By Clint Thompson
North Florida watermelon producers are on the brink of planting this year’s crop. One lingering problem that still concerns growers is fusarium wilt, says Mark Warren, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Extension agent in Levy County.
“I think one of the things that scares our guys the most is this topic of fusarium. It’s a growing challenge in this area. Fresh land is becoming less available or may not even be available anymore; where are we going next?” Warren said. “For the most part our rotations are 5 to 7 years between uses. We’re having to change land every year. We’ve got this growing interest in grafted plants. That provides an opportunity to re-utilize some land multiple times without the challenge of fusarium.”
Land rotation remains a key part of producers’ fight against the disease. However, agricultural land is scarce in the state. That places a priority for growers and industry experts to find alternative methods of managing the disease.
Grafted plants may be that viable alternative. It was estimated that between 8 and 10 growers utilized grafted watermelons last season on approximately 400 to 500 acres.
The area between Levy County and Gilchrist County is where much of the fusarium wilt disease is concentrated.
Fusarium wilt symptoms can appear at any growth stage. If they appear at the seedling stage, the plants will not even make it to vines. Plants infected with the fusarium wilt pathogen will eventually die if the infection is severe. The plant can produce fruit if the infection is weak, but when it begins using the energy necessary to produce fruit, the plant will likely decline and slowly die.