 401 6.8 ab 2.4 12,342 29,621 14.8 Quantum 6.6 ab 4.1 11,979 49,114 24.6 Bugle 6.3 ab 1.9 11,435 21,727 10.9 Betternut 1744 5.8 ab 2.6 10,527 27,370 13.7 Waltham Butternut 5.4 bc 2.9 9,801 28,423 14.2 Avalon 5.3 bc 3.8 9,620 26,556 18.3 Frisco 3.8 bc 6.6 6,897 45,520 22.8 Keys with Pumpkins • Types – Size, pepo vs maxima, rind hardness • Varieties – PM tolerant/resistant – Heat tolerance • Planting date • 50-100 N, 100-200 K • Best grown on cover crops – Rye – Vetch • Foliage health, Handle health, Fruit rot control • Squash bug, aphid control • Pollination • Spacing size, vine vs bush • Rotation Pumpkins

Keys with Cucumbers

• Varieties – PM resistant, Virus resistant – Early adapted, Late adapted • 100-150 N, 100-200 K • Plastic mulch, drip – Even irrigation 60 % FC minimum • Foliage health – Downy Mildew • Fruit rot control • Cucumber beetle, aphid control • Frequent Pickings • Pollination

Cucumbers Gynoecious Types – Mostly Female Needs 5-15% Pollenizer

Pickle Production Cover Crop Based Production Systems for Vine Dr. Gordon Johnson Crops Extension Fruit & Vegetable Specialist Department of Plant and Soil Sciences University of Delaware

UD Cooperative Extension Vine Crop Systems: No-till Transplant

Squash, Cucumbers, Muskmelon Watermelon, Pumpkin

UD Cooperative Extension 138 Vegetable Systems – No-till Direct Seed

UD Cooperative Extension 139 Strip Till Direct Seed

Strip Till Transplant Biomass - Mulch

UD Cooperative Extension 143 Nitrogen Fixation

UD Cooperative Extension 144 Mixtures are being encouraged by NRCS, Conservation Districts

To mix or not to mix Dozens of options • Diversity of cover crops leads to microbial diversity in soils – More good guys, potentially more OM • Define your goals • Use mixtures when they make sense – Not always better than single cover crop – More management to do right

145 • Grasses – Small Grains • Rye Overwintered • Triticale Cover Crops • Wheat • Barley • Winter Oats – Ryegrasses • Legumes – Hairy Vetch – Crimson Clovers – Sub Clover – Winter Peas – Other clovers • Brassicas Mix example rapeseed, hairy vetch, crimson – Rapeseed, Canola Clover, rye, kale – Some Kales – Some Turnips and Mustards – Some Hybrids 146 Winter Killed Forage Radish and Oilseed Radish Radishes for Bio Strip-till and Vine Crops

148 Crimson Clover Rolled with Burndown

College or Department 149 name here Rye With Vetch – Radish holes in middle

150 Vetch Alone with Radish in Middle

151 Questions?