Abstract
Fusarium wilt of watermelon can be effectively managed by grafting with resistant rootstocks. Excision and regeneration of grafted seedling roots is a common practice among cucurbit-grafting nurseries that has not been thoroughly examined. The objectives of this study were to compare the performance of grafted and nongrafted watermelon plants under both greenhouse and field conditions when inoculated with Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum (FON) race 2, and assess the effect of root excision on growth of grafted plants with Cucurbita moschata and Cucurbita maxima × C. moschata rootstocks. Two greenhouse experiments (Fall 2015 and Spring 2016) and one field trial (Spring 2016) of seedless watermelon ‘Melody’ were conducted in this study. In both greenhouse experiments, inoculated, nongrafted watermelon plants showed a significantly higher percentage of recovered Fusarium spp. colonies (70% to 75%) compared with grafted treatments (0% to 7.5%). Some plant growth measurements, including the longest vine length and aboveground fresh and dry weight, indicated less vigorous growth for nongrafted plants compared with the grafted treatments. Significantly higher percent recovery of Fusarium spp. below the graft union was observed in the grafted plants with root excision and regeneration treatment (3.7%) in contrast to the intact root treatment (0.5%), suggesting that the root excision method may possibly create entry points for FON infections. Overall, the root excision treatment showed little influence on aboveground growth and root characteristics of grafted plants. Yield of grafted watermelon with FON inoculation in the fumigated field trial was significantly higher than that of noninoculated, nongrafted ‘Melody’ (NGM) control as reflected by the increase of fruit number and size. Averaged over all the grafted treatments, the increase in marketable fruit number and weight reached 108.3% and 240.9%, respectively, and the total fruit number and weight increase was at 80.0% and 237.2%, respectively. However, grafted plants also exhibited greater levels of root-knot nematode infestation as indicated by the significantly higher root galling ratings. Results from this study demonstrated that grafting with squash rootstocks can effectively limit FON colonization in seedless watermelon plants, although more research in rootstock selection and testing is needed to optimize the use of grafted plants for improving plant growth and fruit yield.
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Claims 11
Claim · model-written summary
Inoculated nongrafted watermelon plants had a significantly higher percentage of recovered Fusarium spp. colonies (70% to 75%) than grafted treatments (0% to 7.5%) in greenhouse experiments.
- Taxon
- watermelon
Citrullus lanatuse1 - Treatment
- inoculated, nongraftede1
- Outcome
- percentage of recovered Fusarium spp. coloniese1
- Direction
- highere1
- Value
- 70% to 75%e1
- Comparator
- grafted treatmentse1
- Setting
- greenhouse experimentse1
FusariumOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“In both greenhouse experiments, inoculated, nongrafted watermelon plants showed a significantly higher percentage of recovered Fusarium spp. colonies (70% to 75%) compared with grafted treatments (0% to 7.5%)”
Claim · model-written summary
Root excision with regeneration significantly increased recovery of Fusarium spp. below the graft union (3.7%) compared with intact roots (0.5%) in grafted plants.
- Taxon
- WatermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- root excision and regeneration treatmente2
- Outcome
- percent recovery of Fusarium spp. below the graft unione2
- Direction
- highere2
- Value
- 3.7%e2
- Qualifier
- may possibly create entry points for FON infectionse1
- Comparator
- intact root treatmente2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Seedless Watermelon Plants”
e2“Significantly higher percent recovery of Fusarium spp. below the graft union was observed in the grafted plants with root excision and regeneration treatment (3.7%) in contrast to the intact root treatment (0.5%)”
e1“suggesting that the root excision method may possibly create entry points for FON infections”
Claim · model-written summary
Root excision had little influence on aboveground growth and root characteristics of grafted plants.
- Taxon
- WatermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- root excision treatmente3
- Outcome
- aboveground growth and root characteristicse3
- Direction
- no_changeinferrede3
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Seedless Watermelon Plants”
e3“the root excision treatment showed little influence on aboveground growth and root characteristics of grafted plants”
Claim · model-written summary
Nongrafted plants showed less vigorous growth (longest vine length, aboveground fresh and dry weight) than grafted treatments.
- Taxon
- WatermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- nongrafted plantse4
- Outcome
- longest vine length and aboveground fresh and dry weighte4
- Direction
- less vigorous growthe4
- Comparator
- grafted treatmentse4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Seedless Watermelon Plants”
e4“Some plant growth measurements, including the longest vine length and aboveground fresh and dry weight, indicated less vigorous growth for nongrafted plants compared with the grafted treatments”
Claim · model-written summary
Yield of grafted watermelon with FON inoculation in the fumigated field trial was significantly higher than that of noninoculated, nongrafted Melody control.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatuse5
- Material
- Melodye5
- Treatment
- grafted watermelon with FON inoculatione5
- Interactor
- FONe5pathogen
- Outcome
- Yielde5
- Direction
- highere5
- Qualifier
- increase of fruit number and sizee5
- Comparator
- noninoculated, nongraftede5
- Setting
- fumigated field triale5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e5“Yield of grafted watermelon with FON inoculation in the fumigated field trial was significantly higher than that of noninoculated, nongrafted ‘Melody’ (NGM) control as reflected by the increase of fruit number and size”
Claim · model-written summary
Averaged over all grafted treatments, marketable fruit number increased by 108.3% relative to the noninoculated nongrafted control.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatuse5
- Treatment
- grafted treatmentse6
- Outcome
- marketable fruit numbere6
- Direction
- increasee6
- Value
- 108.3%e6
- Comparator
- noninoculated, nongraftede5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e5“Yield of grafted watermelon with FON inoculation in the fumigated field trial was significantly higher than that of noninoculated, nongrafted ‘Melody’ (NGM) control as reflected by the increase of fruit number and size”
e6“Averaged over all the grafted treatments, the increase in marketable fruit number and weight reached 108.3% and 240.9%, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Averaged over all grafted treatments, marketable fruit weight increased by 240.9% relative to the noninoculated nongrafted control.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatuse5
- Treatment
- grafted treatmentse6
- Outcome
- marketable fruit number and weighte6
- Direction
- increasee6
- Value
- 240.9%e6
- Comparator
- noninoculated, nongraftede5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e5“Yield of grafted watermelon with FON inoculation in the fumigated field trial was significantly higher than that of noninoculated, nongrafted ‘Melody’ (NGM) control as reflected by the increase of fruit number and size”
e6“Averaged over all the grafted treatments, the increase in marketable fruit number and weight reached 108.3% and 240.9%, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Averaged over all grafted treatments, total fruit number increased by 80.0% relative to the noninoculated nongrafted control.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatuse5
- Treatment
- grafted treatmentse6
- Outcome
- total fruit number and weighte7
- Direction
- increasee7
- Value
- 80.0%e7
- Comparator
- noninoculated, nongraftede5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e5“Yield of grafted watermelon with FON inoculation in the fumigated field trial was significantly higher than that of noninoculated, nongrafted ‘Melody’ (NGM) control as reflected by the increase of fruit number and size”
e6“Averaged over all the grafted treatments, the increase in marketable fruit number and weight reached 108.3% and 240.9%, respectively”
e7“the total fruit number and weight increase was at 80.0% and 237.2%, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Averaged over all grafted treatments, total fruit weight increased by 237.2% relative to the noninoculated nongrafted control.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatuse5
- Treatment
- grafted treatmentse6
- Outcome
- total fruit number and weighte7
- Direction
- increasee7
- Value
- 237.2%e7
- Comparator
- noninoculated, nongraftede5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e5“Yield of grafted watermelon with FON inoculation in the fumigated field trial was significantly higher than that of noninoculated, nongrafted ‘Melody’ (NGM) control as reflected by the increase of fruit number and size”
e6“Averaged over all the grafted treatments, the increase in marketable fruit number and weight reached 108.3% and 240.9%, respectively”
e7“the total fruit number and weight increase was at 80.0% and 237.2%, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Grafted plants had greater root-knot nematode infestation, indicated by significantly higher root galling ratings.
- Taxon
- WatermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- grafted plantse1
- Interactor
- root-knot nematode
_penetrates_a_tomato_root_-_USDA-ARS.jpg?width=60)
Meloidogynee1pest - Outcome
- root galling ratingse1
- Direction
- highere1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
_penetrates_a_tomato_root_-_USDA-ARS.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
t0“Seedless Watermelon Plants”
e1“grafted plants also exhibited greater levels of root-knot nematode infestation as indicated by the significantly higher root galling ratings”
Claim · model-written summary
Grafting with squash rootstocks can effectively limit FON colonization in seedless watermelon plants.
- Taxon
- watermelon plantsCitrullus lanatuse1
- Treatment
- grafting with squash rootstockse1
- Interactor
- FONe1pathogen
- Outcome
- FON colonizatione1
- Direction
- effectively limite1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Seedless Watermelon Plants”
e1“grafting with squash rootstocks can effectively limit FON colonization in seedless watermelon plants”
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