2011 University of Delaware Watermelon Pollenizer Trial Gordon Johnson & Emmalea Ernest University of Delaware Elbert N. & Ann V. Carvel Research and Education Center 16483 County Seat Highway Georgetown, DE 19947 (302) 856-7303
[email protected] [email protected] Introduction The purpose of the 2011 Watermelon Pollenizer Trial was to evaluate both special pollenizer varieties and regular diploid watermelon varieties in an in-row planting arrangement with standard seedless watermelons. Ten special pollenizer varieties, and five Allsweet type diploid varieties were tested. As a control, a treatment in which no pollenizer was planted was also included. Variety/Treatment Name Source Company Pollenizer Type Summer Flavor 800 Abbot & Cobb Allsweet Type Tropical Harris Moran Allsweet Type Encore Hollar Seeds/Seedway Allsweet Type Sangria Rogers-Syngenta Allsweet Type Stargazer Seminis Allsweet Type POL - 10319 Abbot & Cobb Special Pollenizer POL - 4290 Abbot & Cobb Special Pollenizer POL - 4370 Abbot & Cobb Special Pollenizer POL - 4400 Abbot & Cobb Special Pollenizer Accomplice Harris Moran Special Pollenizer Sidekick Harris Moran Special Pollenizer Polimax Nunhems Special Pollenizer sp-4 Syngenta Special Pollenizer sp-5 Syngenta Special Pollenizer PollenPro Zeraim Gedera/Siegers Special Pollenizer No Pollenizer Materials and Methods Plot Set-Up The trial was set up in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Black plastic mulch beds were laid on 7’ centers. A total of 32 rows of mulch were laid with a 30’ drive row between every 8 beds. Each of the four sections of eight rows was treated as one block. The third and seventh row out of each 8-row section was a treatment row.