EFFECT OF SPACING AND NPK 20:10:10 FERTILIZER ON THE GROWTH AND YIELD OF WATER MELON (CITRULLUS LANATUS) IN ENUGU, SOUTH EASTERN NIGERIA.

摘要

A field experiment to investigate the effect of spacing and NPK 20:10:10 fertilizer on the growth and yieldof watermelon was conducted at the teaching and Research Farm of Faculty of Agriculture and NaturalResources Management, Enugu State University of Science and Technology. The experiment was carriedout in a 2 x 3 factorial in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with six (6) treatments replicatedthree (3) times using “crimson sweet” as a test crop. Parameters measured were vine length, number offruits per plant, days to 50% flowering, fruit yield (ton/ha), and number of marketable fruits. 400kg/hafertilizer in spacing 30cm x 30cm plots recorded the highest vine length of 193.8 cm which significantlydeferred from the other treatment means. This was followed by 200kg/ha fertilizer in spacing of 30 cm x 30cm which recorded vine length of 151.50 cm that significantly deferred from the rest of the treatmentmeans. There were no significant differences between 400kg/ha fertilizer in 15 cm x 15 cm plots and200kg/ha fertilizer in 15 cm x 15cm plots, Okg/ha fertilizer in 30 cm x 30 cm pots and Okg/ha fertilizer in15cm x 15 cm plots on vine length. 400kg/ha fertilizer in 30 cm x 30 cm plots recorded the highest meannumber of 34.33 fruits per plant which deferred significantly from the rest of the treatment means. Thefollowing treatments produced the same effects on the number of fruits per plant – 200kg/ha fertilizer in 30cm x 30 cm plots and 400kg/ha fertilizer in 15 cm x 15 cm plots, Okg/ha fertilizer in 30 cm x 30 cm plots andOkg/ha fertilizer in 1 5cm x 15cm plots. On fruit yield (ton/ha) 400kg/ha fertilizer in 30cm x 30cm plots,and 200kg/ha fertilizer in 30 cm x 30 cm plots produced the highest yield of 13.44 ton/ha and 13.22 ton/harespectively which were not significantly different except the controls – Okg/ha fertilizer in 15cm x 15cmand Okg/ha fertilizer in 30 cm x 30 cm plots which yielded 3.89 ton/ha and 5.48 ton/ha respectively.400kg/ha fertilizer in 30cm x 30cm, 400kg/ha fertilizer in 15cm x 15cm, 200kg/ha fertilizer in 30cm x 30cmand 200kg/ha fertilizer in 15cm x 15cm plots recorded mean number of 9.33, 9.00, 7.00 and 8.33marketable fruits per plant respectively which were significantly the same except the controls. There wasno treatment effect on the number of days to 50% flowering. There was no interaction (AB) effect on vinelength (cm) between NPK 20:10:10 and spacing. Also, there was no interaction effect between NPK20:10:10 and spacing on the number of fruits per plant. There was a significant interaction effect betweenNPK 20:10:10 and spacing on the fruit yield (ton/ha), so also on the number of marketable fruits. There wasno interaction effect between NPK 20:10:10 and spacing on the number of days to 50% flowering.