Abstract
Wild-watermelon, Cucumis africanus, is among important indigenous crop plants in rural Limpopo Province of South Africa, primarily used as an ethno-botanical crop and a leafy green vegetable. An experiment laid out in a split-plot design and replicated five times was conducted at the Horticultural Research Unit, University of Limpopo, South Africa. The objective was to study the effects of irrigation frequency (2, 4 and 6 day interval) and fertilizer application rate of nutrient mixture containing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK) (0 Kg NPK ha-1, 60-40-20 kg NPK ha-1, 120-80-40 kg NPK ha-1 and 180-120-60 kg NPK ha-1) on leaf and non-leaf yield characters of C. africanus. The treatment of four day irrigation interval and 120-80-40 kg NPK ha-1application rate produced significantly higher (P ≤ 0.05) vegetative yield characters and biomass of plant fractions than the extreme treatments of short two day irrigation intervals and low 60-40-20 kg NPK ha-1; and long six day irrigation intervals and 180-120-60 kg NPK ha-1. In conclusion, the results of the study indicate that C. africanus can be successfully grown using conventional production methods and supply rural households with good yields of a leafy green vegetable as well as providing raw materials needed for ethno-botanical purposes. Key words: Leafy vegetable, leaf yield characters, root/shoot ratio, ethno-medicine.
Highlights
Cucumis africanus is an indigenous plant of which the leafy parts are used as vegetables while the remaining parts, stems and roots, are used in ethno-medicine, thereby utilizing the whole plant
The indigenous plants of African tradition are being displaced in many areas, leading to a decline in production, use, and diversity of vegetables being grown (Seeiso and Materechera, 2011)
C. africanus seedlings were raised from seeds collected in the wild by rural women from the Sekhukhune area of the Limpopo
Summary
Cucumis africanus is an indigenous plant of which the leafy parts are used as vegetables while the remaining parts, stems and roots, are used in ethno-medicine, thereby utilizing the whole plant. In recent decades there has been formal research by national agricultural research programmes and international research organizations on cultivation methods of traditional vegetables to improve their yield Despite this fact responses of many indigenous crops to conventional method of production such as irrigation and fertilizer application are still not yet thoroughly exploited by researchers. The current study seeks to investigate the effect of irrigation and NPK fertilizer application on yield characters that contribute to total plant fraction biomass. These characters are among important determinants of overall plant suitability and compatibility for food and medicinal use.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
