Agronomic Performance of Water Melon Varieties for Off-season Cultivation in a Coastal Soil of Southwestern Bangladesh

Abstract

The watermelon {Citrullus lanatus L. (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai} - an annual and monoecious fruit - belongs to the family Cucurbitaceae. It is usually grown in Bangladesh during the month from February to April. However, there is opportunity of year-round cultivation, and off-season watermelon cultivation is more profitable than usual farming. The study was conducted the field of Salinity Management Research Center (SMRC), SRDI, Batiaghata under Khulna district from June to September 2025 to evaluate the off season agronomic performance of fifteen watermelon varieties. The experiment followed a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. Data were collected on various physical and qualitative characters of watermelon fruits and were analyzed statistically. Varieties Ashtha, Shahi and Japanese Dragon produced fruits with greater lengths (cm) and individual fruit weight (kg). Fruit diameter (cm) was also greater in Ashtha and Shahi. The peak total soluble solid was noticed in Ashtha followed by BARI Tarmuj-2 and BARI Tarmuj-1. Sweetness was found the greatest in Ashtha, Japanese Dragon and BARI Tarmuj-1. Additionally, Ashtha, Japanese Dragon, Pakija, Yellow Sweet and BARI Tarmuj-1 offered the enjoyable taste. Therefore, watermelon varieties Ashtha, Shahi and Japanese Dragon are recommended for cultivation during the off season in the south-western coastal region of Bangladesh.

South Asian J. Agric. Vol. 12, No. 1, Jun., 2026: 01-10