🍉 Water Melon

Water Melon

• Botanical Name: Citrullus lanatus
• Family: Cucurbitaceae
• Origin: Tropical Africa
• Fruits contain 95% water.
• White heart at central position shows poor quality fruits.
• Harvesting at full mature stage.
• Antheracnose + Powdery mildew + Downey mildew resistant variety: Arka Manik
• Cucurbitacin E is main bitter substance (Tetracyclic teiterpenes).
• Potassium contains 160 mg per 100 g.
• Arka Manik is suitable for long distance transport.
• Seedless watermelon is triploid.
• Seed maturity and edible maturity coincide with each other.
• TSS range: 8-13%
• Yield losses upto 30% have been observed due to weeds.
• Metallic sound at the time of Harvesting shows immaturity
• Heavy dull sound at the time of Harvesting shows maturity
• The drying of tendril at the base of the fruit is also a sign of maturity
• Presence of Pigment + Anthocyanin + lycopene.
• Bud necrosis in watermelon is due to Aphids (Aphis craccivora).
• Seed rate: 4-4.5 kg/ha.

Varieties:

• Introduction
  • Asahi Yamato
  • Improved Shipper
  • Furken
• Selection
  • Sugar Baby: 11-13 % TSS
  • Dixie cream
  • New Hemisphire midget
  • Durgapura Meetha
  • Durgapura Kesar — Yellow fleshed variety
  • Pusa Rasal
  • Improved shipper: an American introduction
• Hybrid
  • Arka Manik: IIHR x Crimson Sweet, 11-12% TSS
  • Arka Jyoti: IIHR-20 x Crimson Sweet, 11-12% TSS

• Pusa Bedana (triploid):
  • It is released by Dr. Kihara. It is seedless variety of Watermelon developed by crossing Tetra-2 X Pusa Rasal.
• Private Sector Hybrid
  • Madhur
  • Milan