EFFECT OF DIFFERENT MULCHING MATERIALS ON GROWTH, YIELD AND FRUIT QUALITY OF WATERMELON (CITRULLUS LANATUS)

The importance of organic mulch in enhancing watermelon productivity and fruit quality, and recommends the use of sugarcane peels as a sustainable and effective mulching material. A field experiment was conducted at the CDA farm, Faculty of Agriculture, Bayero University Kano in the 2024/2025 cold dry season to assess the effects of different mulching materials (sugarcane peels, neem leaves, rice straw, and straw grass) on the growth, yield, and fruit quality of watermelon (Kaolack variety). The study employed a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with five treatments including a control (no mulch) and three replications. Parameters assessed include vine length, number of leaves, days to 50% flowering, fruit weight, fruit size, rind thickness, Brix content, and fruit seed number. The results showed that sugarcane peel mulch recorded the highest vine length (243.0cm), fruit weight (4.622), fruit length(39), Brix content (6.00), fruit seed number (463.7) and yield (26.41ton/ha). Neem leaves recorded the highest number of leaves (123.0 ), while rice straw and straw grass were the second best after sugarcane peels in terms of productivity. The control consistently recorded the lowest values across all parameters. The study recommends that sugarcane peel mulch improves watermelon productivity.