| |
|
Entry Date
|
Nick Name
|
Location
|
|
Friday, April 11, 2014
|
|
BatCaveN8
|
The North Coast
|
 |
Entry 11 of 34 |
 |
|
|
|
The reason I chose to continue the pursuit of big melons is that a few years back I gave some growers some of my plants and they failed miserably. I feel that I owe it to them and to the concept that I support to make it right and find out what went wrong. Since that fateful season I have worked with others in the industry and in academia to formulate a hypothesis and a plan to test it. The idea that the carolina cross seed line is infected with at least one pathogen that degrades its performance (even if it is latent) may seem way out there to some, but it wasn't long ago that I thought that new roots would grow a WR.
My goal this season was to use peracetic acid and a data sheet from academia to 100% disinfect the watermelon seeds. If this could be done and if it is GSB in the seed that destroyed the 2012 season, then this should take care of it and successful grafting to Shintosa would result. While I can perform the disinfection procedure there is no definitive verification outside of the path lab. On the other hand, it is very easy for me to see the signs of GSB at a very early age. As of yet all the grafts are clean and even a single indication of GSB would signal to me a complete failure of the process and I would go back to the drawing board.
|
|
|
