Effects of Pruning and Plant Spacing on the Growth and Yield of Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus L.) in Unwana-Afikpo

The experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of pruning and plant spacing on the growth and yield of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus L. ) in Unwana-Afikpo, Ebonyi State. It was conducted as 2x3 factorial laid out in randomized complete block design (RCBD). The treatment comprised of two pruning methods (pruning and non-pruning) and three different plant spacing (50cm x 40cm, 50cm x 50cm and 50cm x 60cm). Each treatment was replicated four times and the parameters measured were vine length, number of leaves, number of flowers, days to 50 % anthesis, number of fruits, weight of fruits and total yield. The results showed that spacing at 50cm x 60cm significantly increased the number of leaves and 50 % anthesis. Spacing at 50cm x 60cm was the adequate measurement for minimizing days to 50 % flowering (37.19 days) and maximizing total number of fruits (2.94), weight of fruits (3.03kg) and total yield (7.57kg/ha). Plant spacing at 50cm x 40cm consistently gave the least values in all the yield parameters measured except on the number of fruits. The pruned plants produced the longest vine (90.14cm) number of leaves (15.78), number of flowers (10.31) and number of fruits (2.63). It is recommended that farmers in Unwana-Afikpo should use the spacing 50cm x 60cm and adopt pruning as one of the cultural practices in raising the crop for maximum production.