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Watermelon: A Valuable Horticultural Crop with Nutritional Benefits

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Popular Kheti
Volume -5, Issue-2 (April-June), 2017
Available online at www.popularkheti.com
© 2017 popularkheti.com
eISSN: 2321-0001

Watermelon: A Valuable Horticultural Crop with Nutritional Benefits

Reetu1* and Maharishi Tomar2
1
ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, New Delhi-110012
2
ICAR-Central Potato Research Institute, Shimla (H. P.), India
*Email of corresponding author: [email protected]

Watermelon is an important fruit crop. It is a newly introduced cash crop gaining a

high level of economic importance in the generation of income and provision of
nutritional value. Watermelon flesh contains high quantity of vitamins, minerals and
other antioxidant compounds which play important role in human metabolism.
Antioxidant components help in preventing human disease by acting as oxygen radical
scavenger. Watermelon rind and seed also have many health benefits due to the
presence of important amino acids citrulline, fibres, minerals and phenolic
compounds.

Introduction
Fruits are concentrated source of natural components. These natural components are plant
derived materials performing a key role in maintaining human health, especially in disease
prevention, growth and development. In the recent era, phyto-nutrients, particularly from fruits
and vegetables, are becoming popular due to consumer awareness regarding their health-
enhancing potential (Naz et al., 2013). Plants and plant-based compounds are the basis of many
of the modern pharmaceuticals used today for the treatment of various dreadful diseases.
Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) botanically considered as the fruit is belonging to the
family Cucurbitaceae (Edwards et al., 2003). Cucurbitaceae family ranks among the highest of
plant families for number and percentage of species used as human food. The common name of
watermelon is Tarbooz (Hindi and Urdu), Tarbuj (Manipuri), Kaduvrindavana (Marathi),
Eriputccha (Telegu), Kallangadiballi (Kannada), Tormuj (Bengali), Indrak (Gujarati).
Watermelon is originated from Kalahari Desert of Africa but nowadays cultivated abundantly in
tropical regions of the world. It has great economic importance with 29.6 million tonnes
estimated production worldwide. According to the National Institute of Industrial Research,
watermelon is cultivated in Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Orissa, Gujarat, Punjab,
Haryana, Assam, West Bengal, Karnataka, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Tamil
Nadu.
Physical Characteristics
It is a large, sprawling annual plant with coarse, hairy pinnately-lobed leaves and yellow flowers.
It is grown for its edible fruit, which is a special kind of berry botanically called a pepo. The
watermelon fruit has deep green smooth thick exterior rind with grey or light green vertical
stripes. Inside the fruit is red in colour with small black seeds embedded in the middle third of
the flesh (Wehner et al., 2001).

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Leaves Flower

Leaves Flower

Fruits Seeds

Figure: Citrullus lanatus leaves, flower, fruit and seeds

Watermelons range in shape from round to oblong. Rind colours can be light to dark green, with
or without stripes. Flesh colours can be dark red, red or yellow. India grows approximately 25
commercial varieties, a few of which have delightfully interesting names: New Hampshire
Midget, Madhuri 64, Black Magic, Sugar Baby, Asahi Yamato, Arka Jyoti, Arka Manik,
Improved Shipper, Durgapura Meetha and Durgapura Kesar to name a few. Watermelon
varieties fall into three broad classes based on how the seed was developed: open-pollinated,
F1-hybrid and triploid or seedless.
Cultivation
Watermelon is grown in sandy loam soil rich in organic matter with good drainage and pH range
for 6.5-7.5 (Kumar et al., 2013).In North Indian plains, watermelons are sown in February-
March whereas in Northeastern and Western India best time of sowing is from November to
January. In South and Central India, these can be grown almost round the year.
Watermelon is a warm season crop grown mainly in sub-tropical and hot-arid regions.
Temperature range of 24-270C is considered as optimum for the growth of the vines. Cool nights
and warm days are ideal for accumulation of sugars in the fruits. The seed germinates best when
temperatures are higher than 200C. High humidity at the time of vegetative growth renders the
crop susceptible to various fungal diseases.

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Planting and transplanting: Watermelon can be direct seeded in the field or grown as
transplants seedling in pots and then transplanted to the field. Before sowing seeds are soaked in
warm water for 12 hours. Normally 3.5 kg of seed of watermelon is required for planting one ha
area. The hills are usually spaced 1 to 1.5 meters apart in the rows also 2 to 2.5 meters apart. A
variation of spacing hills 4meters apart in the rows 1.5 meters apart are also commonly used in
the tropics. Apply FYM 20 t/ha, P 55 kg and K 55 kg as basal and N 55 kg/ha 30 days after
sowing.
Weeds and insect control: Depending upon the season about 2-3 weeding operations is
required. The first weeding should be done 20-25 days after sowing while subsequent weeding is
done at an interval of one month. The biggest watermelon pest is the leaf-eating beetles, they
damage the flowers. The other main problem with growing watermelons is mildew, a fungus that
makes the leaves look as if they were coated with white powder.
Yield and yield components: The total yield of watermelon is a function of marketable yield,
fruit count, percent cull, percent early fruit and fruit size (Dia, 2012a; Dia et al., 2012b; Dia et
al., 2012c). Marketable yield ranges from a high of 80.44 to a low of 27.43 Mg/ha. Total fruit
count ranges from 1.61 to 6.31 thousand fruits/ha. Similarly, percent cull fruit, percent early fruit
and fruit size range from 23.42-20.55%, 49.9-17.4%, and 01.72-14.56 kg/fruit, respectively (Dia
et al., 2016a).Among quality traits, lycopene and sugar range from 8.76 to 52.15 mg/kg and 8.47
to 14.02 ºBrix, respectively (Dia et al., 2016b). Variation in watermelon yield and quality is
governed by fluctuation in the external environment (Dia et al., 2016c).
Harvesting and storage: The crop is ready for harvest in about 75-100 days after sowing. For
local market, harvesting should be done at full maturity while for transporting to distant markets,
it is done slightly earlier. Watermelons can be stored for 14 days at 15°C. Watermelons should
not be stored with apples and bananas as the ethylene produced during storage from these fruits
hastens softening and development of off flavour to watermelons.
Nutritional Value of Fresh Watermelon
Watermelon is one of the commonly consumed fruits in many countries. Watermelon contains
more than 91% water and up to 7% of carbohydrates. It is a rich source of lycopene and
citrulline. Watermelon rind contains more amounts of citrulline then flesh. Additionally,
watermelon has a number of essential micronutrients and vitamins.
Table: Nutritive value per 100 g of flesh
Components Nutrient Value Percentage of Recommended Daily Allowance
Energy 30 Kcal 1.5%
Carbohydrates 7.6 g 6%
Protein 0.6 g 1%
Total Fat 0.15 g 0.5%
Dietary Fiber 0.4 g 1%
Vitamins
Niacin 0.178 mg 1%
Pantothenic Acid 0.221 mg 4.5%
Vitamin A 569 mg 19%
Vitamin C 8.1 mg 13.5%
Electrolytes
Potassium 112 mg 2.5%
Iron 0.24 mg 3%
Manganese 0.038 mg 1.5 %
Zinc 0.10 mg 1%
Phyto-nutrients
Carotene-alpha 303 µg -
Lycopene 4532 µg -
Source: USDA National Nutrient Database

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Health Benefits of Watermelon

Heart health: Watermelon contains high levels of lycopene that is very effective in protect cells
from damage and lower the risk of heart disease. Watermelon extracts help to reduce
hypertension and lower blood pressure in obese adults. Watermelon fruit is also a good source of
potassium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling
heart rate and blood pressure. Thus, it prevents against stroke and coronary heart diseases (Le et
al., 2005).
Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant support: Anti-inflammatory foods can help with overall
immunity and general health. The lycopene in watermelon makes it an anti-inflammatory fruit.
Lycopene is an inhibitor for various inflammatory processes and also works as an antioxidant to
neutralize free radicals (Edwards et al., 2003). It also contains a good amount of vitamin-B6
(pyridoxine), vitamin–C and manganese. Consumption of food rich in vitamin–C helps the body
develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful oxygen-free radicals.
Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase.
Watermelon is an excellent source of Vitamin A, which is a powerful natural antioxidant. It is
one of the essential vitamins for vision and immunity.
Hydration and digestion: Watermelons are the perfect example of a food that can help you stay
hydrated. Watermelons are nature gift to beat summer thirst due to rich in electrolytes and water
content. The watermelon contains fibre, which encourages a healthy digestive tract and helps
keep you regular.
Skin and hair benefits: Vitamin A helps keep skin and hair moisturized and it also encourages
healthy growth of new collagen and elastin cells. Vitamin C is also beneficial in this regard, as it
promotes healthy collagen growth.
Cancer prevention: Like other fruits and vegetables, watermelons may be helpful in reducing
the risk of cancer through their antioxidant properties. According to the National Cancer
Institute, Lycopene help in reducing prostate cancer cell proliferation. Consumption of natural
fruits rich in vitamin-A is known to protect from lung and oral cavity cancers
You can eat watermelon rind and seeds: Most people throw away the watermelon rind and
seeds. Rind not only contains plenty of health-promoting and blood-building chlorophyll, but the
rind actually contains important amino acid citrulline than the flesh. Citrulline is a non-protein
amino acid and was first identified from watermelon. Citrulline is used in the nitric oxide system
in humans and has antioxidant and vasodilatation roles (Rimando et al., 2005). According to
2013 study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, citrulline improves
circulation by reducing muscle soreness and heart rate. Many people prefer seedless watermelon
varieties, but black watermelon seeds are quite healthy and edible. They contain iron, zinc,
protein, and fibre.
Conclusion
Watermelons are very good source of important nutritive components and contained a very high
concentration of nutrients for human consumption. It also contains different components of
medicinal values. Therefore, it would be \more effective in healthcare management.
Additionally, watermelon rind and seed is a rich source of an important amino acid and minerals.
These exceptional qualities of watermelon and its products warrant us to use it for health
benefits.
References
Dia M (2012a). Genotype × Environment Interaction and Stability Analysis of Performance, and
Mega-Environment Identification of Fruit Yield and Yield Components in Watermelon
[Citrullus lanatus (Thumb.) Matsum & Nakai] Tested in Multiple US Locations. Ph.D.
diss. North Carolina State University, Raleigh.

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Dia M, Wehner TC, Hassell R, Price DS, Boyhan GE, Olson S, King S, Davis AR, Tolla GE,
Bernier J, Juarez B, Sari N, Solmaz I, and Aras V (2012b). Mega-environment
identification for watermelon yield testing in the US. Cucurbitaceae Proceedings of the
Xth EUCARPIA Meeting on Genetics and Breeding of Cucurbitaceae, Antalya, Turkey,
15-18 October, 2012. University of Cukurova, Ziraat Fakultesi. P. 385-390.
Dia M, Wehner TC, Hassell R, Price DS, Boyhan GE, Olson S, King S, Davis AR, Tolla GE,
Bernier J, Juarez B, Sari N, Solmaz I and Aras V. (2012c) Stability of fruit yield in
watermelon genotypes tested in multiple US environments. Cucurbitaceae. Proceedings
of the Xth EUCARPIA Meeting on Genetics and Breeding of Cucurbitaceae, Antalya,
Turkey, 15-18 October, 2012. University of Cukurova, Ziraat Fakultesi. P. 84-88.
Dia M, Wehner TC, Hassell R, Price DS, Boyhan GE, Olson S, King S, Davis AR and Tolla GE
(2016a). Genotype × environment interaction and stability analysis for watermelon fruit
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Dia M, Wehner TC, Hassell R, Price DS, Boyhan GE, Olson S, King S, Davis AR and Tolla GE
(2016b). Values of locations for representing mega-environments and for discriminating
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Dia M, Wehner TC, Perkins-Veazie P, Hassell R, Price DS, Boyhan GE, Olson S, King S, Davis
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Edwards AJ, Vinyard BT, Wiley ER, Brown ED, Collins JK, Perkins-Veazie P (2003).
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