December 2024 - 10

WATERMELON
IMPROVING
watermelons
UGA trials
examine variety
performance
BY DOUG OHLEMEIER
ASSISTANT EDITOR
W
ith consumers going
from seeded to seedless
watermelons and desiring
darker rinds and smaller size
melons, breeders are upping their
game and producing better varieties
that aren't seeded, too big or lightskinned
and possess characteristics
other than disease resistance.
Since 2021, Ted McAvoy, assistant
professor of horticulture and
vegetable Extension specialist for the
University of Georgia, has researched
large and mini seedless watermelons
in variety trials for yield, size
distribution and defects, and screens
varieties for anthracnose disease
resistance. He also studies grafted
watermelon plant spacing.
" We can find varieties that adapt
through changing our planting dates,
selecting varieties that are more
adapted to our area and coming up with
production practices with fungicides
and varieties to handle diseases
that may be exacerbated by different
weather conditions, " McAvoy said.
At the UGA Cooperative Extension
Breeders are producing better watermelon varieties that aren't
seeded, too large or light skinned and possess characteristics
other than disease resistance. Photos courtesy of Ted McAvoy.
College of Agricultural & Environmental
Sciences campus in Tifton, Georgia,
McAvoy conducts trials testing many
commercial varieties. Historically,
one seed company dominated the
watermelon market. When that
company began selling direct and
ending its distributor relationships, that
left a gap for distributors that needed
variety trial information, McAvoy said.
The trials confirm what growers have
been seeing in the fields. " The big
picture is pretty much all the seed
companies have a competitive melon
now and it's not dominated like it was
in the past, " he said.
10 | DECEMBER 2024

December 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of December 2024

Editor’s Letter
Talking Tech
Investing in your plant health
Watermelon tests
From farm to can
Cucumber powerhouse
Maximizing crop yield, sustainability at the Great Lakes EXPO
Introducing the 40 Under 40 Class of 2024
2025 VGN Buyers Guide
Veg Connections
Farm Market & Agritourism
Ag Labor Review
Business
Industry News
Events
Classifieds
Ad Index
December 2024 - 1
December 2024 - 2
December 2024 - 3
December 2024 - Editor’s Letter
December 2024 - 5
December 2024 - Talking Tech
December 2024 - 7
December 2024 - Investing in your plant health
December 2024 - 9
December 2024 - Watermelon tests
December 2024 - 11
December 2024 - 12
December 2024 - 13
December 2024 - From farm to can
December 2024 - 15
December 2024 - 16
December 2024 - 17
December 2024 - Cucumber powerhouse
December 2024 - 19
December 2024 - 20
December 2024 - 21
December 2024 - 22
December 2024 - 23
December 2024 - Maximizing crop yield, sustainability at the Great Lakes EXPO
December 2024 - 25
December 2024 - 26
December 2024 - Introducing the 40 Under 40 Class of 2024
December 2024 - 28
December 2024 - 29
December 2024 - 30
December 2024 - 31
December 2024 - 32
December 2024 - 33
December 2024 - 34
December 2024 - 2025 VGN Buyers Guide
December 2024 - 36
December 2024 - 37
December 2024 - 38
December 2024 - 39
December 2024 - 40
December 2024 - 41
December 2024 - 42
December 2024 - 43
December 2024 - 44
December 2024 - 45
December 2024 - 46
December 2024 - 47
December 2024 - 48
December 2024 - 49
December 2024 - 50
December 2024 - 51
December 2024 - 52
December 2024 - 53
December 2024 - Veg Connections
December 2024 - 55
December 2024 - Farm Market & Agritourism
December 2024 - 57
December 2024 - Ag Labor Review
December 2024 - 59
December 2024 - Business
December 2024 - 61
December 2024 - Industry News
December 2024 - Events
December 2024 - Classifieds
December 2024 - 65
December 2024 - Ad Index
December 2024 - 67
December 2024 - 68
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https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/buyersguide-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/january-2022
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https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/february-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/seedguide-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/buyersguide-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/january-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/december-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/november-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/october-2020
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https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/january-2020
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https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/october-2019
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