Watermelon cultivation

Common name: Watermelon

Botanical name: Citrullus lanatus

Family: Cucurbitaceae

Origin: Tropical Africa

Introduction:

• Watermelon belongs to climatic vegetable.

• Serotonin is toxic substance present in watermelon.

• Cucurbitacin is the bitter molecule found in it.

• Watermelon is suitable for long distance transport.

• Its cultivation is common in all tropical and subtropical areas of the world.

• Watermelon is good source of zinc, manganese, magnesium & phosphorus.

• On the other hand it contains sodium and cholesterol in very low quantity.

• China is the largest producer of watermelon in the world.

Climate:

• Watermelon belongs to the warm season crop and common in tropical and sub-tropical areas.

• Abundant sunshine is essential.

• Dry weather and long day suits to the cultivation.

• Excessive humid condition is harmful as it can cause disease like viruses, insects and mildew.

• At least 20^°C temperature is required at the stage of germination.

• Temperature for early growth: 25-30^°C

• During fruit development: 30-35^°C

Soil:

• Soil for the cultivation of watermelon should be fertile. Sandy or sandy loam soil is preferred for the cultivation of watermelon.

• Soil pH: 6-7.

• Soil of poor drainage does not suit the cultivation of Watermelon.

Season:

• Dry season is best for the cultivation.

• North India: February-march

• Western states of India: Winters

Extreme heat and humid conditions are harmful for the cultivation.

Fertilizers and Manures:

Required quantity of fertilizers is given below:

During the time of land preparation, 25 tones of FYM should be applied in field.

Seed rates:

Seed rate ranges from 3.5-5.0 Kg per hectare.

Land preparation:

• A fine tilth is required for the cultivation.

• Normally seeds are directly applied in the farm.

• It can also be seeded in nurseries or greenhouses (to prevent frosts).

Seed spacing:

There are different systems of sowing seeds depending on the season and system of cultivation.

Irrigation:

• Watermelon requires less repeated irrigation as it has deep tap roots.

• 10-14 days of interval in irrigation is needed.

• Fruit cracking can occur on excessive irrigation.

• Irrigation in the evening and at night should be avoided to protect crop from foliar diseases.

Varieties:

There are many varieties of watermelon. Some of them are mentioned below:

Harvesting:

• Harvesting can take place after 95-120 days from the time of sowing.

• It is harvested when the fruit is fully matured.

• Maturity of watermelon can be seen when the rind becomes hard and cannot be separated with the help of thumbnail.

Yield:

Yield of watermelon ranges from 150-220 quintals per hectare (depending upon the climatic conditions and variety).

Storage:

• Watermelon requires to be cooled in temperature of 12-15^°C within 24 hours of harvesting in case of long period of storage.

• Watermelon can be stored up to two weeks if they are in the atmosphere of 7^°C and relative humidity.

• Long period of storage can cause lose of crispiness and color.