A Light Recipe including Far-Red Wavelength during Healing of Grafted Watermelon Seedlings Enhances the Floral Development and Yield Earliness
Watermelon is widely propagated through grafting, after which seedlings are subjected to healing under controlled conditions including artificial lighting. Light wavelengths, such as blue, red, and far-red, impose considerable effects on seedlings, which possibly carry on to the mature plants. The a...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-07-01
|
| Series: | Agriculture |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/12/7/982 |
| _version_ | 1797441462909009920 |
|---|---|
| author | Filippos Bantis Anna Gkotzamani Christodoulos Dangitsis Athanasios Koukounaras |
| author_facet | Filippos Bantis Anna Gkotzamani Christodoulos Dangitsis Athanasios Koukounaras |
| author_sort | Filippos Bantis |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Watermelon is widely propagated through grafting, after which seedlings are subjected to healing under controlled conditions including artificial lighting. Light wavelengths, such as blue, red, and far-red, impose considerable effects on seedlings, which possibly carry on to the mature plants. The aim of the present study is to examine whether different light wavelengths during healing of grafted watermelon seedlings impose variable effects during field cultivation. After grafting, seedlings were healed in an environmentally controlled healing chamber under fluorescent (FL) lamps and light-emitting diodes, providing 100% red (R), 100% blue (B), 88/12% R/B (12B), and 12B including 5% far-red (12B + FR). After acclimatization, seedlings were transplanted in the field. Vegetative growth until floral initiation was enhanced by 12B and 12B + FR, as shown by stem diameter and leaf number measurements. Flowering was mainly accelerated by 12B + FR and considerably decelerated by FL and B. The same pattern was followed by fruit yield, which was similar for all treatments at the end of the experiment. Nevertheless, fruit quality was not affected by any of the light treatments. It is concluded that a light recipe, including red, blue and far-red, wavelengths during healing of grafted seedlings enhances the overall growth, and flowering and yield earliness of watermelon crops. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T12:23:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1496268c913d40d28993b62d67643668 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-0472 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T12:23:26Z |
| publishDate | 2022-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Agriculture |
| spelling | doaj.art-1496268c913d40d28993b62d676436682023-11-30T22:37:13ZengMDPI AGAgriculture2077-04722022-07-0112798210.3390/agriculture12070982A Light Recipe including Far-Red Wavelength during Healing of Grafted Watermelon Seedlings Enhances the Floral Development and Yield EarlinessFilippos Bantis0Anna Gkotzamani1Christodoulos Dangitsis2Athanasios Koukounaras3Department of Horticulture, Aristotle University, 54124 Thessaloniki, GreeceDepartment of Horticulture, Aristotle University, 54124 Thessaloniki, GreeceAgris S.A., Kleidi, 59300 Imathia, GreeceDepartment of Horticulture, Aristotle University, 54124 Thessaloniki, GreeceWatermelon is widely propagated through grafting, after which seedlings are subjected to healing under controlled conditions including artificial lighting. Light wavelengths, such as blue, red, and far-red, impose considerable effects on seedlings, which possibly carry on to the mature plants. The aim of the present study is to examine whether different light wavelengths during healing of grafted watermelon seedlings impose variable effects during field cultivation. After grafting, seedlings were healed in an environmentally controlled healing chamber under fluorescent (FL) lamps and light-emitting diodes, providing 100% red (R), 100% blue (B), 88/12% R/B (12B), and 12B including 5% far-red (12B + FR). After acclimatization, seedlings were transplanted in the field. Vegetative growth until floral initiation was enhanced by 12B and 12B + FR, as shown by stem diameter and leaf number measurements. Flowering was mainly accelerated by 12B + FR and considerably decelerated by FL and B. The same pattern was followed by fruit yield, which was similar for all treatments at the end of the experiment. Nevertheless, fruit quality was not affected by any of the light treatments. It is concluded that a light recipe, including red, blue and far-red, wavelengths during healing of grafted seedlings enhances the overall growth, and flowering and yield earliness of watermelon crops.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/12/7/982<i>Citrullus lanatus</i>nurseryhealing chambertransplantationphotomorphogenesisflowering |
| spellingShingle | Filippos Bantis Anna Gkotzamani Christodoulos Dangitsis Athanasios Koukounaras A Light Recipe including Far-Red Wavelength during Healing of Grafted Watermelon Seedlings Enhances the Floral Development and Yield Earliness Agriculture <i>Citrullus lanatus</i> nursery healing chamber transplantation photomorphogenesis flowering |
| title | A Light Recipe including Far-Red Wavelength during Healing of Grafted Watermelon Seedlings Enhances the Floral Development and Yield Earliness |
| title_full | A Light Recipe including Far-Red Wavelength during Healing of Grafted Watermelon Seedlings Enhances the Floral Development and Yield Earliness |
| title_fullStr | A Light Recipe including Far-Red Wavelength during Healing of Grafted Watermelon Seedlings Enhances the Floral Development and Yield Earliness |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Light Recipe including Far-Red Wavelength during Healing of Grafted Watermelon Seedlings Enhances the Floral Development and Yield Earliness |
| title_short | A Light Recipe including Far-Red Wavelength during Healing of Grafted Watermelon Seedlings Enhances the Floral Development and Yield Earliness |
| title_sort | light recipe including far red wavelength during healing of grafted watermelon seedlings enhances the floral development and yield earliness |
| topic | <i>Citrullus lanatus</i> nursery healing chamber transplantation photomorphogenesis flowering |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/12/7/982 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT filipposbantis alightrecipeincludingfarredwavelengthduringhealingofgraftedwatermelonseedlingsenhancesthefloraldevelopmentandyieldearliness AT annagkotzamani alightrecipeincludingfarredwavelengthduringhealingofgraftedwatermelonseedlingsenhancesthefloraldevelopmentandyieldearliness AT christodoulosdangitsis alightrecipeincludingfarredwavelengthduringhealingofgraftedwatermelonseedlingsenhancesthefloraldevelopmentandyieldearliness AT athanasioskoukounaras alightrecipeincludingfarredwavelengthduringhealingofgraftedwatermelonseedlingsenhancesthefloraldevelopmentandyieldearliness AT filipposbantis lightrecipeincludingfarredwavelengthduringhealingofgraftedwatermelonseedlingsenhancesthefloraldevelopmentandyieldearliness AT annagkotzamani lightrecipeincludingfarredwavelengthduringhealingofgraftedwatermelonseedlingsenhancesthefloraldevelopmentandyieldearliness AT christodoulosdangitsis lightrecipeincludingfarredwavelengthduringhealingofgraftedwatermelonseedlingsenhancesthefloraldevelopmentandyieldearliness AT athanasioskoukounaras lightrecipeincludingfarredwavelengthduringhealingofgraftedwatermelonseedlingsenhancesthefloraldevelopmentandyieldearliness |