Watermelon Variety Trials, Hermiston, OR.
Objectives: A number of watermelon variety trials have been conducted at the
Hermiston Agricultural Research and Extension Center in eastern Oregon to evaluate
the adaptability of commercial lines for production in the Columbia basin.
1997 Methods and Materials
Greenhouse. One seed/cell of 14 seedless and 4 seeded pollenizer varieties (Table 1)
was planted in the double-poly covered greenhouse on April 7-9 in 73-cell transplant
trays (2.44 in3/cell; TLC Polyform, Plymouth, Minn.) using Fison's Sunshine Mix #3
(76% sphagnum peat moss, 24% fine vermiculite, dolomitic limestone, light nutrient
charge, wetting agent; Fisons Western, Downers Grove, Ill.). Plants were fertilized
(425-105-210-260 ppm N-P2O5-K2O-Ca) to run-off weekly beginning 1 week after
emergence, and were moved to a coldframe for conditioning on May 15.
Table 1. Seedless watermelon varieties evaluated,
Hermiston, Ore., 1997.
════════════════════════════════════
Variety
Source
────────────────────────────────────
Triploid (3N) seedless
Crimson Jewel
Sakata
EMR-27
Hazera
EMR 32
Hazera
Nova
Sakata
Summer Sweet #2532
Abbott & Cobb
Summer Sweet #3521Y
Abbott & Cobb
Summer Sweet #5032
Abbott & Cobb
Summer Sweet #5244
Abbott & Cobb
Summer Sweet #5544
Abbott & Cobb
Tigrata
Unigen
Tri-X-313
American Sunmelon
Tri-X-464F
American Sunmelon
Tri-X-626
American Sunmelon
Wonderland
Tokita
Diploid (2N) pollenizer
Carnival
Rogers
Royal Sweet
PetoSeed
Summer Flavor #420
Abbott & Cobb
Summer Flavor #500
Abbott & Cobb
────────────────────────────────────
Field. The soil was an Adkins fine, sandy loam, pH 6.7, organic matter 0.7%. The plot
area was rototilled in 6' wide strips, leaving a 1' wide windbreak of the fall-planted wheat
cover crop on Apr 2. Fertilizer (100-100-160-40 N-P2O5-K2O-S + 4-3-1.5 Cu-Zn-B) was
broadcast in 4' bands in the center of the plots on Apr 8. Plots were sub-soiled, and
fertilizer was incorporated with a 6'-wide rototiller. Vapam (metam sodium) was applied
at 60 gpa to the soil surface in 6' wide strips and incorporated by rototiller on Apr 16,
followed immediately by 0.25" irrigation to seal the soil surface. The soil was rototilled
again on May 8 and all plots were covered with 4' plastic mulch, with a single drip
irrigation line buried 2" deep, 3" off bed-center (Roberts RoDrip, 8 mil, 8" emitters, 40
gph/100' @ 8 psi). On May 17, 12 plants/plot were hand-transplanted, 24" between
plants, 1 row/bed, 6½' between beds (3350 plants/acre). Diploid pollenizer plants were
planted in every fourth row (1:3 ratio of pollenizer (2N):seedless (3N)). Additional N
(100 lb/a total) was applied through the drip irrigation system as Ca(NO 3)2 on Jun 16 (10
lb/a), and as Sol32 Jun 20 (15 lb/a), Jun 27 (25 lb/a), Jul 17 (15 lb/a) and Aug 5 (25
lb/a). Fruit were harvested, graded, counted and weighed weekly from Jul 28 through
Aug 26. At the first harvest, soluble solid content (brix) was determined for 2 fruit/plot.
On Aug 1, plots were visually evaluated for disease (1=none, 5=extreme). Normal
commercial production practices were followed.
The experimental design was a randomized complete block, with 4 replications. Data
were analyzed using the SAS GLM procedure with varieties separated by Duncan's
multiple range test.
Results
Seedless (3N): At the first harvest, average fruit weight varied from 10.5 lbs for
Summer Sweet #3521Y to 17.7 lbs for Tri-X-313 (Table 2). Approximately the same
range of weights was observed for all varieties for the seasonal average fruit weight.
Early (harvest 1) and total yields did not differ statistically between varieties.
Seeded (2N): Average fruit weight at first harvest was similar (20.7 lbs) for all pollenizer
varieties (Table 2). Over the season, Summer Flavor 500 produced the largest fruit,
Carnival and Royal Sweet produced the smallest. As with the seedless varieties, early
(harvest 1) and total yields did not differ statistically between varieties.
While neither fruit soluble solids nor plant disease rating differed by variety (Table 3),
there were statistically significant differences in both variables between seedless and
seeded melons. Seedless melons had higher soluble solids than seeded types, but the
seeded varieties exhibited less disease susceptibility than the seedless.
Table 2. Watermelon yields, Hermiston, Ore., 1997.
══════════════════════════════════════════════
1st Harvest1
Total2
─────────────
────────────
Variety
Fruit Wt.
Yield
Fruit Wt.
Yield
──────────────────────────────────────────────
Seedless (3N)
lb
ton/a
lb
ton/a
Crimson Jewel
13.5bcd
20.7
12.9cd
44.1
EMR-27
14.8bc
17.6
13.8abcd
42.5
EMR 32
15.4ab
13.4
13.6abcd
30.4
Nova
12.0cde
16.8
13.1bcd
48.6
S.Sweet #2532
13.6bcd
20.6
12.2de
41.2
S.Sweet #3521Y
10.5e
14.0
10.8e
35.6
S.Sweet #5032
14.2bc
24.8
12.7cd
43.9
S.Sweet #5244
14.1bc
16.2
14.6abc
29.1
S.Sweet #5544
14.4bc
22.4
14.3abc
42.0
Tigrata
12.8bcde
25.0
12.9dc
41.2
Tri-X-313
17.7a
9.6
15.2a
34.9
Tri-X-464F
15.0abc
18.3
14.8ab
36.8
Tri-X-626
10.9de
11.7
12.1de
42.8
Wonderland
13.1bcde
21.3
12.7cd
38.7
Seeded (2N)
Carnival
20.7
23.9
17.2b
47.7
Royal Sweet
20.5
27.2
17.7b
51.5
S.Flavor #420
20.1
29.5
19.0ab
57.3
S.Flavor #500
21.6
31.5
20.2a
53.4
──────────────────────────────────────────────
1
Harvest: 7/28.
2
Harvest period: 7/28-8/26.
Means followed by different letters are significantly different at P≤0.05
(DMRT).
Table 3. Watermelon fruit soluble solids and plant
vigor rating, Hermiston, Ore., 1997.
══════════════════════════════════
Soluble
Variety
solids
Vigor1
──────────────────────────────────
Seedless (3N)
Crimson Jewel
11.4
2.00
EMR-27
11.3
2.00
EMR 32
11.5
3.00
Nova
11.1
2.67
S.Sweet #2532
11.4
2.50
S.Sweet #3521Y
11.4
1.75
S.Sweet #5032
11.5
2.75
S.Sweet #5244
10.9
2.25
S.Sweet #5544
11.1
2.75
Tigrata
11.2
2.25
Tri-X-313
11.1
2.33
Tri-X-464F
11.3
2.33
Tri-X-626
11.0
2.00
Wonderland
11.8
2.50
NS
NS
Seeded (2N)
Carnival
10.9
1.75
Royal Sweet
11.3
1.25
S.Flavor #420
10.6
1.40
S.Flavor #500
10.4
1.80
NS
NS
Genotype
Triploid (3N)
11.3
2.38
Diploid (2N)
10.8
1.56
***
***
───────────────────────────────────
NS, ***
Effect not statistically significant or significantly
different at P≤0.001, respectively.
1
Vigor rating scale 1=good, 5=poor.
1998 Methods and Materials
Greenhouse. One seed/cell of 15 seedless and 6 seeded pollenizer varieties (Table 1)
was planted in the double-poly covered greenhouse on April 4 in 73-cell transplant trays
using Fison's Sunshine Mix #3. Plants were fertilized (425-105-210-260 ppm N-P2O5K2O-Ca) to run-off weekly beginning 1 week after emergence, and were moved to a
coldframe for conditioning on May 13.
Table 1. Watermelon varieties evaluated, Hermiston,
OR., 1998.
═══════════════════════════════════
Variety
Source
───────────────────────────────────
Triploid (3N) seedless
Carousel (Tri-X-464F)
American Sunmelon
Crimson Jewel
Sakata
Honey Heart
Petoseed
King of Hearts
Petoseed
Nova
Sakata
Palomar
American Sunmelon
Summer Sweet #2532
Abbott & Cobb
Summer Sweet #3521Y
Abbott & Cobb
Summer Sweet #5032
Abbott & Cobb
Summer Sweet #5544
Abbott & Cobb
SWX0037
Sunseeds
SWX3022
Sunseeds
SWX3053
Sunseeds
SWX4016
Sunseeds
Tri-X-626
American Sunmelon
Diploid (2N) pollenizer
Crimson Sweet
Royal Sweet
PetoSeed
Summer Flavor #420
Abbott & Cobb
Summer Flavor #500
Abbott & Cobb
SWX5025
Sunseeds
SWX5036
Sunseeds
───────────────────────────────────
Field. The soil was an Adkins fine, sandy loam, pH 6.7, organic matter 0.7%. The plot
area was rototilled in 6' wide strips, leaving a 1' wide windbreak of the fall-planted wheat
cover crop. Metam sodium was soil-injected in the middle of each strip at 30 gpa through
two shanks 1' apart and 1' deep, and 15 gpa was applied to the soil surface of the 6' wide
strips and incorporated by rototiller, followed immediately by 0.25" irrigation to seal the soil
surface on Mar 31. Fertilizer (90-100-100-35 N-P2O5-K2O-S + 4-3-1.5 Cu-Zn-B) was
broadcast in 4' bands in the center of the plots on Apr 7 and incorporated with a 6'-wide
rototiller. The soil was rototilled again on May 5 and all plots were covered with 4' plastic
mulch, with a single drip irrigation line buried 2" deep, in the bed-center (Roberts RoDrip, 8
mil, 8" emitters, 40 gph/100' @ 8 psi). On May 16, 12 plants/plot were hand-transplanted,
24" between plants, 1 row/bed, 7' between beds (3110 plants/acre). Diploid pollenizer
plants were planted in every fourth row (1:3 ratio of diploid pollenizer:seedless triploid).
Additional N (85 lb/a total) was applied through the drip irrigation system as Solution 32 on
Jun 24 (25 lb/a), Jul 7 (25 lb/a), Jul 31 (25 lb/a), and as CN9 on Aug 10 (10 lb/a). Fruit
were harvested, graded, counted and weighed weekly from Jul 31 through Aug 28. At the
second and third harvests, soluble solid content (brix) was determined for 2 fruit/plot.
Normal commercial production practices were followed.
The experimental design was a randomized complete block, with 4 replications. Data were
analyzed using the SAS GLM procedure with varieties separated by Duncan's multiple
range test.
Results
Seedless: At the first harvest, average fruit weight varied from 8.5 lbs for Summer Sweet
#3521Y to 19.9 lbs for SWX4016 (Table 2). Seasonal average fruit weight ranged from
10.6 lbs/fruit for Summer Sweet #3521Y to 18.4 lbs/fruit for SWX0037. Although yields did
not differ statistically between varieties, the highest early (harvest 1) and total yields were
obtained from Summer Sweet #5032 and Summer Sweet #2532, respectively.
Seeded: Average fruit weight at first harvest was similar (20.7 lbs) for all diploid varieties
(Table 2). Over the season, Summer Flavor 500 produced the largest fruit, SWX 5036
produced the smallest. As with the seedless varieties, early (harvest 1) and total yields did
not differ statistically between varieties.
Fruit Soluble Solids: Seedless watermelon fruit soluble solids ranged from a low of 10.0
for Summer Sweet 2532 to 11.3 for SWX3022 (Table 2). Soluble solids values for the
seeded varieties varied from 10.5 for Royal Sweet to 11.3 for SWX5036. While the soluble
solids values met or exceeded the USDA internal quality grade standard for very good
soluble solids (brix ≥ 10.0), they may have been reduced by extreme weather experienced
before harvest. On 10 of the 14 days prior to harvesting the melons sampled, the daily
high air temperature exceeded 100°F.
Table 2. Watermelon yields, Hermiston, Ore., 1998.
════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
1st Harvest1
Total2
────────────
────────────
Soluble
Variety
Fruit Wt.
Yield
Fruit Wt.
Yield
Solids
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Seedless (3N)
lb
ton/a
lb
ton/a
Carousel
13.3cde
12.1
15.0bcde
57.7
10.4de
Crimson Jewel
14.3bcd
9.7
14.1cdef
50.0
11.2a
Honey Heart
12.1de
5.9
12.8f
44.3
10.5cde
King of Hearts
14.2bcd
5.6
13.2def
42.3
11.1abc
Nova
10.5ef
4.7
12.4fg
54.0
10.3de
Palomar
13.1cde
8.5
13.0ef
45.0
10.5cde
SummerSweet 2532
13.3cde
7.1
15.3bcd
64.1
10.0e
SummerSweet 3521Y
8.5f
10.2
10.6g
46.4
10.6bcde
SummerSweet 5032
13.9bcde
13.3
15.4bc
59.3
10.4de
SummerSweet 5544
15.2bcd
8.5
14.6bcdef
46.0
11.2ab
SWX0037
17.0ab
12.0
18.4a
57.4
10.7abcd
SWX3022
16.6bc
12.8
16.6ab
41.5
11.3a
SWX3053
12.5de
9.2
13.1def
43.6
10.7abcd
SWX4016
19.9a
13.1
17.6a
59.6
10.5cde
Tri-X-626
13.1cde
11.4
13.5cdef
50.4
10.8abcd
Seeded (2N)
Crimson Sweet
19.7
11.8
20.2bc
53.4
10.9ab
Royal Sweet
18.5
10.4
22.5ab
46.1
10.5b
S.Flavor #420
20.1
7.8
21.3abc
55.5
10.6ab
S.Flavor #500
23.7
8.1
24.5a
43.4
10.7ab
SWX5025
20.8
9.3
20.6bc
38.0
10.6ab
SWX5036
19.3
5.7
18.0c
45.2
11.3a
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
1
Harvest: 7/31.
2
Harvest period: 7/31-8/28.
Means followed by different letters are significantly different at P≤0.05 (Duncans Multiple
Range Test).
2008 Methods and Materials
cooperative trial w/Tim Waters, WSU Extension
Greenhouse. One seed/cell of 10 seedless varieties (Table 1) was planted in the doublepoly covered greenhouse on April 2 in 96-cell transplant trays (1.50 in3/cell; TLC Polyform,
Plymouth, Minn.) using Fison's Sunshine Mix #3. Plants were fertilized to run-off with
50 ppm N (20-20-20): 4/10, 4/13, 4/15; 100 ppm N (20-20-20): 4/17, 4/19, 4/21, 4/23; 200
ppm N (15-16-17): 4/25, 4/28, 4/30, and were moved to a coldframe for conditioning on
May 5.
Table 1. Watermelon varieties evaluated,
Hermiston, OR, 2008.
═════════════════════════════
Variety
Source
─────────────────────────────
Triploid (3N) seedless
7167
Abbott & Cobb
7187
Abbott & Cobb
9601 HQ
Abbott & Cobb
9651 HQ
Abbott & Cobb
Crunchy Red F1
Harris Moran
Melody
Rogers (Syngenta)
Super Crisp 32
Zeraim Gedera
Sweet Delight
Rogers (Syngenta)
Tri-X 212
Rogers (Syngenta)
Tri-X 313
Rogers (Syngenta)
─────────────────────────────
Field. On May 6, 12 plants/plot were hand-transplanted, 24" between plants, 1 row/bed, 7'
between beds (3110 plants/acre) into a commercial watermelon production field (Fewell
Farms). Beds were covered with 4' plastic mulch, with a single drip irrigation line on the
bed center. Normal commercial production practices were followed.
The experimental design was a randomized complete block, with 4 replications. Data were
analyzed using the SAS GLM procedure with varieties separated by Duncan's multiple
range test.
Results
Fruit were harvested, counted and weighed on Jul 23. Two fruit/variety/replication were
evaluated for length, width, rind thickness and soluble solids (brix). There were no
significant differences between varieties for all of the parameters measured (Table 2). First
harvest yield ranged from 6.1 ton/acre for Melody to 10.4 tons/acre for TriX 212. Soluble
solids met the USDA grade standard for watermelon “good internal quality” (brix ≥ 8.0), but
did not meet the “very good” internal quality (brix ≥ 10.0) expected of melons produced in
this area. The grower field crew mistakenly harvested through the research plots the
following week, and the trial was terminated.
Table 2. Seedless watermelon production, Hermiston, Ore., 2008.
════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Fruit
Soluble
Rind
1
Variety
Yield
Weight
Solids
Length
Diameter
Thickness
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
ton/a
lb
brix
in
in
in
7167
8.6
12.6
8.5
9.5
8.9
1.1
7187
8.7
12.7
8.4
9.7
8.8
1.1
9601HQ
9.7
12.2
9.3
9.4
9.2
1.0
9651HQ
5.8
11.5
8.8
8.9
8.6
1.0
Crunchy Red F1
9.8
13.2
8.2
9.8
8.6
1.1
Melody
6.1
11.4
8.6
9.6
9.4
1.0
Super Crisp 32
7.9
13.2
8.7
9.6
8.8
1.1
Sweet Delight
8.6
12.8
8.8
9.1
8.6
1.1
Tri-X 212
10.4
13.7
8.5
9.7
9.0
1.1
Tri-X 313
8.8
13.7
8.3
10.0
9.0
1.1
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
1
1st Harvest: 7/23.
2009 Methods and Materials
cooperative trial w/Tim Waters, WSU Extension
Greenhouse. One seed/cell of 10 seedless varieties (Table 1) was planted in the doublepoly covered greenhouse on April 10 in 96-cell transplant trays using Fison's Sunshine Mix
#3. Plants were fertilized to run-off with 50 ppm N (20-20-20): 4/21, 4/23, 4/26; 100 ppm N
(20-20-20): 4/28, 4/30, 5/2; 200 ppm N (15-16-17): 5/4, 5/7, and were moved to a
coldframe for conditioning on May 12.
Table 1. Watermelon varieties evaluated,
Hermiston, OR, 2009.
═════════════════════════════
Variety
Source
─────────────────────────────
Triploid (3N) seedless
7167
Abbott & Cobb
7187
Abbott & Cobb
9601 HQ
Abbott & Cobb
9651 HQ
Abbott & Cobb
Crunchy Red F1
Harris Moran
Melody
Rogers (Syngenta)
Super Crisp 32
Zeraim Gedera
Sweet Delight
Rogers (Syngenta)
Tri-X 212
Rogers (Syngenta)
Tri-X 313
Rogers (Syngenta)
─────────────────────────────
Field. On May 15, 10 plants/row were hand-transplanted 24" between plants, 3 rows/plot,
4' between beds, for a total of 30 plants/variety, into a commercial watermelon production
field (Fewell Farms). Beds were covered with 4' plastic mulch, with a single drip irrigation
line on the bed center. Normal commercial production practices were followed.
The single large plot/variety did not allow for statistical analyses.
Results
Fruit were harvested, counted and weighed on Jul 24, Jul 31, and Aug 13. Plants were
visually evaluated for vigor (1=good, 5=poor) at each harvest. Two fruit/variety/harvest
were evaluated for length, width, rind thickness and soluble solids (brix).
Early yield (first harvest) ranged from 8.9 tons/acre for Sweet Delight to 16.5 tons/acre for
7167 (Figure 1, Table 2). The lowest total yield obtained was 23.1 tons/acre for Tri-X 212,
and the highest was 33.1 tons/acre for 9601HQ.
9601 HQ also appeared the most vigorous, with no indication of vine decline as the season
progressed (Table 3).
Soluble solids for 7187, 9601HQ, 9651HQ Super Crisp 32 and Sweet Delight met the
USDA standard for “very good” internal quality (brix ≥ 10.0), while the remaining varieties
were in the USDA “good internal quality” (brix ≥ 8.0) category (Table 4). All were higher
than in 2008.
Fig. 1. 2009 seedless watermelon yield by harvest.
Table 2. Seedless watermelon production, Hermiston, Ore., 2009.
═══════════════════════════════════════════════
1st Harvest1
Total2
─────────────
─────────────
Variety
Fruit Wt.
Yield
Fruit Wt.
Yield
───────────────────────────────────────────────
lb
ton/a
lb
ton/a
7167
15.9
16.5
15.8
32.2
7187
16.4
12.3
14.3
22.7
9601HQ
14.4
11.7
14.1
33.1
9651HQ
14.0
12.2
13.6
25.6
Crunchy Red F1
15.5
13.9
14.2
27.0
Melody
14.9
9.3
13.6
25.8
Super Crisp 32
14.1
10.0
14.2
25.1
Sweet Delight
15.8
8.9
15.3
26.0
Tri-X 212
15.5
12.3
13.4
23.1
Tri-X 313
14.0
9.1
14.3
25.8
───────────────────────────────────────────────
1
Harvest: 7/24.
2
Harvest period: 7/24-8/13 (3 harvests).
Table 3. Seedless watermelon plant vigor, Hermiston, Ore., 2009.
═══════════════════════════════════════════════
Date
────────────────────
Variety
7/24
7/31
8/13
Average
───────────────────────────────────────────────
rating1
7167
1.5
3.25
2.75
2.5
7187
2.0
3.0
2.5
2.5
9601HQ
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
9651HQ
2.0
2.25
3.0
2.42
Crunchy Red F1
2.0
3.25
3.25
2.83
Melody
2.0
3.0
3.0
2.67
Super Crisp 32
2.0
2.0
3.0
2.33
Sweet Delight
2.0
2.0
2.75
2.25
Tri-X 212
2.0
3.0
3.0
2.67
Tri-X 313
2.0
2.25
2.75
2.33
───────────────────────────────────────────────
1
Vigor rating scale 1=good, 5=poor.
Table 4. Seedless watermelon fruit characteristics1, Hermiston, Ore., 2009.
═══════════════════════════════════════════════
Soluble
Rind
Variety
Solids
Length
Diameter
Thickness
───────────────────────────────────────────────
brix
in.
in.
in.
7167
9.9
9.5
8.9
1.1
7187
10.2
9.7
8.8
1.1
9601HQ
10.2
9.4
9.2
1.0
9651HQ
10.1
8.9
8.6
1.0
Crunchy Red F1
9.4
9.8
8.6
1.1
Melody
9.8
9.6
9.4
1.0
Super Crisp 32
10.4
9.6
8.8
1.1
Sweet Delight
10.5
9.1
8.6
1.1
Tri-X 212
9.7
9.7
9.0
1.1
Tri-X 313
9.8
10.0
9.0
1.1
───────────────────────────────────────────────
1
Average of 6 fruit (2/harvest).