Efficacy of Nemakill on Watermelons

Date: Season 2021

Company: Grupo Sol Honduras

Goal: To validate the efficacy of Nemakill in the cultivation of watermelon variety 6177

Location: Finca El Espinal, Morazán, Honduras

Crop: Watermelon

Specific goal

Show that with low doses of Nemakill we can obtain a harvest with:

• Vigorous plants
• Good percentage of root mass
• Good yield and increased fruit weight
• Brix
• Firmness and caliber

Treatments

Test Area

The area in which the tests were carried out consists of 1.2 blocks in total. Historically, this area has presented high nematode problems, many times preventing the plants from reaching harvest with good vigor and root mass, directly affecting the quality of the fruit.

Evaluation method

As preliminary evaluations, after the first and second application of Nemakill and Solvigo:

• The treatments were monitored every 15 days until reaching the final harvest.
• Plant uniformity and vigor were reviewed, which remained well throughout the crop cycle in both treatments.
• Finally, after the last harvest cut, 10 plants of 10 points were extracted completely at random, to evaluate the root quality, trying to cover the entire experimental area by treatment.

Results

Both treatments had healthy roots throughout the plant cycle. However, Nemakill being advantageous due to its organic formulation over a synthetic such as Solvigo, which contains Thiamethoxam .

Conclusions

Nemakill is a 100% organic nematicide listed by OMRI and KIWA that effectively controls watermelon cultivation, being advantageous due to its formulation over a synthetic such as Solvigo, which contains Thiamethoxam (belonging to the Neocotinoid group, close to being banned in the agricultural market).

Both treatments presented vigorous, uniform plants with healthy roots (zero nematode damage) throughout the cycle (100 days), completing a 100 DDT cycle until the last harvest, achieving satisfactory performance with export quality fruit.

Hector Matamoros, Commercial Technical Representative for Honduras – Agricultural Engineer ExcelAg Corp.

Email: hmatamoros@excelag.com – Number: +504 9436-6641