Drip-irrigation Management for Watermelon in a Humid Region

A study was conducted to evaluate the effects of drip-irrigation application amounts on watermelon [Citrollus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum and Nakai] fruit yield and quality. Crimson Sweet, Jack of Hearts, Mickylee, Royal Jubilee, and Sangria watermelon varieties were evaluated under three drip-irrigation rates in a randomized block design during the 1992, 1993, and 1994 spring production seasons at the University of Florida Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, Bradenton. The irrigation amount and subsequent duration for the base irrigation schedule were based on fractions (irrigation ratio) of grass-based Penman reference evapotranspiration (ETo) calculated from local weather data. The base schedule (1X treatment) used irrigation ratios that ranged from 0.10 early in the season to 0.30 at peak growth and development. Application amounts were applied daily in a single irrigation cycle. A second (2X) or third (3X) irrigation cycle, each of equal duration, was added to the daily schedule to apply two or three times the 1X amount, respectively.