WATERMELON
Post by: Adegbola, Bukola Suliyat – bukola@farmkonnectng.com – 08093016914

INTRODUCTION
The watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) belongs to the family Cucurbitacea. It is a [color=#000000][/color]vine-like flowering plant which grows and matures within a year. It is a special type of berry which is referred to as pepo. Its leaves are coarse, hairy and pinnately-lobed and white to yellow flowers. It possesses long, weak, trailing or climbing stems which are five-angled and up to 3 m (10 ft.) long. Young growth is densely woolly with yellowish-brown hairs which disappear as the plant ages. It is grown for its edible fruit known as watermelon, which has a smooth hard rind usually green and a juicy, sweet interior flesh, usually deep red to pink, but sometimes orange, yellow, or white, with many seeds. The watermelon grows on vines with large crinkled leaves.
Watermelon is relished by a large number of people across the country and even the world as a whole as a fresh fruit. This is because watermelon is thirst-quenching and is known to be low in calories but highly nutritious therefore, recommended for people that wish to lose weight; and with the high rate of overweight or obesity related issues its demand has sky rocketed. It is a good source of vitamins such as vitamins A and C in form of disease fighting beta-carotene. Potassium is also available in it which is believed to help in the control of blood pressure and prevents stroke and other numerous health benefits watermelon offers to the body. They grow rampantly once established without too much attention.

How to Start Watermelon Farming In Nigeria
Step 1: Select a Suitable Land
If you intend to start watermelon farming in Nigeria on a commercial scale, it is imperative that you look for a good piece of land; say about 1-2 plots of land for starters.
Watermelons need a lot of sun to grow well. When there’s sufficient sunlight, your watermelons would grow to be ones with juicy red flesh with lots of sugar, hence, the selected farm should be located where they can get at least 6 to 8 hours of sunlight daily. After getting the desired land, ensure you clear the land before introducing the seedlings.
Step 2: Get Seedlings
The next step to take is to get good watermelon seedlings. You can get them from the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) or visit farmers who run their own watermelon farms.
Step 3: Start Planting
Sow watermelons in rows. If you are planting the Congo or Crimson Sweet variety, plant three to four seed per row, making sure that the rows are ten feet apart or more from each other. When planting, make sure that the space between the seeds is six inches apart.
Since watermelons are heavy feeders, ensure you add a moderate amount of manure, compost and leaves when planting. Apart from feeding the seedlings, the manure and other components also make sure the soil drains well. Also, provide adequate protection for your tender seedlings.
Watermelons thrive in hot weathers and grow slowly during cold days. Hence, use hot caps or cold frames during cold days or nights
Note: When collecting the seedlings from your sources, it is important to ask to know how many days you need for the variety you buy to mature. Most times, it takes 90 to 100 days for your watermelon seedlings to attain maturity.
Step 4: Apply Fertilizer Regularly
Apply fertilizers high in nitrogen until flowers begin to form. Then, switch to fertilizers high in phosphorus and potassium.
Step 5: Watering
Watermelons are water-thirsty plants. Ensure that you water them regularly especially when the weather is hot. This will help to keep the soil moist.
However, after the vines begin to sprout, reduce the watering to 3-5 times every two weeks. This is to help increase the sugar content the watermelon is notable for.
Note: Once the vines begin to sprout, ensure you cover them with garden soil. This will aid secondary root growth where leaf stems meet the vine. Also, it can add a lot of weight to the watermelons.
Step 6: Weeding
Weeds are unwanted plants that compete for moisture and nutrients. Hence, you need to clear the farm of weeds in other to ensure your watermelons grow very well.
Step 7: Other Proper Care Techniques
Although it is claimed that watermelons are not susceptible to peats and diseases in Nigeria, it’s been reported that watermelons are susceptible to a variety of pests; the dreaded of which is cucumber beetles.
Hence, maintaining a healthy plant is the key to successful watermelon farming in Nigeria. Apart from weeding you also need to include practices such as: pruning, proper spacing to aid air circulation and the use of insecticides to protect your plants from pests and diseases.

Step 8: Harvesting
So, how do you know when a watermelon is ripe and ready for harvesting? Most farmers claim that they tap on the fruit and then wait to listen for a dull thump. Since you will most likely grow your watermelons on large scale, you can’t go around tapping all the watermelons on the farm. God knows that apart from being tired, you’d end up with bruised knuckles.
What are the other signs to look for?
• Yellowing of the underside
• The watermelon ceases to grow
• Drying or withering of the stem near the base of the fruit.
• The watermelon has a glossy look
Step 9: Sales
The last step to ensure successful watermelon farming in Nigeria is to transport these juicy big boys (watermelons) to the market for sale. Ensure you identify your target customers.
Your customers could include: fruit juice companies, fruit shops, local markets, grocery store owners, pharmaceutical companies that include watermelons in their medicines when creating nutritional supplements and resorts and restaurants.

References:
agriculturenigeria.com/farming-production/horticulture/watermelon
nigerianfacts.com/watermelon-farming-in-nigeria-step-by-step-guide



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