Seeds for all-year-round red and yellow watermelon developed in Patuakhali
For the first time in the country, researchers at Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) have developed seeds for watermelons that come in two colours -- red and yellow -- and can be cultivated all year round.
The seeds have been developed by researchers at BARI's regional agricultural research institute in Lebukhali area under Dumki upazila of Patuakhali.
Until now, watermelon in the country has largely been a seasonal fruit that is red inside and has thick, green exterior. The seeds developed by the BARI scientists can produce watermelon in two colours -- red and yellow. The researchers are hopeful that the fruit can now be cultivated all year round on relatively higher land.
"Watermelon is one of the most high-demand cash crops in Bangladesh. However, the country has to import seeds worth Tk 250-300 crore every year from China, Japan, Thailand and India. In order to save this huge amount of money and create employment, we started research on watermelon here in 2015 and this year we succeeded in developing seeds locally for the fruit's cultivation," said Md Rezaul Karim, a scientific officer of the institute.
"The seeds have been tried on our own field and desired success came every time we cultivated it," he said, adding that it is possible to produce 40 tonnes of watermelon per hectare of land with these newly developed seeds.
While visiting the research institute recently in Lebukhali besides Patuakhali-Kuakata highway, this correspondent saw BARI's watermelon cultivation in the field. There are separate fields of red and yellow varieties of watermelon, lined up on relatively high ground. Watermelon of different sizes are wrapped in polythene to protect them from pests.
Rezaul Karim said that if farmers cultivate watermelon with these seeds, consumers will get the delicious fruit in the market throughout the year. The fruit now comes to the market only in winter.
He also said that the soil and climate of Bangladesh are suitable for watermelon cultivation throughout the year.
"We will soon submit the seeds to the Bangladesh Seed Board for approval. If approved, it will be delivered to the farmer level through the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE)," Rezaul Karim said.
"If the DAE is able to raise awareness among the farmers in this regard, the demand for these locally developed watermelon seeds will increase at the farmer level and the dependence on imported seeds will be reduced. This will save a lot of foreign currency," the official added.
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