What to Do About Watermelon Fruit Abortion? Causes and Solutions Explained

During the growth process, watermelons can develop a physiological disorder known as fruit abortion, which severely affects watermelon yield and may even cause total crop failure, bringing huge economic losses to farmers. So what causes watermelon fruit abortion? How can it be solved? Let's take a look at the detailed introduction below.

1. Symptoms of fruit abortion

Fruit abortion refers to the phenomenon in which watermelons, during cultivation, fail to develop fruit for a long time. Specifically, it manifests as young fruit turning yellow, softening and stopping development after flowering. Some fruit may appear to have set, but abort within a short time, while others show growth at the top and abortion at the bottom, and some simply do not grow at all. Fruit abortion has an extremely large impact on watermelon yield. Young fruit with flowers stops growing, its surface turns brown, and the young fruit shrivels until it dries up and drops off.

2. Causes

Prolonged rainy weather during the flowering period leads to abnormal watermelon metabolism and prevents normal pollination and fertilization. In addition, in high-humidity environments, the fruit-setting rate of watermelons is low. Improper fertilization leads to excessive vegetative growth of the watermelon, affecting reproductive growth and causing failure to set fruit. The same applies to watering: improper timing of watering can also cause failure to set fruit. Poor pruning techniques result in a single vine producing 5 or 6 branches, or even more, which vary in vigor, compete with each other for water and nutrients, and have poor air circulation, leading to fruit abortion. In addition, failure to control pests and diseases in time can also cause fruit abortion, such as Fusarium wilt, aphids, red spider mites, and so on.

3. Solutions

First, choose a suitable sowing time according to the different varieties. When planting, try to choose sandy loam soil with good aeration and avoid low-lying land to prevent waterlogging damage. Fertilize according to the growth condition of the seedlings, and especially control the use of nitrogen fertilizer. In plots with good fertility, use less nitrogen fertilizer to avoid excessive vine growth caused by one-sided application of nitrogen. If no special circumstances occur during the germination and seedling stages of the watermelon, watering is not advisable. Water once during the vine-running stage. During the fruit-setting stage, moisture is more important; water once lightly if there is drought, otherwise do not water, to prevent fruit abortion. Prune in a timely manner, adopting single-vine, double-vine, or triple-vine pruning methods according to different varieties. Control pests and diseases in a timely manner, but pay attention when using pesticides: the pesticide should not be too concentrated, and spraying is best avoided during the flowering period.

The above is an introduction to the causes and solutions of watermelon fruit abortion. We hope it helps you. To learn more related knowledge, please stay tuned to us.