PJB-2020-171
MORPHOLOGICAL AND YIELD TRAITS EVALUATION OF SODIUM AZIDE TREATED WATERMELON IN THE HUMID TROPICS OF NIGERIA
Macauley Asim ITTAH
Abstract
Abstract Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) is a popular fruit in Nigeria and worldwide; its production cannot meet the demand; therefore, higher yielding varieties must be developed to fulfil the needs. This study evaluated some traits related to yield in watermelon after seed treatment with sodium azide (NaN3).Three cultivars of watermelon were treated with five concentrations of sodium azide (0.0 to 1.0 x 105 ppm) before planting in Calabar (humid agro-ecology) and Ikom (semi-humid agro-ecology); in a split plot experimental design. The vine length, number of leaves, number of fruits per plot, weight of fruits per plot, total fruit weight and 100-seed weight were higher at 2 x 104 ppm sodium azide treatments than within the range of 5 x 104 to 1.0 x 105 ppm. Thus, sodium azide could be highly mutagenic to watermelon in lower concentrations and apparently not in high concentrations used in the present study. The average fresh fruit yields of the watermelon varieties ranged from 12.13 to 17.4 t/ha. Therefore with the high economic yields accompanying sodium azide treatment of watermelon at lower concentrations, its cultivation in the humid tropics is further encouraged. Keywords: Citrullus lanatus; humid agro-ecology; sodium azide treatment; watermelon
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