Varietal Trials Of Some Cultivars Of Watermelon (Citrullus Vulgar/S 5chrad) Under The Humid Tropical Rainforest Conditions Of Umudike In South- Eastern Nigeria

ABSTRACT

The experiment was conducted at Western Farms of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike in 2007 to establish and compare the productivity as growth and yield of Congo, Crimson Sweet, Sugar Baby and Yola cultivars of watermelon in Umudike environment. All the field experiments were laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Well-rotted poultry manure was uniformly incorporated in the soil during land preparation at the rate of 3.3 tonnes/ha. The experiment showed that length of vine, leaf production, secondary and primary branches increased with the age of the plant up to 12 weeks after planting. There were no significant differences in vine length from the fourth week of planting to the 10th week of planting where Yola had the longest length at 10 weeks of planting and during harvest. Leaf production showed significant difference from 7 weeks after planting to harvest, number of primary and secondary branches showed significant difference at P<O.05. In the yield and yield components, all the parameters used showed significant differences. Yola and Congo produced higher number of pods and weight and had positive correlation with pod yield per hectare. Therefore, watermelon can successfully establish and thrive under Umudike ecological zone, at the beginning of the rainy season.