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Off-season watermelon cultivation gains tract in Barishal

Al Mamun . Barishal
26 Aug 2022 00:00:00 | Update: 26 Aug 2022 00:05:45
Off-season watermelon cultivation gains tract in Barishal
Bari Watermelon-1 and 2 do not require any fertiliser– Al Mamun

Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) Rahamtpur union regional office of Barishal has achieved success by cultivating off-season watermelons on bamboo trellis platforms over ponds filled with water hyacinths.

They found success in cultivating off-season watermelon organically after researching the Bari Watermelon-1 and Bari Watermelon-2 varieties for the last two years.

BARI sources said the yield of these local varieties will be higher than foreign hybrid watermelons. They expect to expand the cultivation by encouraging more farmers to take up off-season watermelon farming.

Scientists of the Rahamtpur union regional BARI office have been researching various issues including disease, nutritional quality and yield of Bari Watermelon-1 and Bari Watermelon-2 in bamboo platforms stretched over small waterbodies.

Compared to seasonal watermelons cultivated on the ground, this type of watermelon does not require any fertiliser application and is less disease prone. Using organic pesticides yields better results with the varieties.

These varieties are cultivated from July to September and the fruits can be harvested within three months of planting.

BARI officials are conducting various campaigns including meetings and seminars to encourage the farmers to cultivate these off-season varieties.

A scientific officer of the Rahamtpur regional BARI office Dr Md Mahbubur Rahman Talukder said the research centre has already developed the technology of off-season watermelon cultivation in a safe.

“The fruits can be harvested within three months after sowing the seeds. The farmers will also benefit from selling the off-season fruit at a higher price,” he said.

They expect organic watermelon cultivation to gain popularity all over the country.

Dr Md Golam Kibria, a chief scientific officer of the research centre, said Bari Watermelon-1 and Bari Watermelon-2 have yielded good results in experimental cultivation.

“Farmers will benefit financially by cultivating watermelons in the off-season. We are holding exhibitions to encourage the farmers to take on watermelon cultivation,” he said.

Md Rafi Uddin, a lead scientific officer of the research centre, said bamboo trellis platforms are used in farming on 5,000 hectares of land in 6 districts of the division.

“However, cultivating watermelon on such platforms built over ponds full of water hyacinths is a relatively new technology. People can benefit from farming on their otherwise unused lands,” he said.

Dr Mostafizur Rahman Talukder, a chief scientific officer of the research centre and head of the trellis cultivation project, said they were the first in the southern region to research the off-season Bari varieties of watermelons on bamboo trellis platforms.

“Many lands in the region remain uncultivated due to waterlogging. We are taking initiative with the help of the Department of Agricultural Extension to expand platform farming and used the potential lands,” he said.

Project Director Dr Mostafizur Rahman Talukdar said in 2020 Patuakhali Lebukhali Regional Horticultural Research Centre developed the Bari Watermelon-1 and Bari Watermelon-2 varieties. Later, successful experimental cultivation was carried out at the regional BARI office.

“Due to the success of the research, off-season watermelon cultivation has already been spread among the farmers of Gopalganj, Tungipara, Pirojpur, Agailjhara and Banaripara,” he said.

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