Research is the fuel that drives the watermelon industry, and funding that research is a key component of the National Watermelon Association’s mission. The organization recently announced funding for a half-dozen significant new projects.

Each year, the NWA reviews proposals from educational institutions and research organizations around the country and funds a handful of the most promising. Typically, projects most pertinent to resolving problems from the previous season move to the top of the list.

USDA/ARS plant pathologist Pat Wechter and plant geneticist Amnon Levi examine watermelon for fruit quality as part of a study on the effects of genetics on ripening. (Photos courtesy of Peggy Greb, USDA/ARS)This year, 16 proposals made it to the final consideration process. Following a review by the NWA research committee, the finalists were presented to the NWA board of directors for discussion and final determination of the 2013 grant recipients.

“We were pleased with the submitted projects for consideration, which gave our committee a broad base to review and select from. We wish we could award more. The selected work became the highest priority in the deliberations, following the 2012 season’s results,” said NWA Executive Director Bob Morrissey. “The independent scoring team and our research committee did a great job of discussing and evaluating each and every proposal submitted. Thank you to all that submitted. We look forward to the success of each work product in our joint efforts to solve grower issues.”

“My biggest concern is the continuing decline in public-funded research that we’re experiencing across the U.S. with state legislatures and Congress — and I don’t think I need to prove to anybody the relevance of the work a land grant university does for its state and ag resources,” said Jack Payne, senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources at the University of Florida, which landed two of this year’s half-dozen grants. “We need good science to be able to solve problems and be innovative so we can stay competitive.”

Request for proposals for the 2014 season will be issued on or about July 1, Morrissey said.

The winning projects and researchers for 2013 are:

• Determining sensitivity of watermelon Fusarium wilt pathogen to chemical fungicides — Pingsheng Ji and Venkatesan Parkunan, University of Georgia; Mathews Paret, University of Florida.
• Sensitivity of the gummy stem blight fungus to new fungicide active ingredients — Tony Keinath, Clemson University.
• Evaluation of selected fungicides and Actigard for the control of Fusarium wilt of watermelon — F. Hunt Sanders and David Langton, University of Georgia; Tim Flanders, Berrien County (GA) Extension.
• Field trial for Fusarium wilt race 2 resistance in watermelon — Cecelia McGregor and Geoffrey Meru, University of Georgia.
• Integrated management of gummy stem blight using a bio-fungicide, a systemic acquired resistance inducer, an oxidizer and fungicides — Mathews Paret, Steve Olson and Nick Dufault, University of Florida.
• Managing Phytophthora fruit rot of watermelon — C.S. ‘Shaker’ Kousik, USDA/Agricultural Research Service; Pingsheng Ji, University of Georgia.