Field trials · Mexico

Watermelons in Mexico: 60.5% less water and 30% more harvest

Sonora leads watermelon production in Mexico, but it was hit hard by drought in 2023. The trial set out to measure the water saved with EVERGREEN in a very arid region, with days averaging 45 °C.

Read the full report (PDF)

Results

What the trial measured

−60,5 %of irrigation water

+30 %more harvest than the plot watered at 100%

+5°average sugar content in the fruit

5 gof EVERGREEN per plant

In pictures

Before and after: the measured difference

Irrigation water (index, control = 100)

Without EVERGREEN100

5 g per plant39,5

Harvest (index, control = 100)

Without EVERGREEN100

5 g per plant130

How it works

The water stays where the plant needs it

Seeds germinate: the roots reach down for the water in the soil. Video : Wjh31, sped up — CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Mixed into the soil near the roots, the water retainer fills up at every watering or rainfall instead of letting the water evaporate or drain away. It then hands the water back to the plant, day after day. You water less often, and the plant never goes thirsty between two waterings.

Trial sheet

Where, when, by whom

Crop : Watermelon (Charleston variety)
Place : Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico
Period : 15 February – 2 August 2023
Run by : Green Solutions field trial
Products : EVERGREEN (water retainer)

Method

How the trial was run

2,600 watermelon plants.
Control plot without EVERGREEN, watered at 100%.
Treated plot with 5 g of EVERGREEN per plant (2 g more than the 3 g usually advised).

Observations

What to remember

Extremely hot, dry climate, on arid soil.
The dose depends on the soil type (clay, sandy, stony, chalky) and the irrigation method (well, drip, rain).
Another possible method: 15 to 20 g of EVERGREEN per linear metre, depending on the variety.

Watermelon (Charleston variety) — watermelon — Photo : Zeynel Cebeci — CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

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