FREE FEASIBILITY FOR RAISING 200 BROILERS

PROCUREMENT

• Price of Day old Chicks = N180 per bird

For 200 birds = N36,000

• Transportation = N5,000 (depending on your proximity to hatchery)

FEEDING

• Average feed that will be consumed per bird

For 8 weeks = 4.3kg

• Total feed that will be consumed

For 8 weeks = 4.3 X 200 = 860kg

• Total feed that will be consumed in 25kg bags

For 8 weeks = 860kg/25kg = 34.4bags
COST OF FEEDING

• Cost of feed per bag = N2,550

• Total cost of feed that will be consumed

For 8 weeks = N2,550 X 34.4bags
= N87,720

DRUGS & VACCINES

This is approximately put at N5,000.

So from the above,

Procurement of birds,
Feeding for 8weeks, and
Drugs & Vaccines...

= N41,000 + N87,720 + N5,000 = N133,720.

By the end of 8th week, the value of your stock should be more than double - ceteris paribus.

NOTE: This is feasible where land is acquired, pen is readily available and materials are provided.

All the best.

For Consultancy Services on Poultry farming, do contact 08060661311. (I stay in Abuja, so this is basically
for Abuja poultry farmers).
Watermelon – rich, red and succulent – is easily one of Nigeria’s most popular, readily
available and affordable fruits. It could even be your favorite fruit and sometimes you may
not have all the cash to consume as much as you may wish. But stop and think a little.
Think of watermelon as a business and this act could end your financial worries

Growing watermelons from seed

Watermelons are grown from seed. You may be tempted to use seed out of a melon you
bought, but don't waste your time. It is almost guaranteed to be a hybrid.
Hybrid varieties are very special crosses that don't grow true to type. (You would end up
growing what we call pig melons. A melon variety that's only good for feeding to the pigs...)
Buy your seed, and if possible buy an open pollinated heirloom variety. Because then you
CAN use your own seed next year. The open pollinated varieties are also hardier.
You will find a lot more interesting varieties amongst the heirlooms then you cn find in the
standard collection of you local gardening centre.
Start your watermelon seeds in the ground, right where they are supposed to grow. The soil
should be at least 18°C for them to germinate.

see the attached file for the seed

Unless you have an extremely short growing season, do NOT start your watermelon seed in
a pot or punnet. Do NOT buy watermelon seedlings from a nursery.
Watermelon seed germinates easily and quickly, within a few days. Watermelon plants
outgrow the seedling stage very quickly, and they don't like transplanting. You don't save
much time and you end up with a weaker plant.
Save yourself this totally needless extra work and stick your seeds in the ground, about two
cm or an inch deep.
(If you have a long growing season, you may want to do several plantings, a few weeks
apart.)
Watermelons need deep, rich, friable soils. To grow watermelons it helps to raise the soil
(make mounds or ridges). Raising the soil has several advantages:
A mound or ridge is free draining (melons don't like wet feet). If you have heavy clay soil,
definitely raise the bed.
Mounds are also good if the soil is as poor as mine. I just make a mound of good soil with
lots of compost in it to grow watermelons. Sometimes I plant them in what's left over from
a compost pile after I used most of the compost.
If you like growing things in neat rows, or if you want to plant a large area, grow
watermelons on ridges, like the commercial growers do.
Rows should be about 2 m (6 ft) apart and the plants spaced at 30 cm/a foot apart. (Sow
twice as many as you want, and keep the stronger ones.)
I prefer growing watermelons in clumps on a mound, in several different locations in the
garden. (Mixing things up helps keeping pests and diseases at bay.) If you want several hills
together, keep them about 2 m apart.
The mound should be about one metre square and a foot high. Then I plant about ten seeds
in it, in three groups of three to four seeds each. The groups are spaced about a foot apart
(30 cm).
After a few weeks I can see which watermelon plants grow the strongest, and I snip off the
weaker ones, leaving only one seedling in each group. (Don't pull them up, cut them off. Or
you disturb the roots of the others.)

If you have a very small garden but absolutely have to have watermelons, you can try
growing them on a trellis. Really.
You need a very strong trellis, you need to train them up the trellis as they aren't climbers,
and you need to support the developing fruit so the trellis holds the weight, not the plant.
It is a lot of work but it can be done..
Growing watermelon plants
Slugs and other seedling chomping critters like mulch and they like watermelons. Wait until
the watermelons have outgrown the most vulnerable stage (where a slug can demolish
them within minutes). Then mulch the area well.
Watermelons have very shallow roots and they need lots of moisture. The soil should never
dry out, and mulch helps with that.
Mulch also keeps weeds down. Weeding could disturb the shallow roots, so it's better to not
let them grow to start with.
Watermelons are VERY hungry plants. If your mulch is something like compost or aged
animal manures, all the better. (Like all cucurbits, watermelons can handle fairly raw
compost and manures.)
Otherwise, feed your watermelons regularly with something like pelleted chook manure or
another organic fertiliser. (Ideally you should use a high nitrogen fertiliser in the early
stages, but cut back on nitrogen and give them lots of potassium once they flower and
fruit.)
When the vines are about two metres long, pinch out the tips. It encourages branching.
As your watermelon vines grow bigger they will start trying to take over more space. If they
start to smother other things you can remind them about sticking to their area by gently
moving the tips of the vines, so they grow into the right direction.

Watermelon flowering and fruiting

Watermelons grow male and female flowers on the same vine.

The smaller male flowers appear first. The female flowers are much larger (see the photo)
and you can't miss them.
If you don't see any it could have several reasons: too hot, too cold, not enough water, not
enough nutrients... In any way, it means the watermelon plant isn't happy.
If the plant does produce female flowers but the little fruit at the base of it shrivels up and
dies, then the flowers are not getting pollinated.
Watermelon flowers are insect pollinated. If you suspect the insects aren't doing their job,
you can do it yourself, just to be sure.
Hand pollination is best done early in the morning. Pull off a few male flowers and remove
the flower petals. Then brush the pollen laden stamen against the stigma in the centre of
the female flower, so the pollen sticks to it. Easy.

Producing water melon fruits locally in Nigeria:

“In most Northern states of Nigeria, Watermelons are grown throughout the year owing to
functional irrigation system, Here in the southern parts of

Nigeria especially in Edo state, we’ve been able to devise a means of producing watermelon
fruits without using any crude implement like cutlass or hoe from planting to harvesting. We
only utilize chemicals even during weeding.

We’re trying to revolutionize the production process which is a lot easier for whoever wants
to go into producing these fruits; especially the Nigerian youths.
It takes approximately 70 – 90 days for planting and harvesting watermelon depending on
the viability of the hybrid seeds used.

Harvesting watermelons
Telling when a watermelon is ripe is an art. You will get better at it with practice.
The first sign to look for is the curly tendril at the stem. because of space continue the rest
of the article at

http://livespring4real.blogspot.com.ng/2015/09/make-your-first-million-naira-in-
80days.html#more

where you learn and watch practical video

that will show you step by step processes in:
planting, growing and harvesting your giant watermelon and make your first million in less
than 3months.
1 Like

For clarity and to those that requested for the cost breakdown
....COST BREAKDOWN for one hectare of land
Acquisition of land from private/governement agencies(for agricultural purpose) - #3000
Clearing (Herbicide) - #3,300
Hybridized seed (4) - #5,200
Labour planting cost - #1,200
Foliar fertilizer (Four different types to mix) - #4,150
Solid fertilizer - #2,100
Knapsack - #3,000
Labour cost to apply fertilizer - #2,000
Weeding (Herbicide) - #2,200
Labour cost for harvesting - #2,000
Transportation to the potential market - #3,000
Miscellaneous -#850
TOTAL is #32,000 only

Note - By now you should be able to see the reality of the business. With my hands-on
experience, I will be unveiling the step by step and the secrets involved in becoming a
successful watermelon farmer. Part of which are:
• How you can start this watermelon business anywhere in Nigeria with as little as #32,000
startup
capital and make your first #440,300 within the first 75-80days and the simple steps to
double, triple or
even quadruple this PROFITS in another 75-80 days guaranteed.
• How you can easily and quickly source for a land from government and private agencies
with as little
as #3,000 for agricultural purposes
• The only 10 things you will ever need to start this agro-business so that you won't have to
spend
more than necessary to get started.
• How to know the safe time to start this business in any parts of Nigeria. Here's how to get
the most
probable month and date that will guarantees massive production without ever risking being
infected with "diseases or insects outbreak.
• The 2 vital things you should know about preparation and planting in other to skyrocket
your yields at the end of the day. Plus how and where to get quality and original hybridized
variety watermelon seeds.
• 6 sneaky tricks you can use to immediately overcome watermelon's enemy of progress
called diseases & insects even before they ever show any signs of occurrence. This
technique works like charm and
you will certainly be amazed.
• Pictorial steps and charts on how and when to correctly apply treatment; miss these 3
simple but
highly essential techniques and you will instantly see your watermelon business as it go
down the drain
overnight even before you get to know what has happened.
• The most accurate way to mix these treatment and yield enhancing chemicals and how
precisely they
are measured before they are applied plus how to avoid the costly common mistakes that
99% of
people ignorantly make in this business each and every time.
• The "simple scientific means" that a complete lazy man can ruthlessly use to remove
weeds and
protect your plant (cutlass not required) and the most 2 proven chemicals that you can
authoritatively
employ to achieve this within minutes.
• The dirty little secrets of when and how to apply correctly so that you won't make the
same costly
mistakes generally made by other clueless farmers in this business not only resulting into
poor yields
but burned leaves and roots before the fruits even get ripe.
• Why Pollinators like bees flying with annoying buzzing sounds and butter flies moving
haphazardly
perching on the yellow parts of your watermelon are your friends & why you should pray to
God have
hundreds of them in "droves".
• 3 simple no guess-work yet almost fool-proof way to detect if your watermelon produce
are fully
ripened. Take unripened produce to buyers and stand the chance to lose lots of money as
they would
get overly under-priced or outrightly rejected as "bad" market. Am sure you don't want to
experience
this.
• The step by step hold-me-by-the hand walkthroughs on how to handpick, load and have
your produce conveyed to an ever ready buyers.
• Closely guarded simple tricks that obviously guarantees sales with unbeatable PROFITS
each and
every time within few minutes immediately a potential buyer sets his/her eyes on your
produce plus why you should never sell off your produce to buyers/dealers directly if you
ever want to maximize BIG returns at the end of the day.
• Plus a complete lists of markets across most Cities in Nigeria where you're are most likely
going to
double your sales take home profits by simply following a quick jumpstart template and
directory with
phone numbers I've already crafted.
And so much more!
#To be continued, keep an eye on this page# You can also read further and view my A-Z
watermelon
pictures [url= "www.watermelonsecrets.exammanna.net"]Click Here[/url]
Contact no: 07030263517

Everyone seems to love juicy watermelon in the summertime. Native to Africa,

melons need warm temperatures (up to 80 degrees during the day) and a long
growing season. Gardeners in colder climates can still have success in growing
watermelon by starting seeds indoors and choosing short-season varieties. Days
to maturity range from 70 to 90, depending on the variety.
PLANTING
 If you live in warmer climes, you can direct sow seeds outdoors, but wait
until the soil temperature warms to at least 70 degrees to avoid
poor germination.
 Watermelon vines are very tender and should not be transplanted until all
danger of frost has passed. (To be safe, wait at least two weeks past your last
frost date.)
 If you are in a cooler zone, start seeds indoors about a month
before transplanting.
 Amend soil with aged manure, seaweed, and/or compost before planting.
Watermelons are heavy feeders.
 Watermelons prefer a soil pH between 6 and 6.8.
 Growing the vines in raised rows, known as hills, ensures good drainage
and will hold the sun’s heat longer. Space the plants about 2 feet apart in a 5-
foot-wide hill.
 If you’re growing in rows, space 6 feet apart by 6 feet apart.
 Watermelons like loamy, well-drained soil. Handle them gently when
you transplant.
  After you transplant, cover the plants with row covers to keep pests at bay.
You’ll remove the row covers when you see both male and female flowers on
the vine.
 Find even more tips for planting watermelon in your home garden.
CARE
 Mulching with black plastic will serve multiple purposes: it will warm the
soil, hinder weed growth and keep developing fruits clean.
 Watering is very important from planting until fruit begins to form. While
melon plants are growing, blooming, and setting fruit, they need 1 to 2 inches of
water per week.
 Keep soil moist but not waterlogged. Water at the vine’s base in the
morning, and try to avoid wetting the leaves and avoid overhead watering.
Reduce watering once fruit are growing. Dry weather produces the
sweetest melon.
 If you choose to fertilize (and many do), make sure it’s deliver more
nitrogen than phosphorus and potassium. However, after flowering begins, use
a fertilizer with less nitrogen. We like to use liquid seaweed.
 Pruning isn’t necessary, but vine productivity may be improved if you do
not allow lateral (side) vines to grow and stick to the main vine. When the plant
is young, just cut off the end buds as they form (before the side shoots become
vines). You can also pinch off some blossoms to focus the energy on fewer
melons (though it’s a challenge to kill off a potential fruit!).
 Vines produce male and female flowers separately on the same plant. They
often begin producing male flowers several weeks before the females appear. Do
not be concerned if the male flowers fall off. The female flowers (which have a
swollen bulb at the base) will stay on the vine and bear fruit.
 Blossoms require pollination to set fruit, so be kind to the bees!
 As fruit is ripening, prevent rotting by gently lifting it and putting some
cardboard or straw between the fruit and the soil.
PESTS/DISEASES
 Aphids
 Cucumber Beetles
 Squash Vine Borer Moths
 Fusarium Wilt
HARVEST/STORAGE
Watermelons don’t sweeten after they are picked, so harvest time is important.
They generally ripen over two weeks so keep you eye on them.
Dr. Bill Rhodes, professor of horticulture at Clemson University, offers the
following advice on how to tell if watermelons are ripe:
 Thump it. If the watermelon sounds hollow, it’s ripe.
 Look at the color on the top. The watermelon is ripe when there is little
contrast between the stripes.
 Look at the color on the bottom. A green watermelon will have a white
bottom; a ripe melon will have a cream- or yellow-colored bottom.
 Press on it. If the watermelon sounds like it gives a little, it’s ripe. (Rhodes
doesn’t like this method because it can ruin the quality of the fruit.)
 Check the tendril. If it’s green, wait. If it’s half-dead, the watermelon is
nearly ripe or ripe. If the tendril is fully dead, it’s ripe or overripe; it’s not going
to get any riper, so you might as well pick!
 Stems should be cut with a sharp knife close to the fruit.
 Watermelons can be stored uncut for about 10 days. If cut, they can last in
the refrigerator for about 4 days. Wrap tightly in plastic.
RECOMMENDED VARIETIES
 ‘Sugar Baby’ 80 days to maturity. Produces 10-pound melons with bright
red flesh. This variety of smaller fruit can be planted just 4 feet apart.
 ‘Sweet Beauty’ 80 days to maturity. A 2004 All-America Selection. Bears 6-
pound, oblong melons with red flesh.
 ‘Golden Midget’ 70 days to maturity. Bears petite, yellow-skinned 3-pound
melons with pink flesh. Good for Northern gardeners.
WIT & WISDOM
What’s in a name? Watermelon is 90% water.
The pumpkin vine never bears watermelons.
August 3 is National Watermelon Day (U.S.)!
RECIPES
 Watermelon Basket With Honey Lime Dressing
 Watermelon Cucumber Salad
 Watermelon Punch

he watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) belongs to the family Cucurbitacea. It is a vine-like flowering

plant which grows and matures within a year. It is a special type of berry which is referred to as
pepo. Its leaves are coarse, hairy and pinnately-lobed and white to yellow flowers. It possesses
long, weak, trailing or climbing stems which are five-angled and up to 3 m (10 ft.) long. Young
growth is densely woolly with yellowish-brown hairs which disappear as the plant ages. It is
grown for its edible fruit known as watermelon, which has a smooth hard rind usually green and
a juicy, sweet interior flesh, usually deep red to pink, but sometimes orange, yellow, or white,
with many seeds. The watermelon grows on vines with large crinkled leaves.
Watermelon is relished by a large number of people across the country and even the world as a
whole as a fresh fruit. This is because watermelon is thirst-quenching and is known to be low in
calories but highly nutritious therefore, recommended for people that wish to lose weight; and
with the high rate of overweight or obesity related issues its demand has sky rocketed. It is a
good source of vitamins such as vitamins A and C in form of disease fighting beta-carotene.
Potassium is also available in it which is believed to help in the control of blood pressure and
prevents stroke and other numerous health benefits watermelon offers to the body. They grow
rampantly once established without too much attention.
HISTORY
Watermelon is thought to have originated from Southern Africa, although it was found growing
wild in American continent in 1854. It is indigenous to the tropical Africa and has all its genetic
diversities present there from the sweet ones to the bitter ones and bland forms. European
colonist and African slaves introduced watermelon to the new world. Spanish settlers were
growing it in Florida in 1576. Now watermelon is cultivated in India and china; with China being
the world’s single largest producer of watermelon.

Cultivation
Watermelons are tropical or subtropical plants and need temperatures higher than about 25 °C
(77 °F) to thrive. In Nigeria, water-melons grow well both in the rain forest regions and in the
dry savannah regions, but foliar diseases are less destructive in the drier zones. This is
because it requires warm climate and relatively long growing season. The temperature of the
climate has to be hot in order to avoid poor germination which is why the largest production of
the crop comes from the northern part of Nigeria where the suitable climate is found.
Nevertheless, a good crop could be achieved in the southern part with intensive
management. Seeds are first sowed in pots, then are transplanted to a well-drained sandy
loam with a pH of between 5.5 and 7 and medium nitrogen levels. The vines are grown in
raised rows, known as hills. This ensures good drainage and will hold the sun’s heat longer.
In a 5-foot-wide hill space the plants about 2 feet apart. Watering is very important until
fruits begin to form. Keep the soil moist but not waterlogged. Water the base in the
mornings and avoid wetting the leaves. It is very important to note that dry weather
produces the sweetest watermelons. Therefore watermelons are best planted during the
dry season i.e. from late October to March.

Varieties
There are various varieties of water melon species and they vary widely in taste, size, shape,
texture and color. Some of the common watermelon varieties are:
· Sugar baby: matures in 75 days, very sweet melons weighing 9 pounds,
red flesh, short vining plants, good for limited space.
 · Crimson sweet: matures in 85 days, this watermelon variety produces 25
pound melons with sweet red flesh, high sugar content, thin rinds, very disease
resistant.
· Charleston gray: matures in 85 days, long vigorous vines, light green skin
with sweet red flesh, 30 pounds.
· Orangeglo Golden Midget: matures in 90 days, very sweet and crisp,
oval-shaped melons average 40 pounds, bright orange flesh with off-white
seeds.
· Jubilee: matures in 95 days, 40 pound melons with green stripes and red
flesh, very fine texture, grows well in hot weather.
· Green gold
· Ice box
· Kaolak
· Sweet beauty
· Sangria

Pest and Diseases

There are very few pests and diseases known to affect watermelon and they include:
· Aphids,
· cucumber beetles,
· squash vine borer moth
· and root-knot nematodes attack this crop,

During high humidity, the plants are prone to plant diseases, such as:
· Powdery mildew
· Rind necrosis
· Blossom-end rot, etc.

Planting period
Watermelon performs optimally at a low or moderate rainfall or high sunshine also; sweeter
watermelons are produced during the dry season. Generally, there are two main planting
periods for watermelon which are; the early planting and late planting. The early planting
period begins late February to first week of March, while the late planting period begins late
August to early September. However, Watermelon can be grown almost throughout the year
with adequate irrigation system and effective pest and disease control methods.
 source: www.backyard-vegetable-garden.com

PLANTING METHODS
♦ SITE SELECTION: Before selection of site for planting watermelon there are a few things the
farmer needs to put into consideration which include: the slope of the site must be flat and
not sloppy, it must be a well-drained sandy loamy soil; stony, clayey and waterlogged soils
should not be used. The site for watermelon farm must have enough sunlight. The soil must
be fertile with good organic matter content.
♦ LAND PREPARATION: Clear all vegetation cover; prune all trees and shrubs that could
obstruct sunlight to reach the watermelon plant. Plant residues should be burnt and could
further be used as mulching material. A systemic herbicide such as Glyphosate can be sprayed
to control harmful weeds such as spear grass, etc. Conservation tillage is best especially when
the soil is of sandy loamy texture class. But in case the soil texture is clayey, a little ploughing
and harrowing may be necessary to facilitate deeper rooting and moisture penetration.
♦ SEED PLANTING: This begins with the farmer having the knowledge of the appropriate
variety suited for the available market and the particular production situation because this
determines the variety the farmer will harvest. The seeds used for planting come in various
sizes and are of different hybrids. This hybrid seeds can be gotten from local agro-related
shops nationwide. It is not advisable to use seeds from previous watermelon fruits because
this will produce crops with low yield, reduced sweetness and disease susceptibility.
The price of the seed depends on your location. Generally, 500Grs hybrid watermelon seeds
for planting cost between M4, 000 – N7, 000. The seeds are sown on the plots at 2 seeds per
stand at a depth of 2.5-3.0cm, using a spacing of 100 cm apart on rows x 175 cm between
rows, with 1 m Alley pathways. Watermelon vines require considerable space.
Based on varieties, the order of superiority in vine length, number of leaves per plant,
number of branches per plant, weight of fruit and sweetness of fruit is Sugar baby >
Charleston gray > Crimson sweet > Green gold > Jubilee > Ice box.

♦ WATERING: For the first few weeks after planting, you need to water the watermelon
generously twice in a week, then reduce the watering to just once every two weeks as soon as
the vines start sprouting out.
♦ FERTILIZER APPLICATION: fertilizer can be applied when the vine begins to spread or when
the flower begins to blossom and the fruits begin to set this will ensure that the plants are
getting the energy they need to produce high quality fruits. A granular fertilizer of NPK
10:10:10 or 5:5:5 can be used to fertilize the soil. The appropriate dosage of the fertilizer
should be applied to the base of the plant, well distributed and watered. It should not touch
the plant to avoid the plant being burnt.
♦ WEEDING: pre-emergence herbicides should be applied prior to or 12 hours before planting
to suppress noxious weeds such as spear grass. Shallow mechanical control of weeds with the
use of a hoe can be done before the vines start trailing.
♦ PEST AND DISEASE CONTROL: cucumber beetle is the major pest that causes feeding
damage to seedling plant and can be controlled with the use of appropriate foliar applied
insecticide to avoid complete defoliation. Disease can be controlled by cultural practices such
as crop rotation, mixed cropping, etc. because old crop debris in the soil carry many fungal,
bacterial and nematode pathogens. A preventive program that combines the use of cultural
practices, genetic resistance, and chemical control as needed usually provides the best results.
♦ HARVESTING: watermelon reaches harvest maturity 75-95day after planting. Cut melons
from the vine rather than pulling or breaking off to reduce chances of stem decay. Leave a
long stem on the fruit while harvesting. Indication of ripeness includes: change of color of the
ground spot from white to rich yellow, hollow sound if hit several times with knuckle (i.e.
thumping), dried spiral coil on the stem, etc.
♦ STORAGE: Watermelons cannot store for a long period; but will keep for 2 to 3 weeks at low
temperature (11°C to 15°C). Relative humidity should be 85% to 90%; higher humidity may
promote stem-end rot. At higher temperatures, watermelons are subject to decay.
Watermelons should not be exposed to direct sunlight. Avoid heaping in storage and
transporting them with other fruits which emit ethylene such as tomatoes, ripe pears, etc.
because watermelons are sensitive to ethylene.

source: www.eagleonline.com.ng
ECONOMIC VIABILITY OF WATERMELON CULTIVATION
• Relatively low capital requirement: one can start up watermelon cultivation with as low as
N30, 000 so far as the land is already available. It does not also require huge equipment or
expertise which will require huge sum of money. The items used - chemicals, seeds, fertilizers,
etc. is also not very expensive.
 High Turnover-: It takes a watermelon seventy five to ninety five days to get to maturity
from the planting date. This means you can have up to three sets of harvested watermelon
fruits within the year and if your parcel of land is large enough, then you are sure to get huge
returns on your investment.
 Ready Market-: there is a comparatively high demand for watermelon in the Nigerian
market today. It is one of the popular and most eaten fruits in the country. Most people take it
as a snack, for health purposes and as supplements to diet. Watermelon also contains some
enzymes that help to fight against cancer causing cells in the body. For this reasons, watermelon
has a large ready market.
 Watermelon Is Pest Resistant-: watermelon has resistance to most pests and diseases
that usually affect plants. Therefore, you will not need to spend much on adopting expensive
pest control measures and chemicals. Thereby ensuring standard rate of return to investment.
 Easy to Start: Watermelon cultivation does not require much technical knowledge to run
the farm. As long as you have the land space needed for the farming, you don’t need much of
other things to get your watermelon business up and running.

Constraints
There are limitations towards a complete success in the cultivation of watermelon and they include:
· Changing climatic condition: the greatest challenge which any watermelon farmer would face
is the irregular climatic condition in the country due to global warming and the release of
greenhouse gases. But with good timing this challenge can be overcome.
· Pests and diseases: diseases such as blossom-end rot, bursting, rind necrosis, etc. could
reduce the quality of the watermelon fruit thereby making it unmarketable or edible which in
turn causes loss to the farmer. Although this may not be much of a challenge if adequate care is
put in place with the use of the right pesticides, fungicides and insecticides.
· Lack of irrigation system: this is the greatest challenge of watermelon farmer especially in the
drier regions (i.e. northern part of Nigeria). This could limit the farmers from producing this crop
throughout the year.

MARKETING
After harvesting, the final step is transportation from the farm to the wholesaler, retailer or final
consumption for sale. To successfully sell your watermelon produce, you have to know who
your market is. The main market for your produce include: owner of fruit stores, grocery store
owners, restaurants and hotels, pharmaceutical companies that need watermelon extracts as
raw material for the production of supplements. An important consideration in successful
marketing is to have adequate facilities for transportation of the crop to the market outlets.
Although being an early seller usually results in higher prices, quality and maturity should be of
prime importance in marketing watermelons. Synchronizing the local harvest time with time of
short fall in supply from the northern part of Nigeria where large scale production is carried out
with irrigation is a good way to sell at higher price.

source: www.scannewsnigeria.com

Uses of watermelon
• Watermelon juice: this is done by blending the fleshy part of the watermelon and extracting
its juice.
CUCUMBER

Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) originates in southern Asia, but a large number of cultivars have been
developed and are grown worldwide. It is a widely cultivated plant of the family Cucurbitaceae. It is a
creeping vine that bears cylindrical fruits that are used as culinary vegetables.
There are three main varieties of cucumber:

 Slicing,
 Pickling, and
 Burpless.
Within these varieties, several different cultivars have emerged.

The cucumber is a herbaceous trailing annual capable of spreading in all directions. The root system is
in the form of a tap root that penetrates de

Importance of Cucumber[i]
Rehydrates body and replenishes daily vitamins - Cucumbers are 95 % water, keeping the body
hydrated while helping the body eliminates toxins. Cucumbers have most of the vitamins the body
needs in a single day. The skin contains a good amount of vitamin C, about 10 % of the daily-
recommended allowance.
Skin and hair care - it can be used for skin irritations and sunburns. The silicon and sulfur in
cucumbers help to stimulate hair growth.
Aids in weight loss and digestion - Due to its low calorie and high water content, cucumber is an ideal
diet for people who are looking for weight loss. The high water content and dietary fiber in cucumbers
are very effective in ridding the body of toxins from the digestive system, aiding digestion. Daily
consumption of cucumbers can be regarded as a remedy for chronic constipation.
Cures diabetes, reduces cholesterol and controls blood pressure - Cucumber juice contains a hormone
which is needed by the cells of the pancreas for producing insulin which has been found to be
beneficial to diabetic patients. Researchers found that a compound called sterols in cucumbers may
help reduce cholesterol levels. Cucumbers contain a lot of potassium, magnesium and fiber. These
work effectively for regulating blood pressure. This makes cucumbers good for treating both low blood
pressure and high blood pressure.
They are also rich in vitamin A, B1, B6, C & D, Folate, Calcium, Magnesium, and Potassium.

Cultivation
Cucumber does well on a well drained soil, often planted on raised beds. It also thrives in a sandy
loam soil. It requires a good amount of sunshine and warmth and is mostly grown in green house. It
requires space and can rapidly reach around 6 feet. . They can be allowed to spread over the ground
and where space is limited train the plant against a wall, stake

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Soil type
A well drained fertile soil with a pH of 6.0 - 7.0 is important for cucumbers and so they are often
planted in raised beds around 6 inches high. Cucumbers will thrive in a sandy loam soil. Ensure the
soil has a good amount of organic matter within it; manure will give the plants the nutrients they
require.

Irrigation and drainage

The water requirements of cucumber are high. Even though the growing period may have enough
rainfall overall for the crop, periodic droughts may occur during each growing season. Therefore, water
should be applied regularly on weekly basis.

Weed regularly but be careful not to go below a couple of centimeters with your hoe as you may
damage the root system which will slow down plant growth.

Climatic requirements
Cucumber requires a warm climate. In cool, temperate countries it is grown in greenhouses; only
during hot summers can it be grown in the open. The optimum temperature for growth is about 30°C
and the optimum night temperature 18–21°C; the minimum temperature for good development is
15°C. High light intensity is needed for optimum yields. Cucumber needs a fair amount of water but it
cannot stand water logging. Low relative humidity results in high plant evaporation due to the large
leaf area, and sufficient irrigation is then very important. High relative humidity facilitates the
occurrence of downy mildew. In tropical Africa elevations up to 2000 m appear to be suitable for
cucumber cultivation. In Nigeria, cucumbers are grown majorly in the North particularly Jos; due to
the climatic requirements. However, according to the research conducted at the department of soil
Science University of Nigeria shows that cucumber can grow anywhere giving the right production
method and management of the environmental factor.

Growing cucumber in the South[ii]:

The yield of cucumber is enormous, it is great. Well if the rain is so much, it distorts its production.
Excessive precipitation is not good for cucumber. With moderate rainfall, it’s now grown in the
southern part with favorable yield compare with that grown in Jos.

What is required include:

 a very good land preparation,
 sufficient organic manure, and liberal application of organic manure
If the rain is moderate, the cucumber will yield very well in South Eastern Nigeria. The beautiful thing
about cucumber is that the duration of growth to harvest is short.

Propagation and planting

Cucumber is propagated by seed. During soil preparation generous incorporation of organic manure
(about 25–35 t/ha) is required. About 1–3 kg of seed is needed per ha depending on the method of
sowing. Direct sowing, which is still a common practice especially in open fields, requires larger
amounts of seed. When direct sown, cucumbers are planted on hills, 90–120 cm apart, with several
seeds per hill and thinned to 2–3 plants, or they are sown in rows 1–2 m apart and thinned to 30 cm
between plants.

Management
Planting on raised beds will improve drainage, which is especially important during the rainy season,
and can support good root development. Weed control is necessary until the plants cover the soil
entirely. Support (stakes) can be provided, which will generally improve fruit quality, reduce disease
incidence through better air circulation in the crop, and make it easier to pick the fruits. Irrigation is
required at short intervals; a high level of soil moisture should be maintained throughout the growing
period. The use of drip irrigation is highly recommended for an optimum and uniform use of available
water.

Fertilizers can be included in the drip system. Cucumber responds well to fertilizers. In addition to the
initial organic manure, a general recommendation is 700 kg/ha of an NPK mixture, followed by N
fertilizer every 2–3 weeks until the fruits form. However, it is always best to base fertilizer gifts on a
soil analysis before planting. Micronutrients are also essential for a good development; shortages can
result in strong deficiency symptoms in plants and fruits, leading to lower and low-quality yields.

The tip of the main stem may be nipped off to encourage branching; in plants with very strong
vegetative growth lateral shoots may be pruned after the first fruits have formed to limit leaf and
flower production.

Diseases and pests

Many diseases and pests can affect cucumber in all stages of development. Leaf diseases that can
result in serious damage are the fungal diseases downy mildew, powdery mildew, anthracnose, target
leaf spot and gummy stem blight, as well as the bacterial disease angular leaf spot.
Anthracnose also causes symptoms on fruits. Good air circulation, for example through trellising,
reduces the incidence of these diseases to some extent. Other wilting in cucumber may be caused by
soil borne Fusarium wilt, or bacterial wilt , which is spread by cucumber beetles.

Cucumber is susceptible to damping off, resulting in seedling death soon after emergence; it occurs
more often when the soil is poorly drained, and can be caused by several fungi, e.g. Pythium spp. or
Phytophthora spp., some of which can also cause root rot in older plants.

A general recommendation is to grow cucumber only on sites where no other cucurbits have been
grown for a number of years, to prevent soil borne diseases

Aphids, whitefly and thrips are insects that can cause major problems, mainly because they act as
vectors for viruses or diseases. General insect damage may be caused by beetles, leaf miners and leaf
hoppers.

The use of natural insect enemies is a more environmentally friendly method than spraying chemicals
against pests, but until now it has mainly or exclusively been practised in protected cultivation of
cucumber.

Harvesting
Cucumber fruits for fresh consumption are harvested before they are fully mature; depending on the
type this can be 1–2 weeks after flowering. The moment of first harvest is 40–60 days after sowing,
depending on climate and cultivar. Harvesting is done every other day to every few days.

Economic potential of cucumber

Cucumbers are used widely in a wide variety of salads. Due the continue realization of the importance
of fruits in our diets and the overwhelming importance of cucumber’s health benefits along with skin
care ; there is increasing demand for the product in Nigeria.

Production and international trade[iii]

In 2002 the world area under Cucumber was estimated at about 2 million ha, with a total production
of 36 million tones. Asia is the world leader, with China alone accounting for over 60%. Cucumber is
grown in all countries of tropical Africa, but nowhere on a large scale. In 2002 Africa produced
507,000 tons on 25,000 ha, accounting for just less than 1.5% of production. Egypt is the largest
African producer with 360,000 tons. International trade in 2002 amounted to 1.5 million tons, with
Mexico, the Netherlands and Spain as the main exporters; international trade from African countries is
modest and unrecorded.

The demand for the product locally is far overwhelming accounting for its high cost in the market and
a worthwhile Agribusiness with high degree of turnover over 200%.