By Adam Russell
Wet weather and bad prices have made it difficult for Texas watermelon producers this growing season, according to Texas A&M AgriLife experts.
Kevin Crosby, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Research vegetable breeder, professor and associate head of graduate programs in the Texas A&M Department of Horticultural Sciences, said persistent rains across watermelon producing areas in South Texas have created a suite of challenges for growers.
Meanwhile, prices have made profitability difficult amid the rising cost of production and added costs associated with poor weather conditions.
“Watermelons need water, but too much can be worse than not enough,” he said. “The timing and persistence of wet conditions has created a lot of hurdles this season, and prices added insult to injury. It’s been a challenging season.”
Texas producers typically plant their watermelon fields with expectations to harvest and market their crops when prices peak during the build-up to Fourth of July holiday festivities.
Persistent rains fuel challenges for watermelon growers
Watermelon growers in the Rio Grande Valley reported more than 20 inches of rain over recent weeks in some areas. There were widespread reports that rain affected pollination, which resulted in low fruit sets and/or malformed fruit from the Valley to the Winter Garden region.
“The biggest issue that I’ve seen has been poor pollination,” said Larry Stein, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service horticulture specialist and professor in the Department of Horticultural Sciences, Uvalde. “Rain impacts bee activity, but it also creates a wealth of plants where bees can get pollen, and that can mean the watermelon vines don’t get the attention they need.”
Rains also increased weed, insect and disease pressure, and wet field conditions have delayed or prevented control treatments.
Source : tamu.edu