From what ive read in the past those patterns can also be cause by just generally poor growing conditions. Which can be cause any number of things like soil composition, water and soil pH, too much shade, weed or pest infestations, lack of water at the right times, etc. All things that today are easily fixed by a quick trip to the store to buy pH up or down, fertilizer, pesticide, or a hose.
Ive seen a similar pattern before in a watermelon before too, and it was in a small home grown watermelon, the only one of many but all from the same seed pack. Although I don't remember the specific growing conditions to say what could have been the cause, it did certainly seem under developed compared to its peers. It got picked because it was obviously not growing any more and would have been at risk of rotting in the dirt if we just let it sit there forever doing nothing for another month.
Ive seen a similar pattern before in a watermelon before too, and it was in a small home grown watermelon, the only one of many but all from the same seed pack. Although I don't remember the specific growing conditions to say what could have been the cause, it did certainly seem under developed compared to its peers. It got picked because it was obviously not growing any more and would have been at risk of rotting in the dirt if we just let it sit there forever doing nothing for another month.