The Tale of This Season’s Texas Watermelon Crop: Yields up, Quality Down
Texas watermelon production is expected to be average with better yields but lower quality fruit than last season so far, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts.
AgriLife Extension horticulturists Juan Anciso and Larry Stein say the 2023 melon season was shaping up to be average in the Rio Grande Valley and Winter Garden regions. Last year, watermelon production in the Rio Grande Valley dipped 17% compared to the season prior, Anciso says.
According to Anciso, watermelon acreage increased this year in South Texas. Fruit yields were about average while quality was lower due to consistent rains throughout the month of May. Producers were yielding 45,000 to 50,000 pounds per acre. Watermelon fields reaching 50,000 pounds per acre are average for the Rio Grande Valley.
At the beginning of the season, producers worried about drought and water supplies. But since May 1, the rains have created quality issues, Anciso says. Rainfall as the fruit developed on the vine led to lower brix measurements than in recent years, which impacted flavor and sweetness. Brix is the measurement of sugar in fruit.
Last year, dry conditions led to lower yields, but brix counts were very high (around 12) compared to this year where brix were around 10, Anciso reports.
The rains also led to some issues with diseases like downy mold and fusarium, which in turn also led to lower quality fruit.
“Yields are better than last year, but quality is down, and I think if you asked growers, they’d say it’s average across the board,” Anciso adds. “Harvest is wrapping up in the Valley, and there are more watermelons making it to the market.”
For more, continue reading at AgriLifeToday.tamu.edu.
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