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Abstract
Four concentrations of 2-chloroethanephosphonic acid (Ethrel) were applied at three stages of growth to andromonoecious, monoecious, and hermaphrodite muskmelon cultivars. Generally, Ethrel promoted female flower production and suppressed male flower initiation. Preflowering sprays, however, resulted in the production of exceptional pistillate flowers in andromonoecious and hermaphroditic cultivars, and hermaphroditic flowers in the monoecious cultivar. Appearance of the exceptional flowers generally followed, in all treated cultivars, a common pattern commencing with pistillate flowers and followed by increased frequency of hermaphrodite and male flowers. Exceptional flowers were fertile and capable of producing fruits with normal seed yield. Even though pistillate flowers developed at lower nodes on Ethrel-treated plants than on untreated plants, flower initiation was delayed, resulting in later maturity in all cultivars. Fruits on the treated plants were usually deformed, but seed yield and viability were normal.
Abstract
Ethephon [(2-chloroethyl)phosphonic acid] applied at seedling stage of a monoecious and a gynoecious cucumber reduced internode length. The rate of increase and the total increase in cumulative fruit number was significantly higher, compared to the untreated plants in the monoecious, but not in the gynoecious cultivar. Preflowering treatments of both cultivars caused simultaneous development of numerous lateral shoots. There was also a significant increase in the number of nodes especially on side branches. Preflowering treatments generally excelled seedling treatments and the control in total number of fruits. Preflowering application of 150 ppm ethephon to the monoecious and 250 and 350 ppm rates to the gynoecious cultivar resulted in higher cumulative fruit number at each and every one of the 9 harvests during the 18-day harvest period. Ethephon treatments lowered percent fruit set in the monoecious cultivar.
Abstract
Watermelon [Citrullus lanatus (Schrad.) Matsum. & Nakai] seeds of the tetraploid ‘Alena’ and the diploid ‘Sugar Baby’ were subjected to one of several treatments prior to germination at 17°, 21°, and 25°C, including lateral splitting, soaking in H2O (aerated or nonaerated), GA4+7, or benzyladenine (BA) for 24 hr, or in KNO3 for 5 days, followed by drying. These treatments were successful in increasing germination percentage of ‘Alena’ seeds. Soaking treatments increased ‘Alena’ embryo length. ‘Alena’ seeds possessed thicker seed coats, larger seed cavities, and absorbed more water than those of their diploid counterpart, ‘Sugar Baby’.
In the spring of 2001 and 2002, different combinations of media (coarse perlite, medium perlite, and pine bark) and containers (polyethylene bags and plastic pots) were used for hydroponic production of `Galia' muskmelons (Cucumis melo L.) to determine their effect on fruit yield and quality, and their influence on costs of production. Marketable yields obtained for `Gal-152' in the spring 2001 and 2002 were 25.5 kg·m–2 and 39.0 kg·m–2 respectively. When data were combined for 2001 and 2002, fruit yield and fruit quality were unaffected by any combination of media and container. Average soluble solids content was generally greater than 10° Brix. It was determined that the use of pine bark media and plastic pots instead of perlite and bags would save $18,200 per year (two crops)—a feasible option for reducing costs of producing `Galia' muskmelons in greenhouses using soilless culture without loss of yield and fruit quality.