Crop Rotation
Rotate with leafy crops and legumes to reduce pest and disease build-up.
Yield (tonnes per hectare)
Conservative: 10 tonnes Average: 25 tonnes Good: 50+ tonnesHarvesting
Harvesting of watermelon is done by hand because the grading and the ripeness of the fruit have to be decided on in situ by the picker. Do not pull the melon from the vine. Use a sharp knife or shears to cut the stem of the watermelon cleanly, leaving about 4 cm of the stem on the melon to stop the wound from rotting and spoiling the watermelon.
The fruit must be fully ripe as once the fruit is picked it does not ripen further. The best way to establish ripeness is with a refractometer. Take samples throughout your field and when Brix (sugar content) is about 9 to 10% the field should be ready for the picking to start. This also allows you to check internal colour of the fruit flesh and to perform taste tests.
Other indicators are the drying of the stem tendril and leaves near the fruit stem indicating the fruit is ripe and no longer receiving food. The other is a dull sound when the fruit is tapped with your hand. Harvesting of the same field is normally done two or even three times before all the fruit is picked. Harvest in the early morning in cool temperatures.
Storage
Move the watermelons into a cool area as soon after picking as possible. Storage temperature should be 12°C to 14°C at 90% relative humidity. The maximum time of storage for most varieties is two to three weeks.Pests
Aphids, Nematodes, Squash bugs, Silverleaf whitefly, Seedcorn maggot, Striped and Spotted Cucumber beetles.Diseases
Anthracnose, Charcoal rot, Downy mildew, Fusarium wilt, Cercospora leaf spot, Phytophthora, Powdery Mildew and Gummy stem blight.By Louise BrodieFor bulk or Watermelon export enquiries please use the enquiry link below.