A Light Recipe including Far-Red Wavelength during Healing of Grafted Watermelon Seedlings Enhances the Floral Development and Yield Earliness

Filippos Bantis, Anna Gkotzamani, Christodoulos Dangitsis and Athanasios Koukounaras
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Filippos Bantis: Department of Horticulture, Aristotle University, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Anna Gkotzamani: Department of Horticulture, Aristotle University, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Christodoulos Dangitsis: Agris S.A., Kleidi, 59300 Imathia, Greece
Athanasios Koukounaras: Department of Horticulture, Aristotle University, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece

Agriculture, 2022, vol. 12, issue 7, 1-10

Abstract: Watermelon is widely propagated through grafting, after which seedlings are subjected to healing under controlled conditions including artificial lighting. Light wavelengths, such as blue, red, and far-red, impose considerable effects on seedlings, which possibly carry on to the mature plants. The aim of the present study is to examine whether different light wavelengths during healing of grafted watermelon seedlings impose variable effects during field cultivation. After grafting, seedlings were healed in an environmentally controlled healing chamber under fluorescent (FL) lamps and light-emitting diodes, providing 100% red (R), 100% blue (B), 88/12% R/B (12B), and 12B including 5% far-red (12B + FR). After acclimatization, seedlings were transplanted in the field. Vegetative growth until floral initiation was enhanced by 12B and 12B + FR, as shown by stem diameter and leaf number measurements. Flowering was mainly accelerated by 12B + FR and considerably decelerated by FL and B. The same pattern was followed by fruit yield, which was similar for all treatments at the end of the experiment. Nevertheless, fruit quality was not affected by any of the light treatments. It is concluded that a light recipe, including red, blue and far-red, wavelengths during healing of grafted seedlings enhances the overall growth, and flowering and yield earliness of watermelon crops.

Keywords: Citrullus lanatus; nursery; healing chamber; transplantation; photomorphogenesis; flowering; crop production; antioxidants (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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