An extended emergence period increases the risk of infection by ‘damping-off’
pathogens such as Fusarium and Pythium (Hendrix and Campbell, 1973) and the
variability of transplanted seedlings as seen in vegetable brassicas (Powell et al., 1991).
If carry over seeds are used from a previous production season, seed vigour may decline
in watermelon (Ozcoban and Demir, 2002) then the assessment of seed lots in relation to
their ability to develop uniform seedlings is a concern for producers. With the recent use
of grafted watermelons to protect against diseases and increase yield, the rapid emergence
and uniform seedlings for use as scions has gained importance.