Ag Alert. July 20, 2022

Grafting Continued from Page 11

go to the end of September if you have healthy plants.” In Wang’s Ripon field trial, the canopy on the nongrafted plants was already be- ginning to decline in late June just as the fruit was to be harvested. As he walked the plots during a recent field day, he pointed out an occasional sunburned watermelon that wouldn’t make it to market. Grafted plants also may yield slightly less during the first harvest than non- grafted plants. Where they make it up is in subsequent pickings. “These grafted melons will probably be shy on the first picking, but on the second or third, they’ll go up and they’ll stay for a while, then go down,” Wang said. Growers can rejuvenate the grafted vines with irrigation and fertilizer, and the plants will set additional fruit. With nongrafted plants, he said, the plants never fully rebound, even with addition- al inputs. With a hefty root system and fewer plants per acre, Wang said, the grafted vines face less competition and are more efficient using water and fertilizer. Last year in his research trial, the nongraft- ed plots yielded an average of 30 tons per acre compared to 45 tons for grafted plants with the same inputs. “The root system is broad. It’s min- ing more from the remote area, so it could use fertilizer and water more efficiently,” Wang said. “It’s reducing the waste and potential leaching into the groundwater.” As part of the grafting trial, he said he plans to conduct a taste test to determine how the rootstocks influence melon fla- vor and sweetness. Information on grafted vegetables, in- cluding rootstock resources and suppli- ers, may be found at vegetablegrafting. org. The site is a portal for researchers and UCCE specialists working to advance the practice nationally. (Vicky Boyd is a reporter based in Modesto. She may be contacted at vlboyd@att.net.)

are compatible. In addition, the same scion may behave differently on differ- ent rootstocks. A vigorous rootstock, for example, may increase fruit size and flesh firmness. As a result, Jarrett said, growers may want to choose a scion variety that would pro- duce slightly smaller fruit with softer flesh on a nongrafted plant. “I think you have to be more careful se- lecting a scion because you want to main- tain healthy sugars in the watermelons and have them size up a little bit bigger,” he said. Plant spacing also may differ. Watermelon growers typically plant one nongrafted plant every 36 inches in the field. Because of the increased vigor of grafted plants, growers may stretch the spacing to 4 to 5 feet without a yield re- duction, Wang said.

University of California Cooperative Extension advisor Zheng Wang, left, says planting grafted watermelons, right, may increase yields and profits, despite added planting expenses.

Even with fewer plants, he said, graft- ed plants cost more per acre because of higher individual plant costs. Lauman said Tri-Hishtil still grafts by hand be-

cause of the procedure’s delicate nature. Nevertheless, growers of grafted mel- ons may be ahead moneywise if they see even a 10% total yield increase over non- grafted fields, Wang said, citing his rough economic calculations. Because of rootstock vigor, many graft- ed watermelon plants tend to produce more leaves and vegetative growth early in the season. This creates a denser can- opy that covers the soil and protects de- veloping fruit from sunburn. The grafted plants initially put more energy into vegetation, which delays flowering, fruit set, fruit enlargement and fruit maturity by about 10 to 14 days com- pared to nongrafted plants, Wang said. But the grafted plant canopy also may stand up much longer during the season than nongrafted plants, allowing growers to make significantly more harvests. Growers may pick a nongrafted field three times compared to seven or eight for a grafted field. The ultimate number of harvests depends on plant health, the market and labor availability, Wang and Jarrett said. “It depends on how the field is hang- ing on,” Jarrett said. “In theory, you could

FOR WORK AND PLAY, MULE ™ SIDE X SIDES ARE BUILT STRONG AND BUILT TO LAST. FOR WORK AND PLAY, MULE ™ SIDE X SIDES ARE BUILT STRONG AND BUILT TO LAST. Assembled in the U.S.A. badge does not apply to MULE PRO-MX ™ models"

FOR WORK AND PLAY, MULE ™ SIDE X SIDES ARE BUILT STRONG AND BUILT TO LAST.

Assembled in the U.S.A. badge does not apply to MULE PRO-MX ™ models"

MODESTO KAWASAKI OF MODESTO 209-529-5424 www.hkmodesto.com

Scan with camera to view videos, key features and more.

KAWASAKI CARES: Read Owner’s Manual and all on-product warnings. Always wear protective gear appropriate for the use of this ʽơǠǫƃȍơࡳ¥ơʽơɭȶɢơɭŔʋơʠȥƎơɭʋǠơǫȥ˫ʠơȥƃơȶǉƎɭʠǌɽȶɭŔȍƃȶǠȶȍࡳáɭȶʋơƃʋʋǠơơȥʽǫɭȶȥȟơȥʋࡳþǠơŔˁŔɽŔȇǫ¡čFॾɽǫƎơˉɽǫƎơǫɽŔȥȶǉǉ࢛ ǠǫǌǠˁŔˊʽơǠǫƃȍơȶȥȍˊ࡬ŔȥƎǫɽȥȶʋƎơɽǫǌȥơƎ࡬ơɩʠǫɢɢơƎȶɭȟŔȥʠǉŔƃʋʠɭơƎǉȶɭʠɽơȶȥɢʠŹȍǫƃɽʋɭơơʋɽ࡬ɭȶŔƎɽȶɭǠǫǌǠˁŔˊɽࡳ¶ŹơˊʋǠơȍŔˁɽ ŔȥƎɭơǌʠȍŔʋǫȶȥɽʋǠŔʋƃȶȥʋɭȶȍʋǠơʠɽơȶǉˊȶʠɭʽơǠǫƃȍơࡳॼ ࠁ ߿ ࠀࠁ ŔˁŔɽŔȇǫ¡ȶʋȶɭɽ-ȶɭɢࡳ࡬čࡳòࡳࡳ KAWASAKI CARES: Read Owner’s Manual and all on-product warnings. Always wear protective gear appropriate for the use of this ʽơǠǫƃȍơࡳ¥ơʽơɭȶɢơɭŔʋơʠȥƎơɭʋǠơǫȥ˫ʠơȥƃơȶǉƎɭʠǌɽȶɭŔȍƃȶǠȶȍࡳáɭȶʋơƃʋʋǠơơȥʽǫɭȶȥȟơȥʋࡳþǠơŔˁŔɽŔȇǫ¡čFॾɽǫƎơˉɽǫƎơǫɽŔȥȶǉǉ࢛ ǠǫǌǠˁŔˊʽơǠǫƃȍơȶȥȍˊ࡬ŔȥƎǫɽȥȶʋƎơɽǫǌȥơƎ࡬ơɩʠǫɢɢơƎȶɭȟŔȥʠǉŔƃʋʠɭơƎǉȶɭʠɽơȶȥɢʠŹȍǫƃɽʋɭơơʋɽ࡬ɭȶŔƎɽȶɭǠǫǌǠˁŔˊɽࡳ¶ŹơˊʋǠơȍŔˁɽ ŔȥƎɭơǌʠȍŔʋǫȶȥɽʋǠŔʋƃȶȥʋɭȶȍʋǠơʠɽơȶǉˊȶʠɭʽơǠǫƃȍơࡳॼ ࠁ ߿ ࠀࠁ ŔˁŔɽŔȇǫ¡ȶʋȶɭɽ-ȶɭɢࡳ࡬čࡳòࡳࡳ

Scan with camera to view videos, key features and more.

KAWASAKI CARES: Read Owner’s Manual and all on-product warnings. Always wear protective gear appropriate for the use of this vehicle. Never operate under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Protect the environment. The Kawasaki MULE™ side x side is an off-highway vehicle only, and is not designed, equipped or manufactured for use on public streets, roads or highways. Obey the laws and regulations that control the use of your vehicle. ©2021 Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A.

• Recycled Gypsum • Compost

• Custom Soil Mixes • Ready-Mix Concrete

www.californiabountiful.com

A Farm Bureau Production

KVPT/18 Fresno

Sun. 11:30 a.m. Sat. 6:00 p.m. Sat. 7:00 p.m

KOVR/13 Sacramento

San Francisco

KPIX/5 KSBY/6

San Luis Obispo Sun. 5:00 a.m. 9:00 a.m.

RFD-TV: Dish Ch. 231, DirectTV Ch. 345

Sun. 8:00 a.m.*

*Times listed are Pacific Time

Now trending

3500 Petaluma Hill Road Santa Rosa, CA 95404

707-543-8400 WWW.WZSUPPLY.COM

@cabountiful

12 Ag Alert July 20, 2022