Articles
Evaluating grafting and plant spacing effects on Florida’s watermelon farms
Article number
1453_14
Pages
103 – 108
Language
English
Abstract
Florida is a leading producer of watermelons (Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai) in the United States.
As the third fastest-growing state in population, Florida watermelon producers face challenges due to limited land availability for crop rotations, driven by increasing urban development.
This limitation exacerbates soil-borne diseases like Fusarium wilt, a significant threat to the industry.
Grafting can reduce or eliminate the risk of infection while potentially enhancing water and nutrient use efficiency.
However, many producers remain unaware of this technology, and those who are familiar with it identify high cost as the main barrier to adoption.
To address this challenge, our main objective was to evaluate the impact of reducing planting density by changing within row plant spacing to reduce initial investment in grafted transplants.
This research was conducted at two commercial farms in north central Florida, following each farm’s standard production practices.
The results varied between locations: at one farm, plant spacing had a significant impact on yield while grafting did not.
At the other farm, however, grafting significantly increased yield, but plant spacing did not have an effect on yield.
Fruit quality parameters, such as fruit firmness, were not affected by the location, grafting, or spacing.
Our findings suggest that growers can expect consistent fruit quality and crop yield performance with grafted plants.
The difference observed between the two farms in terms of spacing effects on overall yield highlights the importance of selecting optimal plant densities, scion combinations and appropriate farm practices to reduce grafted transplant investment.
Additionally, our collaborative work outlines strategies to increase grafting awareness and adoption among Florida producers, provides insights from growers, and offers an outlook on future adoption and research needs.
Despite the increased use of grafted watermelons, commercial growers remain concerned about harvest delays, limited grafted plants suppliers, and costs.
As the third fastest-growing state in population, Florida watermelon producers face challenges due to limited land availability for crop rotations, driven by increasing urban development.
This limitation exacerbates soil-borne diseases like Fusarium wilt, a significant threat to the industry.
Grafting can reduce or eliminate the risk of infection while potentially enhancing water and nutrient use efficiency.
However, many producers remain unaware of this technology, and those who are familiar with it identify high cost as the main barrier to adoption.
To address this challenge, our main objective was to evaluate the impact of reducing planting density by changing within row plant spacing to reduce initial investment in grafted transplants.
This research was conducted at two commercial farms in north central Florida, following each farm’s standard production practices.
The results varied between locations: at one farm, plant spacing had a significant impact on yield while grafting did not.
At the other farm, however, grafting significantly increased yield, but plant spacing did not have an effect on yield.
Fruit quality parameters, such as fruit firmness, were not affected by the location, grafting, or spacing.
Our findings suggest that growers can expect consistent fruit quality and crop yield performance with grafted plants.
The difference observed between the two farms in terms of spacing effects on overall yield highlights the importance of selecting optimal plant densities, scion combinations and appropriate farm practices to reduce grafted transplant investment.
Additionally, our collaborative work outlines strategies to increase grafting awareness and adoption among Florida producers, provides insights from growers, and offers an outlook on future adoption and research needs.
Despite the increased use of grafted watermelons, commercial growers remain concerned about harvest delays, limited grafted plants suppliers, and costs.
Authors
T. Sanchez-Jones, I. Vincent, R. Hochmuth, M. Warren, X. Zhao
Keywords
vegetable crop sustainability, grower adoption strategies, transplant cost, fruit quality, extension outreach
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