CROP PROFILE / WATERMELON
Watermelon
Citrullus lanatus
BLOOMMay–September
REGIONSSoutheast · California · Southwest · Midwest
POLLINATORSHoney bees, bumble bees, native bees
MEASUREMENT
What to measure
Female-flower visitation → pollen deposition → fruit set → size / shape
WEATHER
What can go wrong
Heat, wind, and rain can alter visitation timing during the limited receptive period of flowers.
DIAGNOSIS
How to troubleshoot
Track visits per female flower and compare with later set, seed development, and fruit shape.
TECHNOLOGY
Relevant tools
- Computer vision
- Field visitation sampling
- Weather models
- Fruit-set monitoring