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Group Title: Watermelon cultivars for Florida.
Title: Watermelon cultivars for Florida. 1974.
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Permanent Link: http://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00076048/00002
 Material Information
Title: Watermelon cultivars for Florida. 1974.
Series Title: Watermelon cultivars for Florida.
Physical Description: Serial
Language: English
Creator: Elmstrom, G. W.
Publisher: Agricultural research Center, University of Florida
Publication Date: 1974
 Subjects
Spatial Coverage: North America -- United States -- Florida
 Record Information
Bibliographic ID: UF00076048
Volume ID: VID00002
Source Institution: University of Florida
Rights Management: All rights reserved by the source institution and holding location.
Resource Identifier: oclc - 144618112

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HISTORIC NOTE


The publications in this collection do
not reflect current scientific knowledge
or recommendations. These texts
represent the historic publishing
record of the Institute for Food and
Agricultural Sciences and should be
used only to trace the historic work of
the Institute and its staff. Current IFAS
research may be found on the
Electronic Data Information Source
(EDIS)

site maintained by the Florida
Cooperative Extension Service.






Copyright 2005, Board of Trustees, University
of Florida






Watermelon Cultivars for Florida

G. W. Elmstrom

Field trials of watermelon cultivars were conducted on Astatula
fine sand at the Agricultural Research Center, Leesburg during
the period 1969-1973. Direct-seeded plants were spaced at 4
feet in rows spaced at 10 feet. Hills were thinned to 1 plant
each. In'1969 and 1970, 1200 Ib/acre of a 6-10-6 fertilizer
was applied in a 10-inch band directly below the center of the
bed. In 1971 and 1972, 1080 lb/acre of a 1-15-0 fertilizer was
placed in a 10-inch band below the center of the bed and 328 lb/
acre of a 15-0-19 fertilizer was broadcast over the 40-inch bed.
In 1973, 1200 lb/acre of a 6-10-6 fertilizer was broadcast over
the 40-inch bed prior to bedding. Fritted micronutrients were
applied at a rate of 30 lb/acre each year. Supplemental ferti-
lizer was applied at emergence (100 Ib/acre, 15-0-14) and at
layby (350 lb/acre, 14-0-14 or 15-0-14).

'Charleston Gray', 'Jubilee', and 'Crimson Sweet', the three most
important commercial cultivars presently grown in Florida, ranked
near the top in most evaluations during 1969-1973. In a trial in
1972 there were no significant differences in yield and no apparent
differences in wilt resistance between 'Charleston Gray' and
'Charleston Gray 133'. Tests for wilt resistance in 'Jubilee'
from commercial seed stocks indicate a lower level of resistance
than that in the original ,'breeder" seed. However, increases of
seed from "breeder" stocks were made available to commercial
seedsmen in 1972 and "registered" (one generation removed from
"foundation") seed of 'Jubilee' is available. Of the recently
released cultivars, 'Smokylee' was the most promising for
commercial production.

'Garrisonian', 'Florida Giant', 'Sweetmeat', and 'Top Yield' were
all wilt susceptible and had reduced yields. Vines of 'Petite
Sweet' lacked vigor and, even with almost twice as many hills per
plot, vine coverage was poor and yield was low. Yield of
'Charleston Sweet' was consistently low due to a large number
of misshapen fruit. 'Louisiana Queen' and 'Summerfield' had
high yields but fruit quality was poor. Allsweet had excellent
internal appearance and quality but maturity was quite late.
Over the 4-year period, mean soluble solids content of 'Smokylee'
was about 10.9 per cent while that of the next highest cultivar,
'Crimson Sweet', was about 10.4 per cent.


HUME LIBRARY

APR 1 1974
Leesburg ARC Research Report-WG74-l
350 copies.S. v. o rida
January 1974 1 Univ. of Florida







Table 1. Early marketable yield of
at ,Peesburg. 1969-1973.


several watermelon cultivars


Yield, tons/acrez
Cultivar 1969 1970 1971 1973

Louisiana Queen 7.0 7.6 9.8
Sweetmeat -- 6.1 8.3 --
Charleston Gray 9.9 4.0 5.6 9.1
Top Yield -- 8.2 -- 4.8
Smokylee 7.6 2.6Y 5.4 8.5

Crimson Sweet 8.7 2.7 5.6 5.8
Sweet Princess 9.4 3.A 4.3 4.9
Summerfield 5.3 6.8 7.8 6.9
Charleston Sweet -- 4.5 3.1 4.1
Petite Sweet -- 5.7 2.7

Jubilee 4.8 2.6 6.0 3.8
Garrisonian 4.2 4.1 2.9 --
Congo -- 0.7 4.7
Supersweet 2.6 --
Allsweet -- .6

z Harvest dates included in early yield were: 1969, June 19;
1970, May 12-June 1; 1971, June 3-15; 1973, May 25-June 5.
Y Poor seed quality resulted in slow germination and low early
yield.


Table 2.


Total marketable yields of several watermelon cultivars
n- TL.ohnrcsr 1 6Q-1Q973


Yield, tons/acrez
Cultivar 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973

Louisiana Queen -- 16.0 32.6 14.2 14.0
Smokylee 14.8 21.3 26.6 18.7 11.2
Charleston Gray 15.7 18.7 24.8 15.3 11.6
Crimson Sweet 12.1 15.3 26.7 11.9 10.9
Summerfield 14.5 17.3 27.7 15.1 10.4

Jubilee 13.0 19.0 26.8 15.7 9.7
Congo -- 17.5 26.0 -- -
Allsweet -- -- -- 13.4 10.7
Sweet Princess 11.9 14.8 22.2 12.8 9.1
Supersweet -- -- 25.1 13.4 --

Sweetmeat -- 12.2 24.1 9.7
Garrisonian 8.0 15.2 22.7 -- -
Charleston Sweet 13.2 20.8 13.4 8.1
Top Yield -- 12.4 -- 9.7 5.8
Petite Sweet -- 9.4 -- 3.9


z Harvest dates included in total yield w
1970, May 12-June 17; 1971, June 3-July
1973, May 25-June 11.


re: 1969, June 19-30;
7; 1972, June 2-22;


e




-3-


Table 3.


Mean melon weight of several watermelon cultivars at


Leesburg, 1969-1973.

Pounds per melon
Cultivar 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973

Corgo -- 22.4 27.0 -- -
Garrisonian 19.6 22.1 26.3 -- --
Jubilee 25.5 21.7. 25.9 18.5 18.9
Smokylee 23.2 20.4 25.2 20.9 16.3
Charleston Gray 22.4 22.0 21.4 21.4 15.1

Sweet Princess 21.4 18.1 23.8 18.2 14.5
Summerfield 21.4 18.1 21 ,8 18.2 14.8
Allsweet -- -- -- 20.1 17.5
Crimson Sweet 19.0 18.9 18.8 16.4 12.8
Super Sweet -- 17.6 15.7 --

Louisiana Queen 16.9 19.3 15.7 15.7
Charleston Sweet -- 15.3 21.1 15.9 13.7
Top Yield 12.8 -- 12.3 9.4
Sweetmeat -- 10.0 13.9 8.5
Petite Sweet -- -- 9.5 -- 5.1



Table 4. Soluble solids content of several watermelon cultivars
at Leesburg, 1969-1973.

Soluble solids (%)
Cultivar 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973

Smokylee 11.3 11.0 10.9 11.1 10.3
Crimson Sweet 11.4 10.5 10.5 10.3 9.3
Charleston Sweet -- 10.2 10.3 10.0 10.5
Sweet Princess 10.6 10.4 9.8 9.8 9.8
Charleston Gray 10.6 9.9 10.0 9.7 9.2

Jubilee 10.5 9.6 9.7 9.4 9.6
Top Yield 9.8 -- 10.3 9.4
Allsweet 9.8 9.4
Petite Sweet -- 7.1 -- 9.2
Garrisonian 10.4 8.7 9.5 --

Supersweet ---- 9.3 10.2 -
Sweetmeat -- 9.4 9.6 10.2 --
Summerfield 9.7 ,88 9.8 9.8 8.7
Louisiana Queen -- 8.9 9.7 9.6 9.5
Congo -- 9.2 S.7 -- --




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