The Effect of Seed Dormancy Cracking Technique and Solid Inorganic Fertilizing at Productive Phase to The Quality of Seedless Watermelon at Drylands

Abstract

The difficulty of seeding and sweetness quality of seedless watermelon is an obstacle for farmers. The objectives of this study were to know the successful of shoots growth with seeding treatment and production quality due to fertilizing package for seedless watermelon with the variety of Riendow F1. The experiment was conducted in dry season at upland areas in Palangkaraya. The experimental design for seeding randomized block design (RBD) 3x3 with treatment consisting of a control (G0), cracking seed by hitting (G1), cracking seed using pincette (G2). The experiment of fertilizing package at productive phase used of fertilizer used RBD 4x3. The treatment consisted of several packages of fertilizer, namely: without fertilization (P0), low fertilizer package (P1), medium fertilizer package (P2), and high fertilizer package (P3). Before the experiment, soil analysis was first conducted to determine land suitability classes. The results showed that the study site area has marginal suitability class with limiting factor involving rooting condition (S3rc). The highest germination was obtained in the cracking treatment compared to control, otherwise, the rate of death seeds for control was lower than cracking treatment although it is not significantly different according to statistics. For the parameter of fruit perimeter, it indicates that treatment of high fertilizing package was significantly different from the control, respectively, 64.25 cm and 53.96 cm. It also includes the weight of fruit, respectively, 4.05 kg and 2.80 kg. For the quality of watermelon, it showed that fertilizing packages at productive phase is significantly different from controls. The sweetness level at the medium fertilizing package (P2) has the highest level of 11.73 o Brix, followed by the high fertilizing package (P3), 11.00 o Brix, low fertilizing package (P1), 9.92 o Brix and the lowest for control, 8.98 o Brix. Application of medium fertilizing package at productive phase can then produce the highest quality level of watermelon.