The impacts of climate change and drought threatens water supplies that are necessary for watermelon production. Most production in the U.S. is seedless watermelon, typically grown in greenhouses and transplanted due to poor seed establishment in the field. Given the significance of high-quality transplants for the industry, we conducted a study to evaluate whether biostimulant products would improve transplant quality. In this study seven biostimulant products were tested on greenhouse-grown watermelon seedlings to measure seedling emergence and growth. Three bacterial (Continuum, Spectrum Ds, and Tribus Original), two mycorrhizal (MycoApply Endo, and Mighty Mycorrhizae), one humic (Huma Pro 16), and one seaweed extract product (Kelpak) were used. All products, except Kelpak, were incorporated into the growing media before sowing. Kelpak was applied at the first true leaf stage as a soil drench. Leaf area and root/shoot fresh and dry weight were measured over a 30-day period after stand establishment and data underwent analysis of variance (ANOVA) using SAS statistical software. Though some biostimulant products tended to have higher shoot and root weight they were not always significantly different, and the results were variable from trial to trial and analysis is ongoing.
