Scholarly record

RESULTS ON A GRAFTED WATERMELON ORGANIC CULTURE FROM BUCHAREST FOR POLLUTION REDUCTION AND EFFICIENT USE OF LAND DESTINED TO URBAN RESEARCH AND EDUCATION

M. Doltu, D. Sora, G. Sovarel

Abstract

The objective of this experimental work was to evaluate a grafted watermelon organic culture at Research and Development Institute for Processing and Marketing of Horticultural Products – Horting, Bucharest, Romania for pollution reduction and efficient use of land destined to urban research and education. The watermelon (Citrullus lanatus sp. vulgaris) is a plant originally from the South Africa and cultivated over all in world. It is a very popular and important crop in Romania. This research was conducted on import watermelon hybrids appreciated in south side. Two F1 hybrid rootstocks: ‘Aurora – NIZ 54-07’ (Lagenaria siceraria) and ‘Nimbus – NIZ 53-46’ (inter-specific hybrid, Cucurbita moschata x C. maxima) and three F1 hybrid scions (C. lanatus sp. vulgaris): ‘Adam’, ‘Odem’ and ‘Vasko’ were used to obtain grafted and ungrafted seedlings. The culture was fertilized with solution (0.1-1%) with macroelements and microelements of organic origin, so: on soil with 4N-4P-4K+2MgO, 3N-6P-12K+3MgO and foliar with N2000mg-P4000mg-K200mg+Fe220mg, Mg550mg, Zn49g, Cu35mg, Mn54mg, B, Ca, Mo, Co, Ni10mg, amino acids, multivitamins, plant enzymes, hormones (auxins, cytokinins, gibberellins) / fertilizer litre and planting density was reduced by half (2500 plants/ha at grafted plants and 6000 plants/ha at ungrafted plants) to a efficient use of land. The results show as the watermelon organic production was influenced by grafting. The grafted watermelon had a superior production, superior quantity (increase of production to 95% ‘Adam’, 96% ‘Odem’, 98% ‘Vasko’) but the fruit quality did not change significantly comparative with ungrafted watermelon – control; differences between grafted and ungrafted: 0.65% soluble dry substance, 0.02% titratable acidity, 0.10% soluble carbohydrates, 0.15% vitamin C. The results obtained in this research have been statistically processed by the variant analysis method; the calculation has been made for 3 levels of significance: 0.05, 0.01 and 0.001. These combinations of rootstock x scion are recommended to be grown in organic cultures from Bucharest. The watermelon organic culture (fruit yield and quality) and the culture medium (soil, air and so on) are positively influenced by grafted plant use on the urban land.

Publication Impact Profile

No metrics available.

PLUMX see details

DOI resolver: doi.org/10.5593/sgemsocial2018/5.2/S19.020

Publication details

Back to publication list