Grafted watermelons as a solution for Fusarium Wilt and optimizing spacing for yield
Horticulture & Turfgrass
Haley Sater
Agent Associate – Agriculture and Food Systems
University of Maryland Extension
Salisbury
Abstract
Fusarium wilt, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. Niveum, poses a significant threat to watermelon production in Maryland, with limited fungicide options available. Grafted seedless watermelons offer a promising solution. University of Maryland Extension conducted trials evaluating the performance of grafted watermelons under fusarium pressure, identifying Carolina Strongback as a resilient rootstock. However, grafted seedless plants cost significantly more than traditional seedless plants, but because they exhibit more vigor than traditional seedless plants they may not need to be planted at the same density. This study focuses on the impact of plant spacing on yield, using grafted seedless plants where Fascination was used as the scion and Carolina Strongback as the rootstock. Experiments were conducted in 2022 and 2023 in two Counties in Maryland, St. Mary’s on the Western Shore, and Wicomico County on the Eastern Shore. For both sites, both years transplants were grown in plastic with drip in an RCBD design with 4 blocks. There were three treatment levels of spacing near, medium, and far. Results from 2022 showed at both sites the medium spacing treatment of 6' between plants yielded the highest. However, in 2023 no statistical differences in yield were observed between treatments at the Wicomico site and the closest spaced treatment yielded the highest at the St. Mary’s site. Both years, it was found that the farther spaced treatments yielded more pounds of melon per plant because the melons were statistically larger than those in the closer spaced treatments. Additionally, we found that the farther spaced treatments were ready to harvest earlier than the closer spaced melons with higher population density.
Authors: Haley Sater, Benjamin Beale, Alan Leslie
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Haley Sater Agriculture Agent , University of Maryland Extension, Maryland, 21801
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Benjamin Beale Agriculture Agent , University of Maryland Extension, Maryland, 20650
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Alan Leslie Center Director, University of Maryland Extension , Maryland, 20742