Effective Prevention and Control Methods for Watermelon Fruit Cracking in Spring
Watermelon fruit cracking can be divided into field cracking and harvest cracking. Field cracking is the bursting of the rind under static conditions, mainly caused by sudden changes in soil conditions. For example, if soil moisture is low during a certain stage of fruit development, fruit development is hindered; if rain or heavy irrigation suddenly occurs, soil moisture increases sharply, causing the fruit to expand rapidly and crack,...
Watermelon fruit cracking can be divided into field cracking and harvest cracking. Field cracking is the bursting of the rind under static conditions, mainly caused by sudden changes in soil conditions. For example, if soil moisture is low during a certain stage of fruit development, fruit development is hindered; if rain or heavy irrigation suddenly occurs, soil moisture increases sharply, causing the fruit to expand rapidly and crack. Generally, the blossom scar area cracks first, and some believe that cracking is caused by slow development due to low temperatures in the early stage of fruit development followed by rapid expansion. Fruit cracking is related to variety; varieties with thin, brittle rinds are prone to cracking.
Preventive measures: choose varieties that are not prone to cracking, use greenhouse cultivation to protect against rain, and manage fertilizer and water reasonably. Cracking at harvest is caused by thin rinds and vibration during harvesting; experienced melon growers believe that increasing potassium fertilizer application improves rind toughness.