Staminate flower production and fusarium wilt reaction of diploid cultivars used as pollenizers for triploid watermelon

Abstract

Several cultivars of nonharvested watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) pollenizers were compared for staminate flower production in field tests and disease reaction to fusarium wilt [Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. Niveum (FON)] in both greenhouse and field tests. Differences were observed in staminate flower counts and fusarium wilt reactions in both years of field evaluations and to fusarium wilt among cultivars evaluated in the greenhouse. 'SP-1', 'Sidekick', and '5WDL 6146' were the cultivars with high staminate flower counts in the field both years. These cultivars also were among the most resistant to fusarium wilt in both years of field tests. Significant correlations occurred between the rankings of the cultivar's fusarium wilt reactions in both the two field and three greenhouse experiments, indicating a high degree of correlation between field and greenhouse tests.