CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
OF WATER MELON (CITRULLUS)
Water melon (citrullus lanatus) may be. Round or oblong
in shape; it colour are of different types, some are light green to dark green.
Some varieties have stripes. The flesh may be white, creamy, yellow, pale red,
red or dark red. Watermelon flesh is juicy and crunchy. It consists of 90%
water.
Seeds are usually black and embedded in the fruit. There
are seedless varieties as well. Watermelon varieties fall into three broad classes
based on how the seed was developed open pollinated, f1 hybrid and triploid
(seedless).
SCIENTIFIC
NAME
Citrullus lanatus
Common - Names
English - Watermelon
Bahasa - Melayn: Tembikai, semangka
Mandarin - Xigua
Tamil - Kumate, palam
Indonesia - semangka
Tagalong (phllipunes) - Pakwan
Thai - Taengmo
Vietnamiese - Doa haau.
Watermelon is leader in fresh produce, having higher
concentration of lycopene than any other fresh fruit or vegetable. In fact,
fresh watermelon contain higher levels of lycopene than fresh tomatoes – a 2 –
cup serving of watermelon contains an average of 18. 16mg and one medium –
sized tomato contain 4mg. water melon has heart healthy properties because it
is naturally low in saturated fat, total fat and cholesterol.
VITAMINS AND MINERALS
Watermelon is practically a multivitamin control
itself.
A 2 – cup serving of watermelon is an excellent source
of vitamins A, B6 and C. Vitamin A found in watermelon is important for optimal
eye health.
Vitamin B6 found in watermelon is used by the body to
manufacture brain chemicals (neurotransmitter), such as serotonin, melatonin
and dopamine, which preliminary research shows may help the body cope with
anxiety and panic. Vitamin C in watermelon can help to bloster your immune system’s
defenses against infections and viruses, and is known to stimulate the immune
system and protect against free radical damage.
POTASSIUM
A two-cup serving of watermelon is also a source of
potassium*, a mineral necessary for water balance and found inside of every
cell. People with low potassium level can experience muscle cramps. A two cup
serving has less than 10 percent of the daily reference value for potassium
HISTORY OF
WATERMELON
Watermelon is though to have originated in the kalahari
desert of Africa. The first recorded watermelon harvest occurs nearly 5,000
years ago in Egypt and is depicted in Egyptian hieroglyphics on walls of their
ancient buildings. Water melon were often placed in the burial tombs of kings
to nourish them in the after life from there, water melon spread throughout
countries along the Mediterranean sea by ways of merchant ships. By the 10th
century, water melon found its ways to China, which is now the worlds number
one producer of watermelons.
The 13th century found watermelon spread
through the rest of Europe via the moors, southern food historian, John Egerton,
believes watermelons made its way to the united state with African slaves as
the states in his book, “southern food”.
Watermelon is thought to have originated in southern African,
where it is found growing wild. It reaches maximum genetic diversity there,
with sweet, bland heal bitter forms. In the 19th century, Alphonse
de condole claimed the watermelon was indigenous to tropical Africa though
citrullus colocynthis is often considered to be a wild ancestors of watermelons
and is now found native in north and west Africa, it has been suggested on the
basis of chloroplast DNA investigations that the cultivated and wild watermelon
diverged independently from common ancestor possibly c-ecirrhosus from Nambia.
Watermelons were grown by Native Americans in the 16th
century. Early French explorers found the fruit being cultivated in the Mississippi,
valley.
Many sources list the watermelon as being introduced in
Massachusetts as early as 1629. Southern food historian John Egerton has said
he believes African slaves helped introduce the watermelon to the united state.
Texas Agricultural Extension horticulturalist jerry parsons list Africa slaves
and European Colonist as having distributed watermelons to may areas of the
world. Parsons also mentions the crop being farmed by native America in Florida
(by 1664) and the Colorado River area (by 1799). Other early watermelon
sighting include the include the Midwestern states (1673) Connecticut (1747)
and the Illina region (1822). Charles Fredric Andrus, a horticulturist at the USDA
vegetable breeding labourotory in Charleston, South Carolina, set out to
produce a disease resistant end wilt-resistant watermelon. The result, in 1954
was that gray melon from Charleston “its oblong shape and hard rind made it easy
to stack and ship. Its adaptability meant it could be grown over a wide
geographical area. It produced high yields and was resistant to the most
serious watermelon diseases. Anthracnose and fusarium wilt. Today, farmers in
approximately 44 states in the US grow watermelon commercially, and almost all
these varieties have some “Charleston
gray” in their lineage. Georgia Florida, Texas, California and Arizona are the US’S
largest watermelon producers. Common watermelon is often large enough that
groceries often sell half or quarter melons. Some smaller, spherical varieties
of watermelon both red and yellow fleshed, are sometimes called “ice box
melons” There are over 120 varieties of watermelon ranging from one to 200 pounds.
While your average supermarket melon evinces a red coloured flesh, there are
varieties that sport an orange, while or yellow hue. “seedless” varieties are
somewhat of a misnomer. They still contain small, white, edible seeds. Fourth
four US states produce watermelon with Georgia Florida, Texas, California and
Arizonia leading the way. They are available may through September with the
peak from June to August. Despite being 92% water, water melons do contain some
nutrients. They are a good source of vitamin A and c also contain lycopene, a compound
reputed to have anti-cancer properties. There are a number of other nutrients
in the rind, if you are so lacliaed. In china, the rind is pickled, stirs-
fried and stewed. The Chinese are also found of the seeds and roast them watermelon
juice can be made into wine is southern Russia; it is utilized to make
beer. Temperation for up to two weeks,
but I did recommend using them within a week. Like any natural product, age
does not bode well for taste. Try to avoid purchasing per cut watermelon unless
you plan to use it expediently. Once cut the watermelon must be refrigerated.
watermelon is an ancient and versatile fruit. It can be eaten fresh, sliced,
grilled or diced salads, with cheese (it pairs well with feta and fresh goat
cheese), and made into jams, jellies and juice to drink straight or is
combination with other fruit juices or spirits. Watermelon juice can be made
into soup and sorbet and served in numerous other ways. It can fermented into water
melon beer, and it use flavor liqueur, vodka and punch.
SCIENTIFIC
CLASSIFICATION OF WATER MELON
Kingdom plantae
(unranked) Angiosperms
(unranked) Eudicots
(unrankea) Rosids
Order Cucurbitales
Family Cucurbitaceae
Genus Citrullus
Species C. lanatus
Botanical
name citrullus lanatus
VARIETIES OF WATER MELON (CITRULLUS
LANATUS)
There
are over 120 varieties of water melon ranging from one to 200 pounds but we
just make the two varieties namely the round variety and oblong variety.
PESTS AND DISEASES OF WATER MELON
Weeds: plastic mulch Provides excellent weed control over the
plant row. You can keep the inter-row space clean by using a registered knock
down herbicide. where crops are grown without plastic mulch, you can control
grass by applying registered post-emergence herbicides. It is important to read
the chemical label, as melons are very susceptible to herbicide damage,
especially when the plants are small.
Mechanical methods will give good
control and are most effective if the vines are “tucked in” before cultivation.
Cultivation between rows should be shallow to prevent injury to the root
system.
INSECTS
A
number of insect species, including beetles, caterpillars, mites and trips, can
damage the plants but are readily controlled using registered insecticides.
Aphids can be very damaging as they are the vector of mosaic viruses. Sliver
leaf whitefly has the potential to extensively damage crops. It is very
difficult to control and produce copious quantities of honey dew, resulting in
the presence of sooty mould. It is the rector of gemini viruses.
VERTEBRATES
Mice
can cause major problems in melon crops prior to emergency because they dry out
and eat large quantities of seed. If this occurs, you may need to replant the
crops several times, resulting. In delayed harvests. You can reduce losses by
pre-germinating seed or planting container grown seedlings.
Crows
can be a devastating and annoying pest. Just before harvest, they can make
melons unsaleable by punching holes through the skin with their sharp beaks.
Often they damage many melons and populations of crows can wipe out an entire
crop in just a few days. Crows can be deterred with a sound devices, such as a
gas gun or bird alarm.
DISEASES
Diseases
can extensively damage crops. Some of the more important of these are listed
below
A
list of major disease, their symptoms and management techniques.
|
s/n
|
Disease
|
Symptoms
|
Management
|
|
1
|
Bacteria
fruit blotch
|
Oval
water-soaked
areas
on fruit
|
Registered seed treatment,
crop hygiene registered copper-based sprays
|
|
2
|
Fusarium
wilt
|
Yellowing,
wilting, stunting
|
Rotation and resistance
varieties
|
|
3
|
Gummy
stem blight
|
Brown
spots on leaves reddish ooze from runners; black sunken spots on fruit.
|
Registered fungicides and
crop hygiene
|
|
4.
|
Mosaic
viruses
|
Mosaic
pattern on leaf; leaf and fruit distortion
|
Aphid deterrent, crop
hygiene
|
|
5
|
Powdery
mildew
|
Greyish
patches on older leaves
|
Registered fungicides or
resistant-strains
|
|
6
|
Damping
off
|
Rotting
and death of seedlings
|
Good soil drain age;
decomposition of organic matter before planting
|
|
7
|
Root-knot
nematodes
|
Wilting
and stunted growth
|
Avoidance of legume crops;
soil treatment
|
|
8.
|
Sudden
death
|
Rapid
wilting, rotting roots
|
Improved drainage
controlled irrigation crop rotation
|
Fruit Disorders
1. Blossom-end rot
This is caused by calcium deficiency
in the flower (blossom) end of the fruit. It is worse in hot, dry, windy
conditions where moisture stress is likely to occur.
Symptoms include young fruit
dropping off and brown rotting lesions appearing at the (blossom) end of older
fruit. Salinity of soil or irrigation water may also promote blossom end rot. Good
water management and sufficient soil calcium availability will usually address
the problem
2. Internal
cracking
This is caused by cool temperatures
during early fruit filling period. Other influences are stop-start growth
excess nitrogen, low boron levels and heavy, infrequent watering at fruit fill,
affected melons tend to be flattened in shape and feel lighter than usually.
Spongy-end
This occurs in melons that have been
poorly pollinated. This melons may term yellow and drop off the vine early in
their development; or partly develop with the blossom-end soft and spongy. This
area is also slightly pointed. Internally, there is very poor seed development
at the spongy end.
SUNBURN
This
can be a major problem is dark or darker striped melons. It is rarely seen in
light-coloured melons that have been stacked in the filed with their under side
facing upward.
WATER MELON DISEASE DESCRIPTIONS
General
Water melon are susceptible to
several diseases that attack the roots, foliage and fruits. The most common
disease of water melon are anthracnose, fusarium wilt, downy mildew, gummy stem
blight, root-that nematodes and virus diseases.
Also, cercospora leaf spot, powdery
mildew, bacterial fruit blotch, damping- off, and root/rots vine de clines have
been reported as problem. Disease control is essential in the production of
high quality watermelons. A preventive program that combines the use of
cultural practices, genetic resistance, and chemical control as needed usually
provides the best results. Cultural practices are useful for limiting the
establishment, spread and survival of pathogens that cause water melon
diseases. Many of the fungal, bacterial, and nematode pathogens survive in old
crop debris and in soil. Field should be rotated with non-cucurbit crop for at
least three years to reduce pathogen levels. Grass crops are ideal for
rotations where nematodes are a problem. Diseases such as anthracnose,
bacterial fruit blotch, gummy stem blight, and fusarium wilt are known to be
carried on seed. This can lead to rapid disease development and spread in green
house transplant production and to the introduction of diseases into fields.
Purchase seed from reputable
sources, and apply a fungicide seed treatment prior to planting. Most foliar
diseases are spread by water splash or are favored by long periods of leaf
wetness. Use drip irrigation or avoid frequent sprinkler irrigation with small
amounts of water. Finally, use tillage practices that promote the rapid
decomposition of old vines and melons soon after harvest. The use of disease
resistance varieties is an economical means of controlling diseases. Several
varieties have resistance to fusarium wilt. Some varieties also are resistant
to anthracnose. Management of foliar diseases such as anthracnose, downy
mildew, cercospora leaf spot, and gummy stem blight may require fungicide
sprays.
Around the world, over 10 viruses
are known be a problem in watermelon production. Watermelon mosaic virus
(WMV-2), papaya ring spot virus-water melon strain (PPSV_W) formerly known as
water melon mosaic virus-1) and Zucchini yellow mosaic (Zymr) are the most
seriously important virus diseases.
ANTHRACNOSE
Anthracnose is very common fungal
disease and is cause by the seed borne fungus colletotrichum lagenaruim. Most
cucurbits are susceptible. Most commercial water melon varieties have some resistance.
Depending on weather, leaf and fruit
spotting may occur on young plants, especially is late plantings Appears first
on crown leaves as small, brown-black spots. During damp weather, orange-pink
masses of spores develop in centers of larger leaf spots.
During
dry weather the spore masses turn gray. Mostly the youngest leaves are
attacked. On fruit the fungus causes sunken spots on the rind. Symptoms may not
be visible at harvest but may develop in transit or at the market. Small anthracnose spot may be confused with pimples
disease.
Control, a combination of seed treatment, crop rotation and
fungicide applications are necessary for control on susceptible varieties.
Follow general management practices; start spray schedule at first appearance.
Vines should be thoroughly covered with fungicide spray. Avoid soaking seed
before planting. It is advisable to grow water melons, cucumbers, squash or
pumpkins only once every five years on the same land.
Downy Mildew
Downy
mildew is caused by the air-borne fungus pseudoperonospore cubensis. Disease is
serious on later season cantaloupes, watermelon, pumpkins and squash.
Control: resistant cultivars: Start spray schedule at first
appearance, follow a protective spray problem during periods favourable for
infection and spread. Begins as small yellowish areas on the leaves Early in
the morning when moisture has been present overnight, young spots may appear as
water-soaked, some what angular areas on the lower side. As the lesions enlarge
in a somewhat angular manner, they change form yellow to brown. On the lower side,
purplish spore masses may be seen, and several infected leaves may die in 10-14
days. Older leaves become infected first. Downy mildew does not attack stem or
fruit.
Control: Follow general management practices; start fray
schedule at first appearance.
FUSARIUM WILT
Fusarium
wilt is caused by fusarium oxysporium. F. sp. niveum. The fugus may survive
several years in soil. The disease is favord by warm, and sandy soils like
those in water melon-growing areas. Susceptible varieties are killed at any
stage of growth. If inoculum levels of fusarium are high, seedlings may wilt in
the field. Foliage of infected plants term yellow and wilt. Plants die soon
after symptoms are observed. On the dying vine’s stem a pinkish white cottony
growth can appear near ground level. The fungus spreads outward from infected
plants. there are three races of the wilt fungus. Genetic resistance has been
incorporated into many of the newer cultivars for two of the more commonly
occurring races. The third race has only been found in a few isolated areas of
the world. There is no source of resistance to this race.
Control: Wilt losses are managed by following five year
rotation program with non related plants and use of resistance varieties.
GUMMY STEM BLIGHT
Gummy stem blight is a warm weather
southern disease. it is caused by seed borne fungus Didgymelln bryoniae. All
cucurbits are susceptible, and depending on the t weather, stem and leaf
spotting may occur on young plants, especially in late plantings. Early
symptoms are round black, wrinkled spots on young leaves and dark sunken areas
on stems. Early infection usually develops form contaminated seed. Many times,
it produces brownish circular spots which rapidly expand into large tan lesions
of round indefinite size. The lesions may exhibit brown gummy exudate on the
surface and stems may be girdled. In prolong rainy periods, most of the follage
and vine may rapidly collapse.
Fruit lesions appear as small water
soaked areas, similar to anthracnose which rapidly enlarge to in definite size;
also, a brown streaky may appear in the blossom-end of the fruit. Although this
disease may attracted young tissue, it is primarily a disease of older tissue.
Control: Follow general management practices; start spray
schedule at first appearance.
ROOT-KNOT NEMATODE
Root-knot
is a nematode disease that is caused by meloidogyne spp. Are usually present in
agricultural fields and affect many crops. Nematode damage is visible as
stunted yellowed plants. The plats develop symptoms of plant stress and when
the population is very high, the plant dies. Examination of the roots reveals
small to moderately, sized galls. The galls will be scattered over the root
system. Normally damage is restricted to a small areas of the total field.
Control: Promptly disk all crops after harvest. soil fumigation
with a soil nematicide will reduce the soil population. The practice of summary
fallow will reduce the nematode population as well.
WATER MELON POLLINATION
Honey
bee pollination of melons
Providing one honey bee for each 10
hermaphrodite flowers is the safest way to ensure an adequate pollinator
population all times.
I recommend having I colony per arce
to achieve this. It has been shown that with no bees yield were 161 crates and
with just half colony per arce was 242 for musk. So you can see that
pollination is a requirement for maximum yields. The bees are place on two
sides of the field and centered if possible, but it seems to work fine if the
bees are at least just near the field. Of course limiting other competition is
just a good idea to encourage the honey bees to go to the crop. Place bees when
crop starts to bloom and leaf the bees until the season is too late to have mature
melon before frost.
An optimal fruit set in water-melon
is highly dependent on the appropriate timing of pollination. This study was
conducted in two cropping seasons, to determine the most suitable and
appropriate time of pollination of water melon. Water melon was soon at the
rate of 2 seeds per hole at a spacing of 3 x 3m. At flora induction, flower buds went tagged to monitor the
number of male to female flower ratio, sequence of flower development and
pollen rating from 5.00 to 7.00 hours. The result of the study showed that
there ware 50-100 males to 1 female flower. Flower opened at a relatively fast
rate in the morning till mid-day and closed gradually in the evening. Also, the
pollen rating was highest between 6.00 and 11.00 hours and subsequently
declined steadily as the follower closed up at 18.00 hours. The best period for
pollination to obtain optimum fruit set in water melon was therefore it stages
3.6, in this study, which fell within 7.00 and 12.00 hours. Watermelon is
pollinated by insects particularly honey bees. The lack of sufficient honey
bees to pollinate early watermelon makes the watermelon not to grow
effectively. Honey bees visits to melon flowers are primarily in the morning
form 1 to 2 hours after sunrise, when the flower first opens until
mid-afternoon, depending on the temperature and other weather conditions. The peak
of the activities is usually mid morning. The average time that honey bees spend
on melon flowers: 5.7 seconds per female flower in 1959 and 8.0 seconds per
female and 5.7 per male flower in 1960. Honey bees visit the flowers for both nectar
and pollen, but because of the scarcity of blooms they never store surplus
amounts of either. The effect of number of visits to the flowers is of great importance
to production of mature melon. Fruit set and yield after eight or more bee
visits to the flowers superior to four or fewer visits. only two of 64 flowers
receiving one bee visit and one of 72 receiving two bee visits developed fruit,
which were small, badly shaped, unmaketable. Fruit set after eight bee visites
was significantly better than after two or more visits.
CHAPTER TWO
MATERIALS AND METHOD
MATERIALS
USED IN WATER MELON CULTIVATION
1. Weighing balance: it is an instrument used in weighing the manure before
application and to get the quantity needed.
2. Cutlass: It is used in clearing the grasses before tilling of
the land.
3. Wooden hoe: it is used for
tilling of the land and digging of holes before cultivation takes place.
4. Measuring tape: It is used for
measuring the land area and portion for each student.
5. PEG: It is used for mapping out/ demarcating land area for each student to
recognize his or her own.
6. Improvised watering can: It is used for
watering the plant so as to enable the plant get appropriate water and
nutrients.
7. Water: it plays an important role in
the growth and reproduction of plant, it helps the plant to get its nutrient
etc.
8. Insecticide: It is chemical used to kill or avoid insects, pest and
diseases attacking the plants.
9. Sprayer: It is used for spraying of the insecticide to the plants.
10. Bucket: It is used in fetching water that should be watered in
the farm.
11.
Seed: It is the planting
material
12. Wheel barrow: It is use for carrying water, plant produce and
manure in the farm.
13. Knife: It is use for harvesting water
melon
14. Rope:- It is used for demarcation, to show accurate measurement.
METHODS USED IN WATER-MELON CULTIVATION.
1. Pre-Planting
Operations
A. Clearing: The land area used for
cultivation of watermelon was cleared of the existing vegetation on 22nd
Jan. 2013. This was done manually using cutlass. The debris and other
impediments to smooth plough were removed from the land. Thus there was bare
land for other farming operations. And the grasses were packed one side for
mulching. Subsequently the land was pegged and different farming plots were
mapped out using rope .each plot measures 3m length x 3m width.
2. Tillage
operation: the plot was tiled
manually using hoe on the 24th of fan 2013. The soil was raised up
to about 30cm above the ground using the 3cm x 3m plot dimension.
There was 90cm spacing within plots row and spacing 90cm
between plot row.
B. Application of Manure: (Organic manure) poultry dung was applied to the soil,
but before the application, I used the weighing balance to weigh the manure so
as to ensure that I got 20kg which is the quantity required. The manure applied
will help to approve soil fertility, plant growth and report action.
C. Mulching:- After the application of manure I mulched the land
with those grasses parked one side. The essence of mulching is for water retention
ie to say, after watering. The grass will retain some of the water for the
plant to utilize it latter and when the grasses decomposed it turn to manure.
(2) Post-
Planting Operation
(a) Planting -> Water melon seeds were
sown directly at the bed at the rate of two seeds per hole on 26th Jan
2013. This was to ensure optimum seed germination per hole. The planting holes
were spaced at 90cm within rows and 90cm between row. The bed contained up to
16 planting holes with each hole having 2 seeds thus a total of 32 seeds in the
bed after sowing. We have 2 known varieties ie the round variety and the oblong
variety I planted the round variety.
Germination:- The seed started of germinating after 3-5 days of
sowing, at least one of two seeds per planting hole germinated.
WEEDING
Weeds
were controlled by pulversing the soil manually with hoe at 2 weeks after
planting, and when necessary until the plants develop canopy that help in weed
control.
HARVESTING
The
watermelon were harvested first at about 60-68 days from the time of planting I
harvested 4 pods, I marketable and three non-marketable and this is because of
disease infestation.
HANDLING:- The harvested pods should be handled with care to avoid
breakage of the pods. It should be handled with care by transporting it
carefully to where it will be stored.
STORAGE:- The produce should be carefully scored in a place
where is ventilation so as to avoid spoilage or bruised on the product.
CHAPTER FOUR
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
COST AND RETURN
Cost (Expenditure)
Land clearing N100
Tillage N100
Seed N50
Total cost N230
Returns
I pod = 450
Weight = 1.8
Profit = TR
– TC
= 450 – 250
= 200
Profit = N200
CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Conclusion
In
my conclusion, the practical was carried out successfully, but there was poor yield
of the produce because of insect infestation. And the performance of the plant
was poor. But the practical was so enjoyable and I learnt a lot of things.
RECOMMENDATION
I
recommended the cultivation of watermelon for farmers and, they have to know
the soil that are suitable for the cultivation and also know the suitable
period for the cultivation. I also recommend to farmers about the insect infestation,
that they should know how to control it so as to yield optimum yield in the
cultivation. I ensure that to practice the cultivation for it is highly
profitable.