Cell size and pretransplant nutritional conditioning influence growth and yield of transplanted 'Jubilee' watermelon
2000
Graham, C.J. | Payne, J.T. | Molnar, E.J.
Increasing cell volume or pretransplant nutrient conditioning (PNC) reduced the time to flowering for staminate and pistillate flowers in watermelon [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai]. Larger cell volumes increased the number of early harvested watermelons and average watermelon weight in two of three studies. Similarly, larger cell volume increased the early and total yield per area of watermelons harvested in 1995 and 1998, but not in 1997. Effect of transplant cell volume on soluble solids varied seasonally. PNC increased the number of melons and the yield per area harvested early in 1995 and soluble solids in early harvested fruit in 1997, but had no significant effect on total 'Jubilee' watermelon size or total production in Louisiana for 1995, 1997, or 1998. PNC offers the transplant grower little advantage, while increasing transplant cell size provides a grower with a better opportunity to produce increased early and total yields.
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