Watermelon production is gaining traction in Ethiopia’s Amhara Region, particularly at the Koga Irrigation Scheme. However, agronomic practices such as sowing dates and vine management strategies remain underexplored, limiting yield and profitability potential. Identifying the optimal planting date and vine number is crucial for enhancing the crop’s growth, productivity, and economic returns, especially in the region’s agro-ecological conditions.
Key Findings
A field experiment conducted during the 2021/22 irrigation season evaluated the growth and yield of watermelon (variety Crimson Sweet) under different sowing dates and vine management strategies. Key findings include:
1. Optimal Sowing Date:
- Watermelon sown in the second week of January produced superior results compared to earlier sowing in November or December.
- Benefits of January planting included:
- Earlier harvesting.
- Longer vines and higher leaf area index.
- Increased number of fruits per plant.
- Heavier and more marketable fruits (yield: 45.7 t/ha).
- Lower percentage of unmarketable yield and higher proportion of icebox-sized fruits (4.5–5 kg).
2. Vine Management:
- Plants maintained with three vines per plant recorded the best performance, including:
- Longest vines and highest leaf area index.
- Most fruits per plant.
- Highest marketable fruit yield (yield: 42.2 t/ha).
3. Economic Viability:
- The combination of January planting and three-vine pruning resulted in the highest net benefit and acceptable marginal rate of return (>100%).
Benefits and Impact
By optimizing planting dates and vine numbers, watermelon growers in Amhara Region can achieve:
- Improved Yields: Enhanced growth performance and higher marketable fruit yield.
- Better Fruit Quality: Increased production of desirable icebox-sized fruits.
- Economic Gains: Higher profitability with minimal risk due to improved management practices.
Practical Recommendations
- Adopt January Planting: Farmers should target the second week of January for sowing watermelon seeds to maximize growth and yield potential.
- Implement Pruning Practices: Maintain three vines per plant through strategic pruning to optimize vine growth and fruit production.
- Extend to Similar Agro-Ecologies: These recommendations can be scaled to other areas with similar agro-ecological conditions as the Koga Irrigation Scheme.
- Capacity Building: Train farmers on effective sowing schedules and vine management practices to ensure widespread adoption and success.
Contact Information
Yibeltal Tilahun, Melkamu Alemayehu and Enyew Adgo
Food System Lab Bahir Dar, Ethiopia