International Journal of Horticulture, 2016, Vol.6, No.22, 1-14
9
organo-mineral fertilizer application and (Table 8). In the late season, nitrogen concentrations in fruit tissues were
mostly not affected by manuring except in Sugarbaby which has enhanced nitrogen content on application of NPK
fertilizer.
Table 9 Combine effects of variety and manuring on growth and fruit yield characters of water melon (Late season crop)
Variety Manure types
No.
of
leaves
Vine
length
(cm)
No
of
branches
No
of
flowers
No
of
fruits
No
of
fruit Rots
No
of
Cracked
fruit
Fruit
length
Fruit
Diameter
Fruit
weight
(kg)
Crimson
Sweet
Unmanure
2.07
2.26
3.47
0.75
1.13
0
1
20
44
1.36
OrganoMineral1.92
2.28
2.93
0.75
1.27
1
0
25.3
49
2.19
NPK fertilizer 2.26
2.42
4.42
1.22
1
0
0
21.6
44
1.34
Charleston
Grey.
Unmanure
2.01
2.29
3.02
0.9
1
0
0
33.6
49
3.7
OrganoMineral1.89
2.28
2.38
0.54
1.13
1
0
24.3
29
0.7
NPK fertilizer 2.12
2.32
3.61
0.69
1.62
0
0
24.6
43.6
1.9
Kaolac
Unmanure
1.9
2.2
2.68
0.8
1.38
1
0
23
33
1.6
OrganoMineral1.99
2.27
2.75
0.84
1.13
1
1
21.3
39
1.24
NPK fertilizer 2.07
2.32
2.75
0.98
1.27
1
0
22
38
0.86
Anderson
Unmanure
1.92
2.25
2.28
0.69
1
1
0
26.1
34.6
0.66
OrganoMineral2.21
2.31
3.16
1.04
1.13
1
0
25.3
35.3
0.81
NPK fertilizer 2
2.27
3.22
0.91
1
0
0
30
51.6
2.19
Sugarbaby
Unmanure
2
2.31
2.54
0.89
1.27
0
1
21
45
1.65
OrganoMineral1.92
2.27
2.32
0.48
1
1
1
18.3
35
0.78
NPK fertilizer 1.93
2.36
2.32
0.77
1
0
0
25
49
1.8
About 76% increase in phosphorus content due to use of NPK fertilizer was obtained in Charleston Grey
compared to OMF and control, while OMF enhanced P content in Kaolac in the rainy season crop. In the late
season crop, application of NPK fertilizer increased P content in Charleston Grey, Anderson and Sugarbaby, and
the highest % increase of 185.42% increase were obtained for Anderson compared to OMF and control. Crimson
sweet and Kaolac responded to OMF application which leads to higher percentage increase in phosphorus.
Charleston Grey and Sugarbaby responded to NPK application compared to control and OMF. In the late season
crop, the effect of manurial treatment in most of the varieties with respect to potassium content was not enhanced
except in Anderson with NPK application giving a very great increase.
Application of NPK enhanced Ca and Mg content in Sugarbaby compared to control and OMF for rainy season
crop, while OMF enhanced Ca and Mg content in Anderson compared to control. In late season crop, OMF
application increased Ca in Charleston Grey, Kaolac and Anderson compared to control and NPK, while NPK
application increased Ca in Crimson sweet, Charleston grey, Kaolac and Anderson. In the rainy season crop slight
increases in moisture content in Crimson sweet, Kaolac and Charleston Grey were obtained for NPK application
and in Charleston Grey in the late season. Higher moisture content was obtained in Kaolac under NPK application
and Sugarbaby with OMF and NPK application (Table 9). In the rainy season crop, manure application did not
give increase in the ash content in all the tested varieties. However in the late season, the varieties responded as
regards ash content and Sugarbaby in particular had highest ash content when NPK was applied. The results show
that crude fiber content was not enhanced reduce in Crimson Sweet, Charleston Grey, Kaolac and Sugarbaby
when NPK fertilizer was applied in rainy season, likewise application of OMF except for Anderson and
Sugarbaby where 0.76 and 0.86% crude fibre were obtained with OMF application. In late season crop, NPK
enhanced crude fibre in Sugarbaby.
Total Solid in fruits of Charleston Grey and Sugarbaby were enhanced under NPK and OMF application
