Abstract
Watermelon seedlings may be repeatedly exposed to temperatures alternating between almost freezing and optimal temperatures for growth during stand establishment in coastal South Carolina. `Carnival' watermelon transplants were exposed to 2 °C for 3, 6, and 9 h, for 1, 3, 6, and 9 days in a walk-in cooler and then to warm temperatures (24 °C) immediately prior to field planting. Our objective was to determine the long term effect of early season cold temperature exposure on seedling growth, earliness, yield and quality by simulating the cold/warm alternations possible in the field. Cold-stressed transplants were field planted after the risk of ambient cold stress was negligible. Exposure to cycling cold temperatures generally did not affect earliness, total productivity and quality, although seedling growth characteristics were reduced in response to the longer cold-stress treatment. Therefore, cold temperature stresses occurring in the field at transplanting have negligible beneficial or detrimental effects on yield potential of `Carnival' watermelon.
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