WaterMelon – Page 4

Importance of mulching in watermelon crop

Plastic Mulching protects against insects, diseases and weeds in watermelon crop.
Weeds can be controlled by black polyethene and also prevents soil erosion from air, rain and irrigation.
Transparent polyethene is used to control soil-borne diseases and maintain moisture conservation.

Cucurbitaceae crops are a subtropical vegetable and require hot and humid climatic conditions for its fast growth and higher yield.
Night and Day temperature of 18-22° C and 30-35° C respectively is optimum for its proper growth and high fruit set.
The seed germination is fast at the temperature range of 25-30° C.
The crop grown at optimum temperature has a higher proportion of female flowers and fruit per plant.

Watermelon responds very much to irrigation but it can not withstand waterlogged conditions.
It is generally cultivated as a spring-summer crop in which the frequency of irrigation is very important.
The crop should be irrigated at 3-5 days intervals.
Soil moisture stress during pre-flowering, flowering, and fruit development stage drastically reduce yield.
Irrigation should be stopped during ripening as it adversely affects fruit quality and promotes fruit cracking.

Watermelons can grow in many kinds of soil but prefer a light, sandy, fertile loam that drains easily.
Add generous amounts of manure, compost and leaves to your field and work the soil well prior to planting.
Fields should be prepared thoroughly by plowing and harrowing and removing the different types of plant debris.
A gentle, south-facing slope is ideal.
It should also be pulverized and leveled; furrows are made 2 m apart.

The time of sowing watermelon is from November to March.
After the November to December sowing time, the plant should be protected from frosting. This is the reason most sowing is done from January to March.
In the hilly areas, watermelons are sown from March to April.

Caterpillars feed on leaves and flowers.
Sometimes they bore into the developing fruit.
Before planting watermelon for effective control, cultivate deep in the field and destroy the cocoon of insect.
Determine the time of sowing, according to the number of this pest which is less heat during the summer season.
Properly manage the weeds.
Spray cypermethrin 10% EC @ 350-500 ml/acre.
Or spray Fipronil 5% SC @ 250-300 ml/acre

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Watermelon mosaic virus initially appears on the leaves and spreads from the stem to the fruit.
Fruits become distorted and are small in size, and they break down from the petioles.
Leaves of plant curl downwards and leaf size smaller than normal.
This disease transmitted by aphid.
Preventive management of this disease, use the disease-free seed for sowing and do proper tillage operation.
Remove all the infected plants from the field.
Spray of Imidachloprid17.8% SL @ 70-100 ml/acre.

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Diseases are more common in sandy soil.
Destroy infected plants and plant debris.
Use of disease-free seed.
Seed treatment with carbendazim @ 2 gm/kg seeds before sowing.
Use Propiconazole 25% EC @ 80-100 ml/acre when the disease appears on the watermelon plant.

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Fruits are ready for harvest in 90 to 120 days from sowing.
Ripe fruits, when thumped with fingers, give out heavy dull sound, whereas the immature fruits give metallic sound.
The change from white to cream or pale yellow of the skin area where the melon has been resting on the soil.
Shriveling of tendrils on nodes to which melons are attached.
Slight ribbing on surface of fruit can indicate maturity in some varieties.

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