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2013 Report
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2013 Watermelon Research & Development Working Group Annual Meeting

In Conjunction with the Southern Region of the American Society for Horticultural Sciences Annual Meeting

 

Sunday, February 3, 2013

8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Wyndham Orlando Resort

Lime Room

Orlando, FL

Phone: 407-351-24200

Web site:

http://www.wyndham.com/hotels/florida/orlando/wyndham-orlando-resort/hotel-overview?hotel_id=MCOWD&page=hotel-overview

Agenda:   Morning Program

8:00 a.m.   Welcome: Jonathan Schultheis, Chair, WRDWG

8:10 a.m.   Introductions: All in attendance

Regional Watermelon Production Updates

8:20 a.m.   California & Arizona - James Brusca

                  Carolinas - Allan Thornton and/or Gilbert Miller

                  DelMarva - Gordon Johnson

                  Georgia - George Boyhan

                  Indiana & Midwest - Shubin Saha

                  Texas - Juan Ansico

International Updates from Seed Company Representatives

           

8:50 a.m.   Snapshot of the Australian watermelon industry.  J?r?me Bernier, Watermelon Breeder,                   Monsanto Vegetable Seeds, Woodland, CA

 

                  Israel's Watermelon Market. Eyal Vardi, CEO, Origene Seeds, Ltd., Rehovot, Israel

 

                  A Perspective on Turkey's Watermelon Market, Nihat Guner, Watermelon Breeder, Sakata Seed Co., Lehigh Acres, FL,

                 

Updates from Seed Companies

 

9:20 a.m.   agroGene - Peter Mes

                 

                  Monsanto - Jerome Bernier

 

                  Syngenta - James Brusca

                 

Update on Issues Affecting the National Watermelon Industry

 

9:50 a.m.   Bob Morrissey, National Watermelon Association, Executive Director, Lakeland, FL

                  >Funding

                  >Immigration Reform

                  >New Farm Bill

                  >Other NWA Activities

Hot Topic Issues

10:10 a.m.Shaker Kousik, Research Scientist, USDA, Charleston, SC

10:25 a.m.Break

Research Reports:

                  Cultivar Considerations

10:45 a.m.Texas Statewide Watermelon Trials for 2012.  Juan R. Anciso1*, Larry Stein2, Joseph                   Masabni, and Russ Wallace4, Department of Horticultural Sciences, TexasA&MUniversity,      1 WeslacoTX, 2 Uvalde TX, 3 College Station TX, 4 LubbockTX. (j-anciso@tamu.edu).

 

11:00 a.m.Delaware Triploid Watermelon Cultivar Evaluations.  Gordon C. Johnson and Emmalea        G. Ernest*,University of Delaware, Carvel REC, 16483 County Seat Highway, Georgetown,     DE 19947 (emmalea@udel.edu)

 

11:15 a.m.  2012 Evaluation of Triploid Watermelon Varieties in Southwestern Indiana.

                  Shubin K. Saha* and Larry Sutterer, Horticulture and Landscape Architecture     Department, Southwest Purdue Ag Program, PurdueUniversity, Vincennes, IN47591.      (ssaha@purdue.edu)

                 

11:30 a.m.Comparison of staminate flower production and Fusarium wilt reaction in diploid

                  cultivars used as pollenizers for triploid watermelon. Chris Gunter1* and Daniel S. Egel2,

                  1 Department of Horticultural Science, 230 Kilgore Hall, Box 7609, North Carolina State                   University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7609 (chris_gunter@ncsu.edu), 2Department of Botany and       Plant Pathology, 4369 North Purdue Road, Purdue University, Vincennes, IN 47591          (egel@purdue.edu)

 

11:45 p.m.LUNCH BREAK

 

Agenda: Afternoon Program

 

1:00 p.m.   Update on promotion activities from the National Watermelon Promotion Board in 2012                                        

                  Mark Arney, Executive Director, Orlando, FL

 

Research Reports (continued)

 

                  Flowering and Pollination

1:15 p.m.   Flowering Time in Watermelon.  Cecilia McGregor* and V. Waters, Department of       Horticulture, University of Georgia,             Athens, GA30602. (cmcgre1@uga.edu)

 

1:30 p.m.   Evaluation of Pollenizer Varieties for Triploid Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus)            Production in Southwestern Indiana. Shubin K. Saha1* and Dan Egel2, 1Horticulture and           Landscape Architecture Department, 2Botany and Plant Pathology Department, Southwest      Purdue Ag Program, Purdue University, Vincennes, IN 47591. (ssaha@purdue.edu)

 

                  Disease

1:45 p.m.   North Carolina Triploid Watermelon Cultigen Evaluations for 2012.  Jonathan R.      Schultheis* and Bradfred Thompson, Dept. of Horticultural Science, North Carolina State           University, Box 7609, 2721 Founders Drive, Raleigh, NC 27695-7609.      (jonathan_schultheis@ncsu.edu)

 

2:00 p.m.   Use of SqVYV resistant germplasm line 39291-VDR as a pollenizer for           managing                   watermelon vine decline in Florida.  C.S. Kousik1*, S. Adkins2, W.W. Turechek2,C. G.                   Webster2 and P.D. Roberts3, 1U.S.           Vegetable Laboratory, USDA, ARS, 700 Savannah                   Highway, Charleston, SC 29414, USA, 2U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory, USDA,             ARS, Fort Pierce, FL 34945, 3SWFREC, University of Florida, Immokalee, FL 34142                   (Shaker.Kousik@ars.usda.gov)

 

2:15 p.m.   Exploiting genetic resources of Citrullus spp. to enhance disease or pest           resistance in                   watermelon cultivars. A. Levi*, J. A. Thies, W. P. Wechter, H. Harrison, A. Simmons, K.        Ling, and C. Kousik. USDA, ARS, U.S. Vegetable Laboratory 2700 Savannah Highway,   Charleston, South Carolina29414, USA.  (Amnon.Levi@ARS.USDA.GOV)

 

2:30 p.m.   Response of Citrullus lanatus var. citroides Rootstocks for Grafted Watermelon         to                   Root-knot Nematodes.  Judy A. Thies1, Sharon Buckner1, Richard Hassell2, and Amnon                   Levi1.  1U.S. Vegetable Laboratory, USDA, ARS, 2700 Savannah Highway, Charleston, SC,                   29414-5334; 2Clemson University, 2700 Savannah Highway, Charleston, SC, 29414-     5334                   (Judy.Thies@ARS.USDA.GOV)

 

2:45 p.m.   MelCast Fungicide Application Scheduling for mid-Atlantic Watermelons: A Re-        evaluation.  Kathryne L. Everts* and Mason J. Newark, Department of Plant Science and            LARC, University of Maryland College Park, LESREC- Salisbury, 21801(keverts@umd.edu)

 

3:05 p.m.   Break

Hot Topic Issues

3:30 p.m.   Shaker Kousik, Research Scientist, USDA, Charleston, SC

 

Research Reports (continued)

 

                  Research Methods andCultural Management

3:45 p.m.   Optimum Plot Size and Number of Replications for Watermelon Trials and 2012       Watermelon Trial Results. George E. Boyhan*, Suzzanne C. Tate, and Ryan D. McNeil, Department of Horticulture, University of Georgia, 1111 Miller Plant Science Bldg., Athens,         GA 30602. (gboyhan@uga.edu)

 

4:00 p.m.   Grafting Methods: What Makes Each Acceptable and Unacceptable.  Richard L.        Hassell,                   Clemson University CREC, 2700 Savannah Highway, Charleston, SC     (rhassel@clemson.edu)

 

4:15 p.m.   The Effect of Particle Films, Growth Regulators, and a Bacterial Inoculant on Stress                   Indicators, Fruit Yield, and Fruit Quality in Triploid Watermelons. Gordon C. Johnson*,                    Emmalea G. Ernest, and D. Janine Sherrier University of Delaware,  Carvel REC, 16483                   County Seat Highway, Georgetown, DE 19947 (gcjohn@udel.edu)

 

4:30 p.m.   Health Comparison of Watermelon and Gatorade on Exercise-Induced Oxidative      Stress, Inflammation, and Immune Dysfunction in Masters Cyclists.  Penelope Perkins-    Veazie*, Plants for Human Health Institute, Department of            Horticultural Sciences,             Kannapolis, NC 28081 and R. Andrew Shanley, Human Performance Laboratory,      Appalachian State University, North Carolina Research Campus, Kannapolis, NC 28081            (penelope_perkins@ncsu.edu)

4:45 p.m.   Watermelon Group Business

5:00 p.m.         Adjourn