Climate               

Watermelon is warm season crop. Optimum temperature for germination of seeds is 20 to 25°C. Optimum temperature for plant growth is 24 to 30°C. Cool night and warm days are ideal for sugar accumulation in the fruits. Any prolonged deviation above and below 15 to 35°C may result in poor pollination problem leading to fruit deformity in watermelon like bottle neck etc.

Watermelon is also susceptible to light frost and high humidity during the growth of plants may lead to incidence of fungal disease.

Seed Rate

350 Gms per Acre

Sowing Distance

Row to Row: 120 to 180 Cms (Depending on soil, climate and segment)

Plant to Plant: 30 to 90 Cms (Depending on soil, climate and segment)

Manures and Fertilizers

The fertilizer dose depends upon the fertility of soil and amount of manure applied. For good yield 10 to 15 tonnes of well decomposed manure should be applied prior to planting. General fertilizer recommendation for water melon per acre for optimum yield is N: 80 Kgs, P: 80 to 100 Kgs, K: 80 to 120 Kgs. Half the dose of N and full dose of P and K should be applied as basal dose. Rest half of the nitrogen should be applied in 2 to 3 split doses during vegetative, flowering and pre fruit development stage. It is advisable to complete the fertilizer schedule just before the fruit set.

Irrigation

Irrigation is applied to the field 2 to 3 days prior to planting and next light irrigation should be applied 3 to 5 days after sowing of the seeds. Later irrigation can be applied on weekly intervals. During Summer/Spring season it is imperative that proper moisture/irrigation are maintained in the field. In moisture stress condition there can be chances of fruit cracking/splitting. Water application should be restricted to the root zone in order to avoid wetting of the vegetative parts, especially during flowering, fruit set and fruit development.