Abstract
High, year-round demand, increased production intensity without crop rotation, and the loss of Methyl Bromide as a soil fumigant, results in unfavorable soil conditions with increased soil pathogen populations for growing watermelon [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb) Matsum and Nakai]. Grafting watermelon onto resistant rootstocks provides successful control of soil-borne pathogens, and could increase yield and fruit quality; however, the high production costs, especially from labor, involved in grafted transplant production, has prevented the adoption of grafted watermelon use in the United States. Much of the labor is required for meristematic regrowth control, which can cause abortion of the scion and competition in the field if not removed. Treating rootstock meristems with fatty alcohol has been shown to plasmolyze the meristem and prevent regrowth, while leaving the rootstock seedling intact for grafting. A rate trial experiment was conducted to determine the optimal application concentration of fatty alcohol compound, and determined that a rate between 5.00% and 6.25% fatty alcohol best controlled regrowth without causing damage that prevented rootstocks from being grafted successfully. A second experiment was designed to determine the effects of the fatty alcohol treatment on rootstock size and carbohydrate storage. On 1, 7, 14, and 21 days after fatty alcohol treatment, rootstocks were observed to increase in size and carbohydrate content, with starch being the most notable increase. Starch content of interspecific hybrid squash (Cucurbita maxima × C. moxchata) rootstock hypocotyls increased 193-fold, and 109-fold in cotyledons of bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) rootstocks. This increase in stored carbohydrate energy can be harnessed by the plant to provide energy. Seven days after treatment, we observed a 6% and 10% increase in graft success in interspecific hybrid squash and bottle gourd rootstocks, respectively, that were grafted using the industry-standard, one-cotyledon method. The increased starch content also provided sufficient energy to successfully graft using a new, more efficient grafting method without the rootstock cotyledons. A final experiment was conducted to determine whether increased carbohydrate content resulting from rootstock fatty alcohol treatment conferred an advantage to grafted watermelon transplants in the field. No significant advantages in plant growth or fruit yield were observed. Rootstock fatty alcohol treatment effectively controls regrowth and increases watermelon grafting effectiveness and efficiency by causing the rootstocks to store carbohydrates which provide energy for graft healing and new grafting methods; however, the rootstock treatment does not confer an advantage in field conditions.
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Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
A fatty alcohol rate between 5.00% and 6.25% best controlled rootstock regrowth without causing damage that prevented successful grafting in watermelon.
- Taxon
- watermelon
Citrullus lanatust0 - Treatment
- fatty alcohole0
- Outcome
- regrowthe0
- Direction
- best controllede0
- Value
- between 5.00% and 6.25%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“a rate between 5.00% and 6.25% fatty alcohol best controlled regrowth without causing damage that prevented rootstocks from being grafted successfully”
t0“WATERMELON”
Claim · model-written summary
After fatty alcohol treatment, rootstocks increased in size and carbohydrate content, with starch showing the most notable increase.
- Treatment
- fatty alcohol treatmente0
- Outcome
- size and carbohydrate contente0
- Direction
- increasee0
- Qualifier
- On 1, 7, 14, and 21 dayse0
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“On 1, 7, 14, and 21 days after fatty alcohol treatment, rootstocks were observed to increase in size and carbohydrate content, with starch being the most notable increase”
Claim · model-written summary
Starch content of interspecific hybrid squash rootstock hypocotyls increased 193-fold after fatty alcohol treatment.
- Taxon
- interspecific hybrid squashe0
- Organ / stage
- hypocotylse0
- Treatment
- fatty alcohol treatmente1
- Outcome
- Starch contente0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 193-folde0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Starch content of interspecific hybrid squash (Cucurbita maxima × C. moxchata) rootstock hypocotyls increased 193-fold”
e1“after fatty alcohol treatment”
Claim · model-written summary
Starch content in cotyledons of bottle gourd rootstocks increased 109-fold after fatty alcohol treatment.
- Taxon
- bottle gourd
Lagenaria sicerariae0 - Organ / stage
- cotyledonse0
- Treatment
- fatty alcohol treatmente1
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 109-folde0
Not reportedComparatorOutcome
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“increased 193-fold, and 109-fold in cotyledons of bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) rootstocks”
e1“after fatty alcohol treatment”
Claim · model-written summary
Seven days after fatty alcohol treatment, graft success of interspecific hybrid squash rootstocks increased by 6% with the one-cotyledon method.
- Taxon
- interspecific hybrid squashe0
- Treatment
- fatty alcohol treatmente1
- Outcome
- graft successe0
- Direction
- increasee0
- Value
- 6%e0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Seven days after treatment, we observed a 6% and 10% increase in graft success in interspecific hybrid squash and bottle gourd rootstocks, respectively”
e1“after fatty alcohol treatment”
Claim · model-written summary
Seven days after fatty alcohol treatment, graft success of bottle gourd rootstocks increased by 10% with the one-cotyledon method.
- Taxon
- bottle gourdLagenaria sicerariae0
- Treatment
- fatty alcohol treatmente1
- Outcome
- graft successe0
- Direction
- increasee0
- Value
- 10%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Seven days after treatment, we observed a 6% and 10% increase in graft success in interspecific hybrid squash and bottle gourd rootstocks, respectively”
e1“after fatty alcohol treatment”
Claim · model-written summary
The increased starch content provided sufficient energy to graft successfully with a new, more efficient method without the rootstock cotyledons.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“The increased starch content also provided sufficient energy to successfully graft using a new, more efficient grafting method without the rootstock cotyledons”
Claim · model-written summary
In the field, fatty alcohol treatment of rootstocks gave no significant advantage in plant growth or fruit yield of grafted watermelon.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatuse0
- Treatment
- rootstock fatty alcohol treatmente0
- Outcome
- plant growth or fruit yielde1
- Direction
- No significant advantagese1
- Setting
- in the fielde0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“whether increased carbohydrate content resulting from rootstock fatty alcohol treatment conferred an advantage to grafted watermelon transplants in the field”
e1“No significant advantages in plant growth or fruit yield were observed”
The same questions in other papers
grafting · yield · Citrullus lanatus (watermelon)Results differ
6 papers in the same direction as this paper · 59 in the opposite direction
- positive
- positive
- positive
62 papers more in this group
See all 66 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.