Stem plant creeping and branched. Oval leaves, divided into three lobes, with spiral structures attached to the stem, called "tendrils" Flowers small, yellow-green color.
How to Plant Watermelon: Fruit
Rounded or elongated, smooth bark, green or yellowish spots by wind. Abundant flesh that varies in color: white, pink, yellow, red or purple, with reddish seeds or black.
How to Plant Watermelon: Farming
For seeds in August in regions of severe winter, c anywhere on the year in the other regions. Prefer sand-clayey, deep, rich soils in organic matter. Harvesting is done about 100 days after planting.
Along with melon, watermelon is the fruit of the Cucurbitaceae family, the same cucumber, pumpkin and chayote.
In its different varieties - although there is a variety whose flesh is yellowish - Watermelons have generally a color ranging from white-pink and bright red. Whatever the variety, in almost all cases, the watermelon is complete and disorderly dotted by small flat, black and smooth seeds, dispersed through the large pulp.
This pulp is also very watery, with the proportion of water which encloses still higher than the melons. Pure water!
For this reason, the watermelon is one of the most refreshing existing fruits, gaining even melons to be less indigestible than them.
The truth, in extreme heat, amid the sun midday tropical summer, nothing like a good chunks of fresh watermelon to replace fluids lost by sweating. Without a doubt, this is the best time and way to savor it.
In the cities of northeastern Brazil and some warmer cities in the southeast, including, it is common to find vendors selling pieces already watermelon parties and other refreshing fruits, such as pineapple to mitigate the heat of passers-by.
Moreover, by its excessive size, watermelon a single whole comes to be excessive acquisition for the consumption of an ordinary family. Thus, watermelons are usually sold in markets and Brazilian markets, already cut in pieces, quarters or halves.
The generous broth and consistent pulp watermelon are sweetened. In general, the more mature the fruit, the sweeter its taste. But sometimes, this is tasteless and dull and then only serves to feed the animals that never get enough to eat it.
Determine whether a watermelon is mature or not is no easy task. Its bark, hard and thick, not let on what's inside. A good method is to give each soquinhos with his knuckles: if the fruit is still green half, the sound will be slightly metallic. Otherwise, the more deaf is the sound that comes from the fruit, it will be more mature.
The Horticeres revolutionized the market watermelons to introduce Hybrid Ruby in 1991. The uniformity of the high average weight fruit, striped bark in shades of green in contrast to the ruby-red interior, and excellent sweet flavor, do not find competition. But the dynamism of search improvements program new and better cultivars.
The forage watermelon (Citrullus lanatus cv. Citroides), also known as watermelon-Ponytail, the bush watermelon or watermelon-of-pig, originated in Africa and was brought to Brazil by slaves. Here has adapted to Northeastern conditions and spread through natural breeding with other types of watermelon. The pulp is a white, consistent with a low content of sucrose, hence not well accepted for human consumption.
Long ago that the forage watermelon has been used in feed for small farmers in the Northeast. Recently, as a result of recent drought that ravaged the region, its use grew, with the intensification of plantations, mainly in Bahia and Pernambuco.
In Sergipe, Embrapa Coastal Tablelands, unit under the Ministry of Agriculture and Supply, implemented this year in the Experimental Field of Our Lady of Sorrows, a demonstrative unit with this culture, with a view to its dissemination among producers and technicians Sergipe.
To this end, held with the support of EMDAGRO six field days with the participation of producers in several municipalities in Sergipe. In general, the responsiveness of the producers was very good, with the same showing interest in purchasing seeds for planting next winter.
The forage watermelon is considered a food of good quality. Studies by Embrapa Semi-Arid, Petrolina, PE., Indicate that it contains on average 90% water and 10% dry matter and 7-10% protein and is very rich in minerals. The digestibility is of the order of 60%.
How to Plant Watermelon: Soil and Planting
In general, the forage watermelon has better development and higher productivity in light soils and good fertility. Subject to waterlogging and saline soils should not be indicated.
The forage watermelon can be planted single or in consortium with other cultures. Single, the spacing can be 3.0 x 2.0m and consortium of 3.0 x 3.0m between rows and holes, respectively. In each hole is placed 3 to 4 seeds with an average consumption of 1.0 kg of seeds per hectare.
Being a rustic and resistant to plant diseases, forage watermelon presents no difficulties to be cultivated. It need only be cleaned one or two times during their vegetative cycle, which is about 90 days. Fertilization is optional and can be done with manure produced on the farm by placing it in the pit before planting.
How to Plant Watermelon: Productivity and Conservation
Productivity is related to soil fertility and especially with the amount and distribution of rainfall during its production cycle. Embrapa Semi-Arid data indicate that, in Pernambuco, with rainfall ranging from 200 to 600 mm, productivity has been 10-60 tons per hectare.
The fruits of forage watermelon are quite resistant to diseases caused by fungi and bacteria that usually attack the fruits of commercial watermelons. Should be avoided, however, cut or scratch the surface of the fruit.
The storage can be done in the field, leaving watermelons on-site plantation. To prevent the damage caused by soil insects, it is recommended roll watermelons their "beds" original. Another option is to store the fruit in dry and ventilated sheds, layered 50 cm. One should be careful of the rats, which can spoil the fruit. One can also store the fruit under trees, close to the planting site.
It recommends the use of fruit in the dry season immediately after harvest.
How to Plant Watermelon: Use watermelon Forage
Watermelon can be provided in chopped forage machines, as used for the palm, or prick machete, depending on the number of animals to be fed.
Watermelon should not be provided to the animals as the sole source of food. Due to its high water content (90%), the animals can not reach the intake of dry matter that need. Thus, it is recommended to supply watermelon equivalent to 1/3 of daily dry matter intake, ie approximately 30 to 40 kg watermelon / day for each adult animal.
Source: Whole Fruit
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