Effect of Cropping Season, Planting Density and Organic Manure Rates on Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus )Field Establishment in an Ultisol Location in Nigeria.

The effect of cropping season, planting  density and organic manure rates on watermelon (Citrullus lanatus )field establishment were evaluated in an ultisol location in South eastern  Nigeria. The experiment was conducted at the Centre for Agriculture Research Farm, Federal University of Technology Owerri. The experiment was a 4x3 factorial laid down in a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. There were a total of twelve treatment combinations consisting of three poultry manure rates(0.0, 2.0,and 4.0 tons/ha) and four watermelon densities ( 1.0mx 1.0m,2.0m x 1.0m,2.0m x 2.0m and 3.0m x 2.0m). The experiment was conducted for the late and early  cropping seasons. Data  collected on number of days to 50% seedling emergence, leaf area per plant, Vine length and weed dry weight per plot were analysed statistically using “Genstat 2005” software while means were separated for difference with Fisher’s Least Significant Difference protocol( P= 0.05). Results showed that watermelon planted in the early cropping season performed better (P= 0.05) than the late season cropping in all the parameters studied.  Watermelon spaced at 2.0m x 1.0m and 2.0m x 2.0m and manured with 2.0 and 4.0 tons/hectare of poultry manure gave the best performance( P= 0.05) with respect to the parameters studied. For enhanced  vegetative cover and weed suppressing as in farming systems management, early season cropping is recommended.

 Key words:  Cropping season, planting density, manure, ultisol, Nigeria