Abstract
`Crimson Sweet' watermelon [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai] plants were grown with various mulches and rowcovers and analyzed for relative growth rate (RGR), net assimilation rate (NAR), specific leaf area (SLA), leaf area index (LAI), and crop growth rate (CGR). Spunbonded polyester fabric (SB-PF) and perforated polyethylene film (PCP) rowcovers generally showed greater mean RGR, SLA and CGR than spunbonded polypropylene polyamide net (SB-PP), black plus clear combination plastic mulch and black plastic mulch alone. Plants on mulches and under rowcovers showed significant increases in RGR, NAR, and SLA over plants grown in bare soil. Carbon dioxide concentration inside the transplanting mulch holes was nearly twice the ambient CO, concentration. Growth analysis of sampled watermelon plants during early stages of development under various treatments was predictive of crop yield. Plants under SB-PF and PCP rowcovers produced the earliest fruit and the greatest total yield. An asymmetrical curvilinear model for watermelon growth and development based on cardinal temperatures was developed. The model uses hourly averaged temperatures to predict growth and phenological development of `Crimson Sweet' watermelon plants grown with and without rowcovers. Early vegetative growth correlated well with accumulated heat units. Results indicate a consistent heat unit requirement for the `Crimson Sweet' watermelon plants to reach first male flower, first female flower and first harvest in uncovered plants and plants under rowcovers. Greater variability was observed in predicting date of first harvest than first bloom.
Abstract from the paper’s OpenAlex record, shown for indexing and research. Copyright remains with the authors or the publisher. Read at the source ↗
The text the model read, with the source record’s inline markup (italics, sub- and superscripts) rendered and its character entities decoded; quote offsets refer to the raw text.
Claims 10
Claim · model-written summary
SB-PF and PCP rowcovers generally had greater mean RGR, SLA and CGR than other listed covers or mulches.
- Taxon
- Watermelon
Citrullus lanatust0 - Treatment
- Spunbonded polyester fabric (SB-PF) and perforated polyethylene film (PCP) rowcoverse0
- Outcome
- RGR, SLA and CGRe0
- Direction
- greatere0
- Comparator
- spunbonded polypropylene polyamide net (SB-PP), black plus clear combination plastic mulch and black plastic mulch alonee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“Spunbonded polyester fabric (SB-PF) and perforated polyethylene film (PCP) rowcovers generally showed greater mean RGR, SLA and CGR than spunbonded polypropylene polyamide net (SB-PP), black plus clear combination plastic mulch and black plastic mulch alone.”
t0“Watermelon”
Claim · model-written summary
Mulches and rowcovers significantly increased RGR, NAR and SLA compared with bare soil.
- Taxon
- Watermelon
Citrullus lanatust0 - Treatment
- mulches and under rowcoverse0
- Outcome
- RGR, NAR, and SLAe0
- Direction
- increasese0
- Comparator
- plants grown in bare soile0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“Plants on mulches and under rowcovers showed significant increases in RGR, NAR, and SLA over plants grown in bare soil.”
t0“Watermelon”
Claim · model-written summary
Carbon dioxide concentration in transplanting mulch holes was nearly twice ambient concentration.
- Taxon
- Watermelon
Citrullus lanatust0 - Outcome
- Carbon dioxide concentratione0
- Direction
- twicee0
- Value
- nearly twicee0
- Comparator
- ambient CO, concentratione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“Carbon dioxide concentration inside the transplanting mulch holes was nearly twice the ambient CO, concentration.”
t0“Watermelon”
Claim · model-written summary
Early growth analysis predicted watermelon crop yield.
- Taxon
- watermelon
Citrullus lanatuse0 - Outcome
- predictive of crop yielde0
Not reportedComparatorValue
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“Growth analysis of sampled watermelon plants during early stages of development under various treatments was predictive of crop yield.”
Claim · model-written summary
SB-PF and PCP rowcovers produced the earliest fruit.
- Taxon
- Watermelon
Citrullus lanatust0 - Treatment
- SB-PF and PCP rowcoverse0
- Outcome
- earliest fruite0
- Direction
- earlieste0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“Plants under SB-PF and PCP rowcovers produced the earliest fruit and the greatest total yield.”
t0“Watermelon”
Claim · model-written summary
SB-PF and PCP rowcovers produced the greatest total yield.
- Taxon
- Watermelon
Citrullus lanatust0 - Treatment
- SB-PF and PCP rowcoverse0
- Outcome
- total yielde0
- Direction
- greateste0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“Plants under SB-PF and PCP rowcovers produced the earliest fruit and the greatest total yield.”
t0“Watermelon”
Claim · model-written summary
An asymmetrical curvilinear model was developed to predict watermelon growth and phenological development from hourly temperatures.
- Taxon
- watermelon
Citrullus lanatuse0 - Outcome
- predict growth and phenological developmente0
- Comparator
- with and without rowcoverse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“An asymmetrical curvilinear model for watermelon growth and development based on cardinal temperatures was developed. The model uses hourly averaged temperatures to predict growth and phenological development of `Crimson Sweet' watermelon plants grown with and without rowcovers.”
Claim · model-written summary
Early vegetative growth correlated well with accumulated heat units.
- Taxon
- Watermelon
Citrullus lanatust0 - Treatment
- accumulated heat unitse0
- Outcome
- Early vegetative growthe0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“Early vegetative growth correlated well with accumulated heat units.”
t0“Watermelon”
Claim · model-written summary
Heat-unit requirements to first male flower, female flower and harvest were consistent across cover conditions.
- Taxon
- watermelon
Citrullus lanatuse0 - Material
- `Crimson Sweet'e0
- Organ / stage
- first male flower, first female flower and first harveste0
- Outcome
- consistent heat unit requiremente0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“Results indicate a consistent heat unit requirement for the `Crimson Sweet' watermelon plants to reach first male flower, first female flower and first harvest in uncovered plants and plants under rowcovers.”
Claim · model-written summary
Prediction of first harvest date varied more than prediction of first bloom date.
- Taxon
- Watermelon
Citrullus lanatust0 - Outcome
- variabilitye0
- Direction
- Greatere0
- Comparator
- first bloome0
Not reportedValue
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“Greater variability was observed in predicting date of first harvest than first bloom.”
t0“Watermelon”
The same questions in other papers
mulching · growth · Citrullus lanatus (watermelon)Positive and negative results
16 papers in the same direction as this paper · 2 in the opposite direction
- positive
- no effect
- no effect
15 papers more in this group
See all 19 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.