Abstract
Grafted watermelon plants available in the United States are typically transported for a long distance from a specialized nursery to the production field. To investigate the effects of chilling stress during transportation on the early plant growth and development, grafted and nongrafted ‘Tri-X-313’ seedless watermelon ( Citrullus lanatus ) seedlings were subjected to low-temperature treatments applied over a 72-hour period. The first experiment exposed grafted and nongrafted seedlings to 0, 6, 12, 24, or 48 hours of 1 °C chilling, and then were moved to a 12 °C growth chamber for the remainder of the chilling treatment period. The second experiment exposed nongrafted seedlings to seven different combinations of chilling duration (0, 24, 32, 41, 44, or 48 hours) to create varied chilling degree hours ( CDH ) at different temperatures (between −0.4 °C and 1.2 °C). After 72 hours, seedlings were transplanted in pots filled with a commercial substrate in a greenhouse to evaluate the early plant growth and floral development. Each experiment had two repeats (spring and summer) with a randomized complete block design (n = 10). Although greater exposure to chilling negatively affected visual quality and photosynthetic capacity [measured by chlorophyll fluorescence parameter, variable fluorescence/maximum fluorescence ( Fv/Fm )] in both repeats, delay in flowering after transplanting was significant in spring only and increased with increasing CDH (up to 6 days with 48 hours of 1 °C exposure). Grafting was found to mitigate the degree of flowering delay when the same chilling exposure was applied. When chilling temperatures were varied, visual damage of leaves, decrease in Fv/Fm , and delays in female flower development were best correlated with CDH at a base temperature of 15 °C, 3 °C, and 4 °C, respectively. Our experiments and further analyses with available literature data suggest that 50 to 70 CDH 4 [ CDH with base temperature ( BT ) = 4 °C] seems to be a critical threshold to cause significant delay in female flower development (3.5 days for grafted and 1.3 days for nongrafted plants). Therefore, if temperatures lower than 4 °C are expected during transportation of seedlings, we suggest mitigation measures be taken so that CDH 4 do not reach greater than 50 degree hours.
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Claims 10
Claim · model-written summary
Greater chilling exposure worsened seedling visual quality.
- Taxon
- watermelon
Citrullus lanatust0 - Treatment
- chillinge0
- Outcome
- visual qualitye0
- Direction
- negatively affectede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“greater exposure to chilling negatively affected visual quality”
t0“Watermelon Seedling Quality”
Claim · model-written summary
Greater chilling exposure reduced photosynthetic capacity measured by Fv/Fm.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- chillinge0
- Outcome
- photosynthetic capacitye0
- Direction
- negatively affectede0
- Qualifier
- Fv/Fme0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“greater exposure to chilling negatively affected visual quality and photosynthetic capacity [measured by chlorophyll fluorescence parameter, variable fluorescence/maximum fluorescence ( Fv/Fm )]”
t0“Watermelon Seedling Quality”
Claim · model-written summary
Flowering delay after transplanting increased with chilling degree hours in spring, up to 6 days after 48 hours at 1 °C.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- increasing CDHe0
- Outcome
- delay in floweringe0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 6 dayse0
- Qualifier
- 48 hours of 1 °C exposuree0
- Setting
- springe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“delay in flowering after transplanting was significant in spring only and increased with increasing CDH (up to 6 days with 48 hours of 1 °C exposure)”
t0“Watermelon Seedling Quality”
Claim · model-written summary
Grafting mitigated chilling related flowering delay at the same chilling exposure.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- Graftinge0
- Outcome
- flowering delaye0
- Direction
- mitigatee0
- Comparator
- same chilling exposuree0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Grafting was found to mitigate the degree of flowering delay when the same chilling exposure was applied”
t0“Watermelon Seedling Quality”
Claim · model-written summary
Leaf visual damage correlated best with chilling degree hours calculated at 15 °C.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- CDHe0
- Outcome
- visual damage of leavese0
- Value
- 15 °Ce0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“visual damage of leaves, decrease in Fv/Fm , and delays in female flower development were best correlated with CDH at a base temperature of 15 °C, 3 °C, and 4 °C, respectively”
t0“Watermelon Seedling Quality”
Claim · model-written summary
Fv/Fm decrease correlated best with chilling degree hours calculated at 3 °C.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“visual damage of leaves, decrease in Fv/Fm , and delays in female flower development were best correlated with CDH at a base temperature of 15 °C, 3 °C, and 4 °C, respectively”
t0“Watermelon Seedling Quality”
Claim · model-written summary
Female flower development delay correlated best with chilling degree hours calculated at 4 °C.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- CDHe0
- Outcome
- delays in female flower developmente0
- Direction
- delayse0
- Value
- 4 °Ce0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“visual damage of leaves, decrease in Fv/Fm , and delays in female flower development were best correlated with CDH at a base temperature of 15 °C, 3 °C, and 4 °C, respectively”
t0“Watermelon Seedling Quality”
Claim · model-written summary
A threshold of 50 to 70 CDH4 was suggested for significant female flowering delay of 3.5 days in grafted plants.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Material
- graftede0
- Treatment
- 50 to 70 CDH 4e0
- Outcome
- delay in female flower developmente0
- Direction
- delaye0
- Value
- 3.5 dayse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“50 to 70 CDH 4 [ CDH with base temperature ( BT ) = 4 °C] seems to be a critical threshold to cause significant delay in female flower development (3.5 days for grafted and 1.3 days for nongrafted plants)”
t0“Watermelon Seedling Quality”
Claim · model-written summary
The same chilling threshold was associated with 1.3 days of flowering delay in nongrafted plants.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Material
- nongraftede0
- Treatment
- 50 to 70 CDH 4e0
- Outcome
- delay in female flower developmente0
- Direction
- delaye0
- Value
- 1.3 dayse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“50 to 70 CDH 4 [ CDH with base temperature ( BT ) = 4 °C] seems to be a critical threshold to cause significant delay in female flower development (3.5 days for grafted and 1.3 days for nongrafted plants)”
t0“Watermelon Seedling Quality”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors recommend keeping CDH4 at or below 50 degree hours when seedling transport temperatures may fall below 4 °C.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Outcome
- CDH 4 do not reach greater than 50 degree hourse0
- Qualifier
- temperatures lower than 4 °Ce0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“if temperatures lower than 4 °C are expected during transportation of seedlings, we suggest mitigation measures be taken so that CDH 4 do not reach greater than 50 degree hours”
t0“Watermelon Seedling Quality”
The same questions in other papers
grafting · phenology · Citrullus lanatus (watermelon)Positive and negative results
2 papers in the same direction as this paper · 2 in the opposite direction
- negative
- no effect
- positive
1 paper more in this group
See all 5 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.