Production requirements & costs for 1 ha of Water melons( 1 hectare - 2.47 acres ) Population: Approximately 1500 per ha. Seed requirements: 2.2 - 4.5 kg per ha depending on variety and spacing. Spacing: 2.4 - 3.0 m between the rows and 2.4 m within the row. Yields: 20 - 30 tonnes per ha is quite common. Sowing date: Sow as early as possible, July to Aug. If possible germinate seed in sleeves in sheltered areas to avoid frost, then transplant later. Waterwelons have a very low demand for Phosphate and very high demand for Potash. Potash helps with the sweetness and keeping qualities. Too much Phosphate can lead to fruit split. Maturity period: Usually 12 - 14 weeks depending on variety. Fertilizer requirements
Base dressing
Top dressing
Base dressing
Top dressing
Product
Compound L Muriate of Potash Potassium nitrate AN (34.5% N) Muriate of Potash OR Compound C Muriate of Potash AN (34.5% N) AN (34.5% N) Sulpahte of Potash
4:17:11:8.5S+0.25B MOP (60% K2O) 13:0:46 AN MOP 5:15:12 11S +0.1B MOP AN AN SOP (50% K2O)
Rate/ha
300 200 100 200 200 Total 300 200 100 100 300 Total
Nitrogen
Phosphate
Potash
Sulphur
12
51
33 120 46 0 120 319 36 120 0 0 150 306
26
13 35 60 15
51 45
35 35 85
45
26 22
45 67
Comments
Rate/ha
Cost/tonne
All at planting 0.3 All at planting 0.2 All at planting 0.1 At fruiting, if required. 0.2 3 - 4 weeks apart 0.2 Sulphur levels are rather low. All at planting 0.3 All at planting 0.2 All at planting 0.1 At fruiting, if required. 0,1 3 - 4 weeks apart 0.3 This second example has better sulphur levels
Cost / ha
$680 $880 $3840 $700 $880 $700 $880 $700 $700 $1100
The examples shown above are only a guide and other combinations may be preferrable. The totals give some indication of what the crop needs. An example: '200 kg's per ha at a population of 1500 per ha equates to 133 g per planting station, quite a lot, so be careful not to burn the plants. Remove misshapen, diseased or late fruit when larger fruit are 75 - 100 mm long. Leave only 2 - 4 per vine, or less with larger varieties. Herbicides, Psticides and Fungicides Problem Grasses Cutworm Aphids
Product Agil 100EC Fenvalerate/Lambdacyhalothrin Dimethoate 40EC
Mixing rate
30 - 120ml / 15 l knapsack. Grasses ONLY, post emergent. Higher rates for perennial grasses 42 ml per 100 l 30ml /15l knapsack
30g /15 l knapsack Chloroo 500/Chlorothalonil 120ml/15l knapsack Malathion 25 WP
Anthracnose
& Downy Downy mildew only
Powdery Mildew Fruit Fly
Rhizoctonia & soil borne diseases NOTES:
Dithane M45/ Uthane M45
Copper Oxychloride 85WP Polyram DF Bavistin/Benomyl 50WP Lebaycid 50EC Malathion 25 WP Dipterex 95 SP Vitavax Plus Thiram 80WP
Application / Comments
120g /15 l knapsack 60 g / 15 l knapsack 30 g / 15 l knapsack 15g/ 15 l knapsack 20 ml/15 l knapsack
300 g per ha, bait 50 g per ha, bait Seed dressing Seed dressing
Apply 1 No 30 cup over plant as soon as it germinates Full cover spray. Not normally a bad pest for this crop. Full cover spray. Repeat if necessary Full cover spray. Repeat if necessary at 7 - 14 days. Full cover spray Full cover spray. Repeat if necessary at 10 - 14 days. Full cover spray. Repeat in 7 - 14 day intervals. Full cover spray. Repeat in 7 - 14 day intervals. F.C.S. from start of owering and every 2 - 3 weeks. Mix with 8 kg's sugar in 100 lt water and apply as a course spray As above 20ml Vitavax Plus + 35ml water/5kg seed 10g/5kg seed - mix well
17 x 15 lt knapsacks/ha applies +/- 250 lt/ha Use Bladbuff 5 as your spray water buffer for effective chemical spraying. FOR FURTHER DETAILS, READ AND UNDERSTAND THE LABELS.
Product for 1 ha 0.5 - 2.0 l
Pack Size 2 lt
20 ml 0.2,0.5&1lt 200 - 300 ml 0.5,1,&5lt 300 g 1, 25 kg 2.0 l 1,2,5&20lt 2 kg 0.5,1,5,&25kg 1 kg 0.2, 0.5, & 1 kg 500 g 750 g 0.5, 1 & 25 kg 320 ml 0.1, 0.2,0.5&1 lt 300 g 1, 25 kg 50 g 20ml 10g 0.5,1,20 & 25kg
Cost per Pack
$7/lt $7/kg $8/lt $10/kg $13/kg $40/lt
$6/kg
Harvest Interval N/A N/A 14 days 7 days 3 days 7 days 3 days 3 days 3 days 7 days 7 days 7 days N/A N/A