Seed Quality Studies of ‘Egusi’ Melon (Citrullus lanatus Thunb.) [Matsum and Nakai] Harvested at Varied Maturity Stages and at Different Positions on the Mother Plant

Egusi melon (Citrullus lanatus Thunb.) is an important exotic vegetable that can increase the income of farmers if high-quality seeds are obtained. This study was conducted in Makurdi, Nigeria during the early cropping session of 2010 to determine the quality of seed as a major prerequisite for successful germination. The bulk crop was raised of two ‘egusi’ melon cultivars (Bara and Serewe) and fruits that developed from date-tagged flowers were harvested at three days intervals from 20 DAA to 47 DAA to monitor seed development and maturation. In another experiment, basal, middle and apex flowers were date tagged as they developed along the growing twine and fruits that developed were harvested at full maturity to monitor seed quality as influenced by fruit position. Although the two cultivars recorded progressive increases in fruit length with age, significant increases between each succeeding harvests were only recorded at 23 and 47 DAA respectively in bara and 41 DAA in serewe. Results indicated that mass maturity was attained between 35 and 38 DAA in the two cultivars and the highest germination percentages of 85 and 87 were obtained at the last harvest (47 DAA) for both cultivars. Germination of fruits positioned at the base and middle showed no significant differences in themselves but was significantly superior to apex fruits. It is therefore concluded that the seed crop of the two cultivars should be delayed for up to 47 DAA or beyond and preference should be given to seeds harvested from the base and middle position of the plant.