India
June 26, 2023
Watermelon, Citrullus lanatus (syn. C. vulgaris Schrad.), is an important crop in China, Africa, India, the United States, and other countries with a long, warm growing season.
Worldwide, watermelon fruit and seed consumption exceeds other cucurbits, including cucumbers, melons, squashes, pumpkins and gourds.
Watermelons originated in South Africa and contain up to 92% water, minerals, proteins, and carbohydrates. Watermelons are a good source of vitamins A and C. Watermelons are also a good source of lycopene, an antioxidant that may reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease.
Watermelons are a low-calorie food and a good water source, making them a great choice for people looking to lose weight or stay hydrated.
Watermelons in India: Trade along the Silk Road connecting India with Central Asia introduced watermelons to India in the seventh century A.D. Watermelon cultivation and consumption in India has a long history of over fifteen centuries.
Cultural Significance: Watermelons are deeply ingrained in Indian culture and are associated with summertime, refreshing flavours, and celebrations. The fruit’s vibrant colours and juicy nature make it popular during festivals, weddings, and other special occasions.
Regional Variations: Watermelon cultivation in India is widespread and varies across different regions. Various states have distinct watermelon varieties and farming practices for the crop. For example, the watermelons grown in Punjab and Haryana are known for their large size, while those cultivated in Maharashtra and Karnataka are often smaller and sweeter.
Growing Conditions: Watermelons thrive in warm climates, and India’s diverse geographical features provide suitable conditions for their cultivation. In India, farmers grow watermelon fruit during the summer and monsoon seasons in high temperatures and moderate rainfall. Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh are major watermelon-producing states in India.
Varieties: India boasts various watermelon varieties, each with unique characteristics. Popular Indian watermelon varieties differ in size, colour, sweetness, and seed content.
Economic Importance: Watermelon cultivation is significant in India’s agriculture. The fruit is commercially grown, and many farmers rely on watermelon cultivation for their livelihoods. As a result, the demand for watermelons is high, both in domestic and export markets.
Culinary Uses: Watermelons in India are enjoyed in various forms. People commonly consume them fresh, sliced, or in fruit salads. Watermelon juice is a popular beverage during the summer months, providing a refreshing and hydrating option from the seasonal heat. In some regions of India, people use watermelon in traditional sweets, desserts, and ice creams.
Watermelons have become integral to Indian cuisine, culture, and agriculture. Their availability during the hot summer brings relief and joy to people across the country, making them a beloved fruit in India’s culinary landscape.
Commercially most popular seeded cultivars in India are Jubilee, Ice Box, and Sugar Baby types.
Sugar Baby watermelons: Sugar Baby watermelon is popular among consumers who prefer smaller-sized fruits. With a compact size, this variety is easier to handle and store. It has a dark green rind, sweet and tender deep red flesh, and a high sugar content. Sugar Baby watermelons are ideal for personal consumption or as a delightful picnic and lunch treat.
Ice-box watermelons: Ice-box watermelons are smaller than picnic (another watermelon variety) watermelons and have a thinner rind. They are also sweeter and have a more delicate flavour than picnic watermelons. Ice-box watermelons are perfect for eating alone or in salads and other recipes.
Jubilee watermelons: Jubilee watermelons are a popular watermelon variety known for sweet, juicy flesh and dark green striped rind. Jubilee watermelons are large, weighing 6-16 kg. The flesh is a deep pink-red colour and has a fine texture. Jubilee watermelons resist fusarium wilt and anthracnose, two common diseases affecting watermelons.
Watermelon hybrids from several seed companies have become very popular in India, selling more than one hundred and twenty metric tons of hybrid watermelon seed annually.
As watermelon is Noble Seeds’ focus crop, the company’s watermelon breeding program’s objectives and projects suit the current and future consumer preferences.
Noble Seeds has a good base and parental watermelon germplasm to meet its watermelon breeding programme objectives.
Noble Seeds has developed watermelon hybrids in all the popular segments among Indian farmers.
With several popular watermelon hybrids and a promising pipeline of watermelon hybrids for the future, Noble Seeds will be known as the ‘watermelon seed company’.
NBH-Daksha, NBH-Karan, NBH-Krishna, NBH-Asher, and NBH-Dolly, are well known Noble Seeds watermelon hybrids appreciated in the Indian seed industry and by India’s watermelon growers.
NBH-Daksha: Noble Seeds’ NBH-Daksha is a jubilee hybrid that yields large uniform fruits weighing 10-12 Kg with firm red flesh of TSS 12% and small seeds. NBH Daksha’s flesh is attractive red, and the fruit has good transportability. NBH-Daksha is a highly productive watermelon with uniform fruiting.
NBH-Krishna: Noble Seeds’ NBH-Krishna is an ice-box, dark-green oblong hybrid whose fruits weigh 3 to 5 kgs and have good red flesh. NBH-Krishna is adaptable to various climates for cultivation, and its fruits have good keeping quality. The maturity of NBH-Krishna’s fruits is about seventy days after transplanting.
NBH-Karan: Noble Seeds’ NBH-Karan is an ice-box watermelon hybrid whose fruits weigh 5-6 kgs with good red flesh and few seeds. NBH Karan’s fruits are sometimes called big ice-box and attain maturity seventy-five days after transplanting. NBH Karan is a vigorous plant type, bears attractively shaped fruits with higher edible portions and does not exhibit fruit or flesh cracking.
NBH-Asher: NBH-Asher is an Ice Box hybrid with 5 to 7 kg fruits, good red flesh quality, and small seeds.
NBH-Dolly: Noble Seeds’ NBH-Dolly is a sugar baby type hybrid with medium-sized fruits weighing 7-8 Kg. and having firm red flesh.
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