College Station, Texas
May 12, 2004
How will the watermelon seed
spitting contest survive? Texas watermelon growers are producing
more seedless varieties on more acreage, Texas Cooperative
Extension reports.
According to Dr. Juan Anciso of Weslaco, Extension vegetable
specialist, Texas watermelon production has made a major shift
over the past 10 years.
"Last year production of Texas' seedless variety of watermelon
far surpassed production of seeded watermelons," Anciso said.
"Sixty percent of watermelons last year were seedless."
According to the National
Watermelon Production Board's Web site, Texas was the No.1
watermelon producing state in 2003, producing 770 million pounds
of watermelon.
"Looking back 10 years ago, less than 5 percent of (watermelon)
production was seedless," Anciso said. "The seedless variety has
really begun to dominate."
The change has been fueled and pushed by consumer desires, he
said.
"Consumers love (seedless') smaller size and improved quality,"
he said. "It isn't the ‘seedless' term that brings consumers
back, it's the flavor, sweetness and texture."
According to Anciso, the trend toward increased watermelon
acreage can be explained through straightforward economics.
"If you look at the last five years of watermelon production, on
the average, watermelon prices have been above normal," he said.
"Back in the ‘90s if producers received 7 cents a pound at
market, they were happy. Lately, producers can count on prices
being as high as 10 cents to 12 cents. Acreage will be up."
Joe Radford of Tyler, Extension agent in Smith County, said
watermelon production in his area has increased in acreage as
well.
"Watermelons have become more popular with consumers in our
area," Radford said. "As watermelon demand increases, so do the
number of people who grow them."
Radford and Anciso both attribute the success of watermelons to
the quality of product.
"It's all about consistency," Radford said. "Customers come back
for quality. If you have quality, people will drive for miles
for your product."
Improved cultural practices have helped to produce a consistent
product, Anciso said.
"Bee management has gotten better and producers are using drip
irrigation as well as plastic mulch," he said. "Watermelons are
a desert-type plant and do not like a lot of water at one time.
Drip irrigation helps avoid damage."
Plastic mulch helps warm up soils. "If the roots are warm, the
watermelon will grow and mature faster," he said. It also serves
as a barrier to keep out weeds and prevent decay on the
underside of the crop. Producers use bee management to control
pollination. "Consistency is key," Anciso said.
Thumping is the best way to find the perfect watermelon, he
said.
"The general rule is when you thump, no noise means that it's
probably soft or mealy. What you want to hear is a
‘thumping-out' sound," he said. "Consumers should also look at
the underside of the watermelon. Make sure the color is yellow
before it goes into the grocery cart."
Watermelon producers in the Rio Grande Valley cater to the early
market. Planting takes place from January to February with
harvest beginning this month.
East Texas harvests for Fourth of July celebrations. Planting is
during April with harvest peaking during June and July. Radford
estimated thousands and maybe millions of East Texas watermelons
would be sold over the July holiday weekend. |