The document provides detailed guidance on watermelon production in Bangladesh, indicating optimal soil, climate, and cultivars for cultivation. It outlines cultivation practices including land preparation, germination, fertilization, irrigation, pest control, pollination, and harvesting times. Key considerations for improving yield and fruit quality include disease management, pruning, thinning, and proper watering techniques.

1. Dr Abul Hasnat M Solaiman
Water melon production in
Bangladesh

3. Water melon;
• Citrullus vulgaris, Citrullus lanatus
• Soil and Climate:
• Dry, humid and sunny place requires for good
cultivation. Rains and high humid conditions limits
yields. it never tolerates cold. It can tolerate dry and
wet temperature well.
• Optimum temperature: 25-30 C
• At ripening stage huge long sunlight are needed for
sweetness.
• Soil: Fertile loamy to sandy loam soil is perfect for
cultivation. pH- 5-6.8

4. • Cultivars:
• Local: Gowalondo, Potenga
• Modern: Topind, Glory, Taiwan,
World Queen, Sugar baby,
Champion, kongo etc
• BARI: Padma and sagor
Propagation/Cultivation: seed
• Cultivars:

5. Land preparation:
• Heap/hip is to be made.
• Seed sowing/planting: First week of February to April.
Early before this, late germination occurs. For sowing in
January polytunnel is recommended. Poly bag sowing
is also recommended.
• Problems in direct sowing:
• germinations hamper.
• If cold weather prevails, takes longer time or no
germinations.
• Leaf curling occurs sometime
• Early production hampers

6. • Transplanting is better than sowing. One seedling
per hip.
• Heap size- 50 x 30 cm
• Seed Rate: 850- 1000gm/ha
• Germination:
• Optimum, 25 to 30 C. In winter, water soaking for
12 hrs then keep in earthen pot full of sand, seed
will germinate within 2-3dayss.

7. Fertilization:
• At the end of land preparation, Cowdung 20 t/ha
or Vermicompost 7 t/ha, or any marketed organic
fertilizers, and TSP-100 kg should be applied.
Then 100kg UREA as 1st top dressing, the Rest 60
kg urea to be applied in 3 installments as top
dressed. In addition, 320 kg MP to be applied in 4
installments to the field.
• Irrigation:
• 1-2 times irrigation as and when necessary.

8. Land size with heap/Irrigation
channels
150cm
50
20 5050 2020
150cm
250cm 250cm
250cm
300cm

9. Pest and disease control:
• Leaf Beetles, Aphid and Mazra: Sumithion,
Malathion 57EC @ 1ml/1 Li
• Stem end rot: Rotten at the soil level. 2.5gm
Diathen M-45 in 1 liter water to be sprayed
interval of 10-12 days.
• Anthracnose:
• Leaves, peduncle, Stem and fruits can be affected
and forms brownish to blackish spots. 2.5gm
Diathen M-45 in 1 liter water to be sprayed
interval of 10-12 days.

10. Cross stitch is expressed as necrotic lesions or
cracks that are perpendicular to longitudinal
axis of fruit.
Greasy spot causes circular, raised, olive-green
areas on surface of rind

12. • Fuserium wilt:
• Plants lie down to the soil.
• Preventions:
• Disease resistant variety should be chosen.
Affected plants should be uprooted and burnt.
• sanitized by 2.5gm vitavex 200
• Well drainage
• IPM techniques, sticking in field, Pheromone trap
for fruit fly.

14. • Branch/twigs pruning:
• 3-4 twigs per plant are optimum for better
production. No suckers/additional twigs are
allowed. 1 fruit/vinelet should be kept. Avoid
crossings of twigs and vines.
• Arrange twigs making “+” among themselves.
• For protecting vines/fruits from Rhizoctonia
and ants, spread straw beneath the vines. It is
necessary to use straw in between soil and
fruits so that fruit cannot get touched with
soil.
Special care

15. Care
For protecting vines/fruits from
Rhizoctonia and ants, spread straw
beneath the vines. It is necessary
to use straw in between soil and
fruits so that fruit cannot get
touched with soil.
Before 10 days of harvesting,
inverse the position of fruit
and straw for maintaining
uniform color.

16. Fruit thinning:
• Only 3-4 fruits/plants should be kept. Fruits in
the middle of nodes are to be selected. Four
fruits in four twigs/stems are enough.

17. Pollination:
• Male and female flowers are
different. In the morning (Before
sun shines) hand pollination
might encourage the fruit setting
and minimize fruit dropping.
Bottleneck is caused by
poor pollination that
results in constricted
stem-end growth

18. Harvesting:
• 80-110 days after seed sowing. 30-45 days
after pollination. Maturity indices (Dull
sound-Dab dab) to be checked by knocking in
fruit. Metallic sound is there for immature
fruit.
• Yield:
• 50-60 t/ha

19. Exercise:
• _ where does water melon grow well?
• What is optimum abiotic stress for it
• How many seeds per heap to be sowed?
• How many days are needed for collecting
fruit?
• What are the special care or operations you
have to do for WM.

20. • How often should you water watermelon
plants?
• Water the plants so that the water goes down
at least 6 inches into the soil. This may take at
least a half hour, perhaps even more
depending on the drip rate of your watering
system. Watering watermelons does not need
to be a scary or complicated process.Jan 19,
2016

21. How can you tell when a watermelon
is ripe?
• The best you can do is look for certain signs:
• Ripe melons have a hollow sound when you
tap or slap the outside.
• Look for the patch where the melon would
have been on the ground (called the field
spot). ...
• It should feel relatively heavy when lifted.
• Weird areas on the skin aren't necessarily bad.

22. • How can you ripen a watermelon?
• Place the watermelon in a brown paper bag
and fold the top of the bag to seal it lightly.
• Store the watermelon in the bag at room
temperature for 3 to 4 days. ...
• Tap the watermelon lightly with your knuckles
to see if it is ripe before cutting. ...

23. • How can you tell if a watermelon is sweet?
• How to Pick a Watermelon
• Pick It Up: Big or small, the watermelon should
feel heavy for its size.
• Look for the Yellow Spot: Watermelons develop a
splotch where they rest on the ground. When this
splotch is creamy yellow, it's ripe.
• Give It a Thump: Tap the underbelly of the
watermelon.

24. • How do we market watermelons?

25. • How do you pick a seedless watermelon?
• The skin should be dull, not shiny. Slap the
melon and listen for a hollow thump. A yellow
belly or the underside of
the watermelon usually indicates the fruit is
ripe. Cut melons are usually more expensive
per pound than those bought whole, but they
may be a better buy because you see exactly
what you're getting.

26. • How do you choose a good watermelon?
• Choose a watermelon that has a creamy
yellow patch on one side. This patch tells you
that the watermelon was allowed to ripen on
the vine. Choose a watermelon that has
smooth, firm skin and that has a uniform
shape (either circular or oval). Try thumping
the watermelon to check for a deep hollow
sound.