Sugar Baby Research Articles

Development and evaluation of probiotic jam from watermelon rind with microencapsulated Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Lactobacillus casei

Watermelons are generally consumed fresh, but their rind is disposed of as waste. In the present study, jam variants of watermelon (cv. Sugar Baby) were prepared with rind and pulp. Jam variants were inoculated with chitosan-coated calcium alginate beads with prebiotic inulin microencapsulating probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus (ATCC 7469) and Lactobacillus casei (ATCC 393). Micro-encapsulated probiotics survived better in simulated intestinal juices than in gastric juices. During ninety days of storage, jam variants’ physicochemical, sensory and microbial properties were assessed. Micro-encapsulated probiotics had a non-significant effect on the physico-chemical characteristics of watermelon jam variants during storage. In the sensory analysis of watermelon jam variants, jam having 50% endocarp and 50% rind was most accepted. A probiotic count of 107 colony forming unit per gram was observed in the rind jam variant after ninety days of storage, and no coliform count was observed. Present work implies that a novel synbiotic (probiotic with prebiotic) jam could be prepared using watermelon rind.

Effect of hydrogen peroxide application on physiology, production, and post-harvest quality of mini watermelon under salt stress

It is extremely important to identify an alternative capable of minimizing the effects of salt stress on plants. In this context, the objective of this study was to evaluate the physiology, growth, production, and post-harvest quality of mini watermelon as a function of irrigation water salinity and hydrogen peroxide. The experiment was conducted in pots adapted as drainage lysimeters under greenhouse conditions, using a randomized block design in a 5 × 4 factorial scheme, corresponding to five levels of electrical conductivity of irrigation water – ECw (0.3 – control, 1.0, 1.7, 2.4, and 3.1 dS m−1) and four concentrations of hydrogen peroxide – H2O2 (0, 20, 40, and 60 μM), with three replicates. The results obtained in the present study indicate that Sugar Baby mini watermelon is sensitive to saline stress, with its physiology, production, and fruit quality negatively affected by irrigation with water of electrical conductivity above 0.3 dS m−1. However, foliar application of hydrogen peroxide at a concentration of 20 µM partially reduces the harmful effects of saline stress, especially for plants irrigated with ECw of 0.3 dS m−1.

Reactions of Citrullus amarus and Cucumis metuliferus to Meloidogyne chitwoodi, Meloidogyne enterolobii and Meloidogyne luci

Meloidogyne chitwoodi, M. enterolobii, and M. luci are present in some EU countries, with restricted distributions, and plant resistance can be used to manage these nematodes. Two pot experiments were conducted under controlled conditions for 56 d to assess the host suitability of two potential rootstocks, Cucumis metuliferus BGV11135 and Citrullus amarus BGV5167, to one isolate of each nematode. The susceptible cucumber (Cucumis sativus) ‘Dasher II’, watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) ‘Sugar Baby’ and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) ‘Coração-de-Boi’ were included for comparisons. A histopathological study using confocal-laser microscopy was also conducted 15 d after nematode inoculations. In the pot test, the rootstocks showed lower numbers of galls, egg masses, and eggs per plant than their susceptible ones. Reproduction indices of the rootstocks varied from immune to moderately resistant, depending on the isolate-rootstock combination. In the histopathological study, M. enterolobii and M. luci induced similar numbers of giant cells (GC) per feeding site in all germplasms. However, GC volumes and numbers of nuclei in rootstocks were lower than in the susceptible germplasms. GCs induced by M. chitwoodi were only detected in susceptible cucumber. These results emphasize the potential of C. metuliferus and C. amarus as effective, eco-friendly strategies for managing root-knot nematodes, and show the complex these host-pathogen interactions.

Experiences of women with gestational diabetes about fear of having diabetes in their babies: A qualitative study.

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus is an important public health problem that often occurs during pregnancy. This study aimed to reveal the experiences of women with gestational diabetes regarding the fear of having diabetes in their babies. A qualitative research method was carried out with a phenomenological approach. The interviews had a semi-structured form and were recorded on an online/face-to-face voice recorder, and thematic content analysis was performed on the MAXQDA22. Following the inclusion criteria, 12 women with gestational diabetes from the 2 hospitals in the study were included, and in this way, the study reached saturation. As a result of the interviews, 4 main themes and one subtheme were obtained from coding. The main themes were "sugar baby," "risky child," "raising a fearful baby," and "problematic gene carrier." From the main theme of "problematic gene carrier," the subtheme of "pregnancies with problematic genes" was created. This research sheds light on the problems women with gestational diabetes experience with themselves and their babies, and how they deal with these problems. Women with gestational diabetes try to accept and cope with the diagnosis. This research shows that the women were worried about both themselves and their babies. Illuminating the experiences of women with gestational diabetes is part of an integrative care approach that will help increase quality care and treatment in endocrine clinics. More qualitative studies are needed to learn more about the experiences of women with gestational diabetes in endocrine clinics.

Mapping and validation of Fusarium wilt race 2 resistance QTL from Citrullus amarus line USVL246-FR2

Key messageFon race 2 resistant QTLs were identified on chromosomes 8 and 9. Families homozygous for resistance alleles at a haplotype of three KASP markers had 42% lower disease severity than those with susceptible alleles in an independent, interspecific validation population confirming their utility for introgression of Fusarium wilt resistance.Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum (Fon) race 2 causes Fusarium wilt in watermelon and threatens watermelon production worldwide. Chemical management options are not effective, and no resistant edible watermelon cultivars have been released. Implementation of marker-assisted selection to develop resistant cultivars requires identifying sources of resistance and the underlying quantitative trait loci (QTL), developing molecular markers associated with the QTL, and validating marker-phenotype associations with an independent population. An intraspecific Citrullus amarus recombinant inbred line population from a cross of resistant USVL246-FR2 and susceptible USVL114 was used for mapping Fon race 2 resistance QTL. KASP markers were developed (N = 51) for the major QTL on chromosome 9 and minor QTL on chromosomes 1, 6, and 8. An interspecific F2:3 population was developed from resistance donor USVL246-FR2 (C. amarus) and a susceptible cultivar ‘Sugar Baby’ (Citrullus lanatus) to validate the utility of the markers for introgression of resistance from the wild crop relative into cultivated watermelon. Only 16 KASP markers segregated in the interspecific C. amarus/lanatus validation population. Four markers showed significant differences in the separation of genotypes based on family-mean disease severity, but together explained only 16% of the phenotypic variance. Genotypes that inherited homozygous resistant parental alleles at three KASP markers had 42% lower family-mean disease severity than homozygous susceptible genotypes. Thus, haplotype analysis was more effective at predicting the mean disease severity of families than single markers. The haplotype identified in this study will be valuable for developing Fon race 2 resistant watermelon cultivars.

Evaluation of Small Sized Watermelon Varieties for the Bhutanese Market

Watermelon is one of the important emerging cash crops in Bhutan contributing to the generation of farmer’s income. However, a major challenge in watermelon farming in Bhutan is the lack of varieties with fruit sizes preferable to the consumers. Therefore, this research aimed to evaluate new hybrid watermelon varieties with smaller sized fruits for commercial cultivation in Bhutan. This study was conducted in four different locations in three research centres (ARDC Wengkhar, ARDC Bajo and ARDC Samteling). Six hybrid varieties namely, PPS 142, PPS 304, PPS 313, PPS 315, PPS 317 and Sugar Baby (check) were evaluated with two replications following completely randomized design. Fruit weight, diameter, height, Total Soluble Solids (TSS), fruit colour, flesh colour and yield per plot were recorded from the sample fruits. In addition, market and consumer preference surveys were conducted involving 11 vendors and 20 consumers in Mongar to evaluate the acceptability of varieties by vendors and consumers. The results showed that there was no significant difference in fruit weight, TSS, crop duration and yield among the six varieties. However, significant location-based variation was observed in the fruit weight and yield. All the varieties fell within the medium- sized category, commonly referred to as the “icebox” type in Lingmethang, Bajo and Panbang while it fell under “personal” type in Samtenling. The consumer and market preference survey indicated a preference for medium-sized, round fruits with a dark green colour, which aligns with the characteristics observed in the evaluated varieties. This result of this study provides varietal choices to farmers to produce and market suitable varieties and for consumers to obtain optimum fruit size varieties for consumption.

“I Was Worshiped and in Control”: Sugar Arrangements Involving Transactional Sex from the Perspective of Both Sugar Babies and Sugar Benefactors

ABSTRACT Sugar dating arrangements involve an older partner (“sugar daddy/mommy”) who provides financial support to a younger partner (“sugar baby”) in exchange for intimacy. The current study recruited a U.S. and Canadian sample of sugar babies (n = 45) and sugar benefactors (n = 32) through social media sources to survey them about perceived power in their sugar arrangement, gender roles, and stigma. Sugar benefactors did not differ in perceived power from sugar babies, nor in endorsement of traditional gender roles or stigma. Directed content analysis analyzing open-ended responses about associated outcomes indicated that both partners placed strong emphasis on companionship despite the importance of sex within arrangements. Sugar babies reported that money drives participation, although arrangements fulfill other needs, such as pleasure. Other benefits include having an arrangement with clear boundaries and expectations. Disadvantages include concerns for safety, that being physical safety for babies, and reputation and being used for money for daddies. Notably, both groups perceived sugar babies as having equal or more power than sugar benefactors, although this was often attributed to sugar babies’ attractiveness and youth. Findings include insights from both babies and benefactors, and support perspectives that sugar dating is distinct from traditional sex work.

Bio/nekropolityka

BIO/NECROPOLITICS: SPHINX The article examines two sculptures, one by Krzysztof M. Bednarski (Sphinx: To Great Builders from the Pharaohs to Joseph Stalin, 1984), the other by Kara Walker (A Subtlety, or the Marvelous Sugar Baby, 2014). It investigates the impact of ancient Egypt on contemporary art, and shows how using forms from the past can bring awareness to issues relevant to our world today – such as social equality and racial justice, power over land and people. The body of sphinx and the body of sphinga serve as the metaphor of a battleground between the techniques of discipline and the practices of resistance. The conceptual framework used in the analysis borrows from the theories of bio- and necropolitics.

Dripping in molasses: Black feminist nostalgia and Kara Walker’s A Subtlety

ABSTRACT Kara Walker is best known for her depictions of sexualized violence and gendered racism during slavery in the form of black paper silhouettes. Scholars such as Salamishah Tillet argue that Walker's art, along with art by some of her post-civil rights contemporaries, offers ‘aesthetic interventions’ to problematic racial histories as part of a larger project of memory reclamation and justice. Walker's A Subtlety, Or the Marvelous Sugar Baby, an Homage to the unpaid and overworked Artisans who have refined our Sweet tastes from the cane fields to the Kitchens of the New World on the Occasion of the demolition of the Domino Sugar Refining Plant is another such interventionist project. Debuting in the Williamsburg neighbourhood of Brooklyn, New York in May of 2014, A Subtlety explores how a figure like mammy ‘survives as a cultural force that influences and reflects a national conscience’ (Wallace Sanders [2008]. Mammy: a century of race, gender, and southern memory. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press, 12). And yet, to say that the historical rootedness of the title, sugar sphinx sculpture, and molasses-covered walls and cherub-faced small figures throughout the installation were ambiguous to some spectators, is an understatement. Hundreds of photographs and videos were uploaded to social media sites with people making gestures towards the figure that some critics deemed highly inappropriate. This paper explores how A Subtlety both understands and undermines representations of Black women's bodies and how Black artists in the African diaspora contend with complex cultural signs of the past in the present. Utilizing studies of Black feminist theory and visual culture, I argue that Walker’s A Subtlety – and her art more broadly – offers theoretical and geographic space to ponder where Black pleasure and collective memory can exist in systems of misogynoir, as well as in the Black nostalgic imagination.

Resistance Characteristics of Watermelon Cultivars to Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum

Fusarium wilt, caused by <i>Fusarium oxysporum</i> f. sp. <i>niveum</i> (Fon) is a serious disease in watermelon cultivation. Most of commercialized watermelon cultivars to Fusarium wilt are susceptible in Korea. Fon isolates were divided into four races (races 0, 1, 2, and 3), based on pathogenicity in four watermelon differentials including ‘Sugar baby’, ‘Charleston gray’, ‘Calhoun gray’ and ‘PI-296341-<i>FR</i>’. We obtained 7 isolates of Fon and tested to determine race of the fungal strains. Fon KACC 40902 and Fon HA were race 0 and Fon NW1, Fon NW2, Fon CW and Fon KACC 40901 were race 1. And Fon KACC 40905 was race 2, but race 3 isolate of Fon was not founded. We also tested virulence of seven Fon isolates on three-susceptible cultivars of watermelon. The isolates showed different virulence on the cultivars. In addition, to study the resistance characteristics of watermelon to Fon, we selected three moderately or highly resistant cultivars of watermelon and occurrence of Fusarium wilt in seedlings of the cultivars by seven Fon isolates was investigated. Among them, ‘Calhoun gray’ is highly resistant to six Fon isolates except Fon KACC 40905. On the other two cultivars, disease severity of Fusarium wilt caused by each isolate was positively correlated with the virulence of the Fon isolates. The results suggest that resistance of the watermelon cultivars to Fon isolates is likely affected by the virulence of the pathogen.

The Allure of Transactional Intimacy in Sugar Dating

The proliferation of “sugar dating” websites, facilitating transactional relationships between a “sugar baby” and a “sugar daddy,” raises new questions about the reconfigured relationship between intimacy and economy in the contemporary Global North. By encouraging people to approach sex and intimacy through a logic of exchange, sugar dating has been claimed to represent the culmination of a broader trend towards a ”marketization” of intimacy. Based on semi-structured interviews, this article analyzes Swedish “sugar babies”’ investment in a transactional approach to intimate interactions with men, focusing on the emotional rewards that they associate with the transactional setup of sugar dating. While the participants’ transactional approach to intimacy is bolstered by the cultural dispersal of a neoliberal rationality into ever more domains of life, I argue that its deeper roots need to be sought in the precarious conditions of contemporary intimacy. Drawing in particular on the work of Eva Illouz, I claim that the women’s embracement of a transactional approach to heterosexual sex and intimacy may be read as a defensive tactic of seeking to gain control over the flows of intimate interaction in light of the (gendered) insecurities and vulnerabilities of the contemporary market of intimacy.

Assessment of Some Chemical Pollutants in Soil and Watermelon Samples Cultivated in Benisheikh, Borno State, Nigeria

The study was conducted to determine the concentration of heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Cu, Ni, Mn, Fe, Zn and Co); ions (NO3 – , NO2 – , PO4 3- , SO4 -2 , K+ , Na+ , Ca2+ and Mg2+); in seed, pulp, leaves, stem and root of watermelon (sugar baby and crimson sweet) and physical parameters (pH, Electrical Conductivity, Organic Carbon and Organic Matter) in soil at different depth (0-10cm, 10-20cm and 20-30cm from Benisheikh, Kaga LGA, Borno State, for the period of three months. Atomic Absorption and UV visible smart spectrophotometer were used to analyse the samples obtained for this study. The results of this study showed that the pH of the soil samples ranges from 4.30 ± 0.15 to 6.40 ± 0.56, revealing that the soils were slightly acidic. Organic carbon values ranges between 0.23 ±0.11-1.55 ±0.10 % and organic matter values ranges between 16.30 ±2.45-4.15 ± 0.25 %. Organic carbon and organic matter showed the lowest. The concentration 0.86 ± 0.12 µg/g of iron is the highest in the leaves and least in the stem (0.13±0.02 µg/g). Lead showed the least concentration of 0.02±0.01 µg/g in pulp. The levels of Heavy metals increased significantly (p <0.05) based on depth. The ions, calcium and potassium showed the highest concentration in leaves with values 57.14±0.02 µg/g and 52.22±0.04 µg/g while nitrite, phosphate and sulphate showed the lowest concentration in pulp and seed samples analyzed. The concentration of all the parameters analyzed was below the threshold limits set by World Health Organization. Thus, watermelon samples from Benisheikh may not constitute possible health hazard.

First report of Bipolaris sorokiniana leaf spot disease on watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) in Florida.

Watermelon is an important crop in Florida, representing $88.2 million in cash receipts in 2015 (USDA/NASS 2017). In April and May 2021, the UF/IFAS Plant Diagnostic Center in Gainesville, Florida received eight diseased watermelon leaf samples from Alachua, Gilcrest, Levy, and Suwannee counties in Florida. Lesions were round to oblong, light gray to tan with reddish brown margins and white to light gray center, and some were coalescing resulting in about 15% disease severity. Symptomatic leaf tissue (0.5 cm2) was surface sterilized in 0.6% sodium hypochlorite for one minute, rinsed with sterile tap water, plated onto water agar media plates, and incubated at 27°C under 12-h light/dark cycle for 7 days. Characteristic Bipolaris conidia with gray to black brownish cottony mycelial growth were consistently found growing from plated lesions. The pathogen was isolated from two of the eight samples using a 0.5 mm diameter sterile metal needle to transfer a single conidium onto DifcoTM Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) plates. Three isolates were designated G21-562 from Levy and G21-599a and G21-599b from Alachua County. All three isolates produced curved or straight, cylindrical, obclavate, distoseptate brownish gray conidia with 3 to 8 septa, mostly tapering towards ends with dark brownish to black hilum, that ranged from averaged 62um x 25um (n=30, SD=8 for length and 3 for width). Conidiophores were brownish, septate, smooth, and straight, single or in small groups, simple or branched, and swollen at the upper tip. Internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) and partial glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH) gene sequences were amplified using primers ITS1/ITS4 and GPD-1/GPD-2 (Berbee et al. 1999). Reference sequences (Adhikari et al. 2020 and Manamgoda et al. 2014) were aligned using MUSCLE and trimmed to consistent length. Using concatenated sequence alignments of both loci, a maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree was constructed based on K2+G substitution model selected by BIC using Mega X (Kumar et al. 2018) with 1,000 bootstrap. The ITS and GPDG sequences of G21_599b, G21_599a and G21_562 (GenBank accessions OK614094 to 96, OP297398 to 400) showed 100% identity across 888 nucleotides across both loci to B. sorokiniana isolates CBS_110.14 and CBS_ 120.24 and were distinct from other reference isolates. To fulfill Koch's postulates, all three isolates were grown on PDA at 27°C and 12-h light/dark cycle. After a week, conidia were harvested in sterile water, and the conidial suspensions were adjusted to 105 conidia/ml using a hemocytometer. Each conidial suspension and Tween 20 water control was sprayed onto three seedlings of 'Sugar Baby' watermelon until runoff, and inoculated seedlings were sealed in a plastic bag for 24 hrs. The experiment was done in a greenhouse (20- 25°C) and repeated once. After a week of incubation, the same leaf lesion symptoms described above were observed on seedlings inoculated with conidia, whereas seedlings sprayed with the control were asymptomatic. Isolations from symptomatic tissue produced gray to black mycelia with conidia that were the same as described from field samples. To our knowledge, this is the first report of leaf spot on watermelon caused by B. sorokiniana. B. sorokiniana is a common pathogen of grasses and agronomic crops (Farr and Rossman 2020). The extent to which this emerging disease of Florida watermelon may negatively impact production is unknown and should be the subject of future observation and research.

Produção e qualidade de mini melancia submetida ao estresse salino e razões K+/Ca2+

ABSTRACT Nutritional management can be an efficient strategy to mitigate the effects of salinity on fruit production and quality. This study aimed to evaluate the production and quality of fruits of mini watermelon crop, Sugar Baby cultivar, grown in a protected environment, under salt stress and K+/Ca2+ ratios. The study was carried out in a greenhouse, using a randomized block design, 1 + 5 scheme, resulting in six treatments and four replications. Six nutrient solutions were employed, one using low-salinity water, with NaCl (0.5 dS m-1) and standard nutrient solution (S1, control treatment), and the others using salinized water at 5.0 dS m-1 (S2) and extra addition of K (S3 = 50% and S4 = 100%) and Ca (S5 = 50% and S6 = 100%). The production (fruit production, longitudinal and transverse diameter of fruit, rind thickness, pulp firmness) and postharvest quality (soluble solids, vitamin C, titratable acidity, and maturation index), in addition to the variables related to the color of the pulp (lightness, chroma index, and Hue angle) were evaluated. The addition of NaCl reduced fruit production, longitudinal, and transverse diameter of fruit, rind thickness, and vitamin C content. Among saline nutrient solutions, extra addition of 50% K (S3) attenuates the deleterious effects of salt stress on the production variables and vitamin C content. Under salt stress, extra addition of 50% K (S3) and 100% Ca (S6) intensifies the red color of the pulp.

The Use of Different Modes of Transportation Affects the Chemical Qualities of Watermelon Fruits (Citrullus lanatus [Thunb]) Transported from the Farm Gates in the Hinterlands to the Urban Markets in the Tamale Metropolis in the Northern Region of Ghana

The perishable nature of fruits and vegetables are a major concern to post harvest scientist. Postharvest handling practices particularly, mode of transportation is contributing to loss of essential chemical qualities of watermelon fruits. This study sought to identify the means of transport responsible for chemical damage in watermelons and also to assess watermelon varieties affected by these modes of transport in the Tamale Metropolis in Ghana. It revealed that watermelon conveyed by Kia Mini Truck (0.80 t) mode of transportation experienced the highest chemical damages (13.82 %) while watermelon conveyed by Mini Pick-up Truck recorded the least chemical damage (13.3%). It also showed that Sugar baby variety encountered the highest chemical damages (13.82%) while Crimson sweet variety recorded the lowest value (13.2 %) Keywords : Chemical qualities, Total tartritable acidity, Total soluble solids, and moisture DOI: 10.7176/JBAH/13-4-05 Publication date: March 31 st 2023

America: What Time is Love?

America:What Time is Love? Satori Good (bio) Dude she's spawning. Hide the spade!" "Which one?" "Hurry she's right behind—" "Which one!" I yell, spamming A. The Skeleton King's spine morphs into a serpent that wraps around Stalker24's throat. "Alecto!" Shit. I scroll through my inventory and chuck the spade, but it's too late. Alecto, with her owl eyes and snake arms, is impossible to beat. She possesses the king's body, hoists the spade with ease, and whacks me over the head. ERINYES WIN. I shove my desk in frustration. A mixture of apple cider vinegar, dish soap, and dead gnats splashes on the floor. I soak it up with a pair of boxers. "I told you to hide the spade," says Stalker24 when I reenter the chat. "We were so close—" "Another round?" It's 2:45. "I should shower before work." "Marcel, you're so boring," he says. Stalker24 likes my name, and never forgets it either. His is something Jag. Jaguar. "Jagdish, not everyone owns a crypto empire." "Offer still stands. You move to Delhi, and we play Fight of Furies every day. No work!" "Cap." "No cap." I shut the laptop because he gets on my last nerve, lounging in his Sultanpur luxury farmhouse while I can barely afford boots that adhere to the TSA Personal Appearance Standard. [End Page 59] He's sweet though, Stalker24. I strip off my hoodie and start the shower. If I wanted to abandon my bleary-eyed life in this shitty suburban condo, Jagdish's farmhouse would be my first stop. We'd hang Halloween fairy lights around his hot tub. Mix Fireball with Angry Orchards and watch the Survivor fiftieth anniversary special. Talk about our favorite band, the Kopyright Liberation Front, and their money-burning and sheep-killing stunts in the name of anarchy and art. But Jagdish built his life online. I built mine with food stamps and job interviews. I'm no sugar baby. _______ As a kid I had nine career plans. Environmental biologist for the EPA. Architectural engineer. Truck driver. Bar bouncer. Anthropologist, sociologist, Buffalo Wild Wings manager. Museum curator. Professor in African American Studies, which I went to school for, until there were no job openings and my cousin who worked concessions at the Charlotte Douglas Airport suggested I do transportation security. I keep the job for Macy's college fund. Macy is the best mistake I ever made. On weekends when I have custody, we attend a sailing club where she teaches me TikTok dances and different types of knots. She knows over fifty dances. Fourteen knots! On my way to work, I text her good morning and stop at Shell for coffee and a piss. The bathroom lock gets jammed and the front desker has to navigate being faded and using power tools to release a blue-poloed Black dude from Windex-flavored prison. I'm fifteen minutes late. Val glares at me from the metal detectors, and I half jog to the X-ray machine. "We're low on bins," says Poppy, a marine vet. "Who's stealing them?" I shrug and spray sanitizer on the belt. "You watch the news?" she says. "Nah." "It's gonna be crowded today," says Poppy. "Cr-ow-ded. Almost called in." "You and everyone else." [End Page 60] We're missing five people. The other checkpoint agents, Denzel and Maria and Kaleb, huddle near Val's desk. I intend to ask more questions, but the trickle of passengers becomes a line for the 5 a.m. flights. I get in X-ray flow, analyzing the sunset-orange images of bags and shoes and laptops. I love it. We break life down to its bare essentials, the few things we need to survive. My scans are rarely interrupted, apart from the occasional too-big sunscreen bottles and biscuit packages from forgotten flights. "Hold up." The words escape before I can think. "What?" Poppy says. We stare at the backpack scan. A Hydroflask, a wallet, several transparent wads of cloth. And a human skull. It's too early for Halloween. "What's this?" I say, but Poppy's...

Growth, yield and variance components of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) grown on lime (CaCo3)-amended acidic soil of south-eastern Nigeria

A field experiment was conducted to assess the growth and yield of watermelon Citrullus lanatus [(Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai] under acidic soil conditions in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria. The experiment was a 3 ? 3 factorial experiment laid in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The factors studied were varieties (Heracles F1, Kaolack and Sugar Baby), lime rates (0 t ha-1, 2.7 t ha-1 and 5.7 t ha-1), and their interactions on watermelon growth and yield traits. Heracles F1 and Kaolack outperformed Sugar Baby (p ? 0.05) regarding growth and yield traits. Lime rates of 2.7 t ha-1 and 5.7 t ha-1 increased the initial soil pH range (4.6-4.9) by 21.74% (5.4-5.8) and 43.48% (6.4-6.7), respectively. These rates improved the soil pH to a range suitable for watermelon cultivation in the study area. Vine length, number of leaves, transverse and longitudinal sections of the fruits and sugar content of the fruits had ? 50% heritability, a useful index in the selection of choice growth and yield traits in watermelon. Overall, GAM was greater than GA for each of the traits except for the total number of seeds per fruit. Multi-location studies are recommended to give further insights to this pilot study.

QTL associated with resistance to Stagonosporopsis citrulli in Citrullus amarus

Gummy stem blight (GSB) is a fungal disease affecting cucurbit crops, including watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), leading to significant yield losses. The disease is caused by three Stagonosporopsis species, of which Stagonosporopsis citrulli is the most common in the southeastern United States. Currently no gummy stem blight-resistant watermelon cultivars are available to growers. In this study, QTL-seq in an interspecific population developed from Sugar Baby × PI 189225 (Citrullus amarus) identified QTL on chromosomes 2, 5, 9 and 11. A novel QTL on chromosome 5 (Qgsb5.2) associated with resistance to S. citrulli (PVE = 13.3%) was confirmed by genetic mapping. KASP marker assays were developed for selection of Qgsb5.2 to allow breeders to track the allele contributing resistance to GSB, reducing the need for laborious phenotyping. Pyramiding different GSB resistance QTL could be a useful strategy to develop GSB resistant watermelon cultivars.

Production and Physiological Quality of Seeds of Mini Watermelon Grown in Substrates with a Saline Nutrient Solution Prepared with Reject Brine.

The economically profitable production of crops is related, among other factors, to seed quality, the production system, and the water used in irrigation or preparation of nutrient solutions. Therefore, the objective was to evaluate the phenology, production, and vigor of seeds of mini watermelons grown in saline nutrient solution and different substrates. In the fruit and seed production phase, the experiment occurred in a greenhouse with five electrical conductivities of water for nutrient solution preparation, ECw (0.5, 2.4, 4.0, 5.5, and 6.9 dS m−1), and two growing substrates (coconut fiber and sand). We evaluated the physiological quality of seeds previously produced under the five electrical conductivities of water and two substrates. High salinities for the hydroponic cultivation of the mini watermelon cultivar ‘Sugar Baby’ accelerated fruit maturation and crop cycle, decreasing fruit size. However, in both substrates, the seed production of mini watermelons, seed viability, and seed vigor occurred adequately with a reject brine of 6.9 dS m−1 in the hydroponic nutrient solution. The seed production of ‘Sugar Baby’ mini watermelons using reject brine in a hydroponic system with coconut fiber and sand substrates is viable in regions with water limitations.

INVESTIGATE GENETIC RELATION AMONG WATERMELON CULTIVARS USING MOLECULAR DNA MARKERS

This study was aimed to investigate genetic relation among 21 selective of watermelon seeds which collected from different commercial companies for different origins and produced at different years by using 12 primers for Inter Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR). The results showed that the selective of Crimson sweet had genotypes highest genetic relation between ( K1 and K2) it was found less than the genetic similarity between ( K1and K4) , ( K2 and K4) .The four selective were divided two groups A and B. The results showed that the selective a Charleston gray had the highest genetic relation between (CH4 and CH6) while it found less than the genetic relation between (CH5 and CH9). The ten selectives were divided two cluster A and B,The groups A was divided three sub clusters .The results revealed that the highest genetic relation between the selective of the variety Sugar baby (S1and S3). While found less genetic relation between the (S1 and S5) and divided the selectives of Sugar baby into two main cluster A and B, The cluster B was divided two sub cluster. The result found that the highest genetic relation among the 21 selective it was between ( CH4 and CH6), while found less than of genetic similarity among ( CH8 and S5) ( CH8 and S2),( S2 and K1) ,( S2 and K2) ,( S2 and CH9),( K1 and S5) ( S5 and CH9). The 21 selectives was divided two main clusters A and B the group A was divided to three sub clusters while the group B was divided two sub clusters. It could be concluded that the genetic relation it is very important in the hybridization programs to it prove a large genetic base to benefit of plant breeding programs.