Weslaco
| Transplanted: | February 21, 2005 (Average plant population of 2,613 plants/A). |
| Harvested (three times): | May 19, 26; June 6, 2005 |
| Fertilization: | Fertilized with 4-10-10 at 58.5 gal/A (wt. 10.71 lbs/gal) plus 8 gal/A N-32 (wt. 11.05 lbs/gal) on January 27. Fertigated with calcium nitrate (15.5-0-0-19) at 10 lbs/A on March 29. Fertigated with 9-0-0-7 + Mg (Stoller Root Feed) at 3 gal/A (wt. 10.5 lbs/gal) on May 19. (Rate of actual N-P-K in lbs per acre of 58-63-63 with 4 lbs per acre of calcium). |
| Irrigation: | Transplanted plants into test and irrigated Feb. 21. Drip applied March 3 (injected Admire at 16 fl oz./ac.), March 15, 29, April 4, 14, May 5, and 19. |
| Pest Control: | Pristine at 16 oz/A for gummy stem blight on April 4. Gavel at 2 lbs/A for downy mildew and Intreprid at 6 oz/A for worms on April 15. Acrobat at 6 oz/A for downy mildew and Procure at 6 oz/A for powdery mildew on April 21. Thiodan at 1 quart/A for thrips and Ridomil Gold-Bravo at 2 lbs/A for downy mildew on April 28. Gavel at 2 lbs/A and Biophos at 1 quart/A for downy mildew on May 5. Agri-Fos at 2 quarts/A for downy mildew on May 13. Procure at 6 oz/A for powdery mildew, Prophyt at 2 quarts/A for downy mildew and Thiodan at 2 quarts/A for thrips on May 24. Procure at 6 oz/A for powdery and Agri-Fos at 2 quarts/A for downy on June 3. |
| Study Comments: | Excellent yields. Severe thrips injury at the end of April after the onion harvest. Injury included watermelon fruit. Very little powdery or downy mildew observed in the trial. |
Comanche
| Transplanted: | April 11, 2005 |
| Harvested (once-over): | June 22, 2005 |
| Fertilization: | Fertilized preplant with 150 lbs/A of KMag, 100 lbs/A of 0-0-60, and 10 gallons of 11-37-0. Applied lay-by with 10 gallons of 32-0-0 plus 10 gallons of 11-37-0. Fertigated with pivot irrigation 3 times with 10 gallons of 20-0-3-3. (Rate of actual N-P-K in lbs per acre of 114-74-102 assuming liquid fertilizers weigh 10 lbs per gallon). |
| Irrigation: | Center pivot irrigation applying 0.75 inch each time on April 2, May 2, and June 5. |
| Pest Control: | Treflan at 1 pint/A. Applied fungicides on a 7-10 day interval as needed during the fruiting stage. |
College Station
| Transplanted: | April 18, 2005 (Average plant population of 1,633 plants/A). |
| Harvested (three times): | June 29; July 7; July13, 2005 |
| Fertilization: | Weekly applications of fertilizer thru drip consisting of N-32 one week then 8-23-6 the next week, at a rate of 5 gal/A with enough water to wet the bed under the plastic mulch. |
| Irrigation: | As needed |
| Pest Control: | One application of Admire thru drip when vine length was 18-24 inches at a rate of 2 oz./A. Two applications of fungicides sprayed with one at the vining stage and the other about 10 days prior to first harvest. |
| Study Comments: | The vines gave out by the third harvest due to a combination of heavy foot traffic during the second harvest followed by rainy conditions immediately following the second harvest. |
La Pryor
| Transplanted: | April 19, 2005 (Average plant population of 2,613 plants/A). |
| Harvested (once-over): | July 14, 2005 |
| Fertilization: | 400 lbs of 14-28-14 per acre pre-plant incorporated followed by 6 gallons per acre of 9-24-3 injected via the drip system three times. (Rate of actual N-P-K in lbs per acre of 62-127-58). |
| Irrigation: | Drip; April 16; May 18 (20 units); June 1 (20) units |
| Pest Control: | Applied ½ pint of Admire plus 2 ½ gallons of diazinon injected at planting via the drip system. 2 applications of Manzate at 1 quart per acre and 1 application of Kocide at 2 lbs per acre. |
| Study Comments: | The plastic covered trial beds increased growth by two fold over the rest of the field not covered in plastic as it was a cool spring. This greatly enhanced overall production. |
Lubbock
| Transplanted: | May 23, 2005 (Average plant population of 2,178 plants/A). |
| Harvested (two times): | August 8; August 18, 2005 |
| Fertilization: | Nitrogen was pre-plant incorporated at 80 lbs to the field 4 weeks prior to planting. (Rate of actual N-P-K in lbs per acre of 80-0-0). |
| Irrigation: | Daily with drip irrigation due to dry conditions this season. |
| Study Comments: | Plots were sprayed with Strategy herbicide (note: herbicide was accidentally incorporated and this delayed optimal growth by about two weeks). Watermelons were transplanted on raised beds at 36” in-row and 80” between row spacing. Due to heavy winds half of the plastic put down was lost. As a result the remainder was pulled up and the trial was completed with no plastic on any beds. Insecticides and fungicides were applied as needed, and plots hand-weeded weekly. |
