Watermelon is a vine-like plant, which is highly cultivated fruit worldwide, with more than 1,000 varieties. Watermelon is a flowering plant species of the Cucurbitaceae family, and they belongs to the Kingdom of Plantae. There are four basic types of watermelon they are, seedless, picnic, icebox, and yellow/orange fleshed. Some varieties of watermelon include Charleston Gray, Charleston Gray, and Jubilee just to mention a few. Watermelon consists mostly of water and carbs, it is very low in calories. Watermelons are mostly grown in favorable climates from tropical to temperate regions worldwide for its large edible fruit. They are mostly propagated using seeds. Watermelon can also be transplanted when the soil temperature is at least 15°C, these transplants can be done with a tractor pulled mechanical trans planter or by hand. The sweet, juicy flesh of melons are usually deep red with many black seeds. The fruit can be eaten raw and the rind is edible after cooking. It may also be consumed as a juice or as an ingredient in mixed beverages. Watermelons need about 1 to 2 inches of water per week to start growing and producing fruits.
Yield: Average yield of 25-30 ton/ha (4.5 kg – 11kg/fruit) can be obtained depending on variety and adherence to good agricultural practices.
Watermelons contains lots of seeds which are low in calories and offers much micronutrients like copper, zinc, potassium etc., which have numerous health benefits. Some of these benefits are below;
- Good for heart and immunity; The presence of magnesium in watermelon seeds are good for the heart and can also cure hypertension. Consumption of the watermelon seeds daily in moderate quantity helps in boosting your heart health and maintaining your blood pressure level.
- Good for diabetics; These black seeds are really helpful to diabetic patients, this is because, the black seeds helps reduce the elevated blood sugar level. Therefore, the intake of these seeds can be a good option for patients with diabetes.
- It can be used for skin Therapy; Watermelon seeds contains antioxidants that help in reversing early skin aging. Consumption of these seeds can provide your skin with an inner glow. Therefore, the additional of few seeds in one’s daily diet helps to get visibly healthy skin. Also, the presence of fatty acids in the seeds helps prevent dryness and provides hydration to the damaged skin.
Article By: Rhoda Obodai
Date: 10/06/2022