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Performance of Watermelon Cultivars, Middle Tennessee Experiment Station, 2000Charles A. Mullins, Dennis Onks, and Roy Thompson Interpretative Summary‘Freedom’, ‘Sterling’, ‘Fandango’, and ‘SWT 6903' were the most acceptable seedless cultivars. ‘Royal Flush’, ‘Summer Flavor 800', ‘Summer Flavor 820' and ‘SWD 7201' were among the most promising seedy type cultivars. IntroductionWatermelons are not grown extensively in Tennessee. Production for shipping and local markets appears to have potential for expansion for specialty seedy and seedless cultivars. Producing melons of a consistent size appears to be a problem. Weed control is difficult, but new herbicides should be labeled in the near future. An experiment was conducted at the Middle Tennessee Experiment Station at Spring Hill, Tennessee in 2000 to evaluate performance of 36 watermelon cultivars. Twelve of the cultivars were seedy, and 24 were seedless. One cultivar was yellow fleshed, and the others were red fleshed. Materials and MethodsThe site was prepared for planting using conventional tillage in late April. Fertilizer was broadcast at 750 lb/A of 15-15-15 before final disking on May 18. Bensulide (Prefar) at 6.0 lb ai/A and naptalam (Alanap) at 4.0 lb ai/A were soil incorporated for weed control on May 18. Transplants of the selected cultivars were greenhouse grown in 4 inch peat pots. Four seeds were planted per pot and the stand was thinned to 2 hills per pot before transplanting. Plots consisted of one row with 5 hills spaced 4 ft apart in 12 ft rows. The cultivars were not replicated. Middles were cultivated on June 22. Fungicides included azoxystrobin (Quadris) or chlorothalonil (Bravo) and were applied on 7 to 14 day schedule. Esfenvalerate (Asana) at 0.05 lb ai/A was applied with each fungicide application.. Nine foliar pesticide applications were made throughout the season. Harvests were made on August 7 and August 15. Melon count and weight per plot were recorded. The number of melons over 18 lbs was recorded for each plot. The average melon weight was calculated. Results and Discussion‘SWT 6903’ and ‘Seedway 4502' were among the most productive seedless cultivars in number of melons per plot (Table 1). ‘SWT 6903' 18 wt/plot 703 had the largest weight of the seedless cultivars in pounds per plot. ‘SWT 6903' and ‘Fandango’ produced more melons that weighed over 18 pound per melon of the seedless cultivars. Melons of ‘Freedom’, ‘SWT 6903', ‘Sterling’, and ‘Fandango’ had the largest average weight of the seedless cultivars. ‘Celebration’ and ‘Royal Flush’ produced the most melons per acre of the seedy cultivars (Table 2). ‘Royal Flush’ produced the most pounds of the seedy cultivars. ‘Summer Flavor 800', ‘Summer Flavor 820', and ‘SWD 7201' produced heavier fruit than the other seedy cultivars. Table 1. Yield in number, pounds, and average weight of seedless watermelon cultivars evaluated at the Middle Tennessee Experiment Station at Spring Hill, 2000.
Table 2. Yield in number, weight, and average weight of seedy watermelon cultivars evaluated at the University of Tennessee Middle Tennessee Experiment Station at Spring Hill, TN, 2000.
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