Water melons are delicious red fleshed refreshing fruits commonly
-It has a hard skin, dark in colour and
medium red flesh which is very sweet.
eaten as desserts.
The rain fed crop is normally harvested in August/
September. Best months for planting commercial crop is July/August
to harvest in October for best price.
September. Best months for planting commercial crop is July/August
to harvest in October for best price.
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| water melon fruit |
Market is likely to be good from
October @ 25 - 30sh per kg farm gate price. One acre can yield 20
tonnes x ksk25 = Ksh500,000ksh in about 3 months time.
October @ 25 - 30sh per kg farm gate price. One acre can yield 20
tonnes x ksk25 = Ksh500,000ksh in about 3 months time.
Cost of production is about 20 percent of the gross income.Nutritionally the
fruit contains vitamin A, thiamine, riboflavin, nicotinamide and ascorbic
acid.
fruit contains vitamin A, thiamine, riboflavin, nicotinamide and ascorbic
acid.
Water melon grows well in hot dry areas planted under irrigation,
although they can grow under rain fed conditions in marginal areas.
although they can grow under rain fed conditions in marginal areas.
Production in high rainfall areas is also possible but requires aggressive
disease control efforts.
disease control efforts.
Water melon is grown as a main crop in a
rotation program. Varieties common in Kenya include:-
rotation program. Varieties common in Kenya include:-
Charleston gray: large fruits 9kg, long cylindrical in shape; skin is
light grey with fine dark veins and tough hard skin which allows safe
transportation.
-It has bright red, crisp and sweet flesh.
light grey with fine dark veins and tough hard skin which allows safe
transportation.
-It has bright red, crisp and sweet flesh.
Sukar F1: Very popular due to size and sweetness, average weight,7kg.
Sunday Special: seedless water melon variety which has dark green
rind colour with black stripes, flesh red colour, oval in shape, weighing
about 6-10 kg.
rind colour with black stripes, flesh red colour, oval in shape, weighing
about 6-10 kg.
Sugar baby: These are mainly round fruits about 4kg in weight and
an ideal marketing type.
an ideal marketing type.
-It has a hard skin, dark in colour and
medium red flesh which is very sweet.
Crimson Sweet: bluish green, with average weight of 4kg.
Congo: Rough rind, firm fine grained flesh, resistant to
anthracnose disease. Fruits are oblong, blocky, dark green with faint
green stripes.
anthracnose disease. Fruits are oblong, blocky, dark green with faint
green stripes.
Land preparation should be carried out early enough to allow thorough soil
settling before planting the crop.The seed rate is about 500g/acre.
settling before planting the crop.The seed rate is about 500g/acre.
Water melon fruits are normally planted in hills with a spacing of 1.5 metres
between rows and 1.5 metres within rows.3 seeds are sown in each hill
and latter thinned to 2 plants per hill.
between rows and 1.5 metres within rows.3 seeds are sown in each hill
and latter thinned to 2 plants per hill.
Manure is recommended at a
rate of one medium size bucket per planting hole. DAP may be applied
at a rate of 125g per planting hole at the time of sowing for
vigorous growth of water melon fruits.
rate of one medium size bucket per planting hole. DAP may be applied
at a rate of 125g per planting hole at the time of sowing for
vigorous growth of water melon fruits.
This is an equivalent of 200kg of fertilizer per hectare. Nitrogen fertilizers are applied just before
the plants start to run at the rate 0f 110kg of CAN fertilizer per hectare or 65gms per planting hill.
the plants start to run at the rate 0f 110kg of CAN fertilizer per hectare or 65gms per planting hill.
A second application is done just before flowering of the growing crop,
at the rate of 130g per hill or 220kg per hectare.
at the rate of 130g per hill or 220kg per hectare.
Maturity period is 4 months and planting should be timed such that harvesting takes
place during the dry period for rain fed water melon growing.
place during the dry period for rain fed water melon growing.
Maturity is reached when the tendrils opposite the fruits dies, a
hollow sound is produced when slapped by hand, and the vegetative
parts die. Yields of 15-30 tons per hectare are realized. Fungal
diseases and melon fly are of economic importance in water melon
fruits growing. Control is by using suitable pesticides.
hollow sound is produced when slapped by hand, and the vegetative
parts die. Yields of 15-30 tons per hectare are realized. Fungal
diseases and melon fly are of economic importance in water melon
fruits growing. Control is by using suitable pesticides.
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