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CABI Agric Biosci

Title:		Pumpkin and watermelon production constraints and management practices in Uganda
Author(s):		Masika FB; Alicai T; Shimelis H; Ddamulira G; Athman SY; Ipulet P; Andama M; Tugume AK;
Address:		"Department of Plant Sciences, Microbiology and Biotechnology, College of Natural Sciences, Makerere University, P.O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda. GRID: grid.11194.3c. ISNI: 0000 0004 0620 0548 Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Muni University, P.O. Box 725, Arua, Uganda. GRID: grid.449199.8. ISNI: 0000 0004 4673 8043 National Crops Resources Research Institute (NaCRRI), Namulonge, P.O. Box 7084, Kampala, Uganda. GRID: grid.463387.d. ISNI: 0000 0001 2229 1011 School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa. GRID: grid.16463.36. ISNI: 0000 0001 0723 4123"
Journal Title:		CABI Agric Biosci
Year:		2022
Volume:		20220622
Issue:		1
Page Number:		39 -
DOI:		10.1186/s43170-022-00101-x
ISSN/ISBN:		2662-4044 (Electronic) 2662-4044 (Linking)
Abstract:		"BACKGROUND: Watermelons and pumpkins are cultivated in Uganda for their leaves, fruits, and seeds, thereby contributing to food, nutrition and income security. However, there is limited research and information on constraints affecting their production. This study assessed the current production constraints for watermelons and pumpkins, management practices, sources of production inputs to guide research and decision making in production of these crops. METHODOLOGY: Watermelon and pumpkin fields totalling 105 located in 28 districts from nine sub-regions of Uganda were surveyed. Purposive sampling was conducted based on the importance and availability of watermelon and pumpkin fields in the sub-regions using a questionnaire administered to farmers on different practices, management strategies, and current production constraints. Data were analysed to determine the relationship between the source of seed, sale of their produce, constraints, and control measures of biotic constraints in the different sub-regions. RESULTS: Pumpkins and watermelons were grown by 85.7% and 14.3% of respondent farmers, respectively. The constraints as ranked by the farmers were pests, diseases, drought, high transport and labour costs. Bacterial wilt, downy mildews, anthracnose powdery mildews and virus diseases in this order were the most common and important disease constraints.The whitefly (Bemisia tabaci, Gennadius), order hemiptera family aleyrodidae, aphids (Myzus Persicae, Sulzer), order hemiptera family aphidadae, melon fly (Bactrocera cucurbitae, Coquillett), order diptera family tephritidae and cutworm (Agrotis ipsilon, Hufnagel), order lepidoptera family noctuidae, were reported as the most limiting pests of watermelon and pumpkin production. Mixing of several agrochemicals was observed in watermelon fields coupled with gross lack of knowledge of proper usage or purpose of these chemicals may result in pesticide resistance, health and environmental hazards. CONCLUSION: Pests, diseases, and drought constitute the main constraints affecting watermelon and pumpkin cultivation in Uganda. Whereas weeding using hand hoes is the most common method of weed control, application of ash was the main strategy for pest management in pumpkin, while in watermelons, pheromone traps and pesticides were frequently used"
Keywords:		Cucurbits Food security Nutritional security Production constraints Pumpkin Uganda Watermelon;
Notes:		"PubMed-not-MEDLINEMasika, Fred B Alicai, Titus Shimelis, Hussein Ddamulira, Gabriel Athman, Shahasi Y Ipulet, Perpetua Andama, Morgan Tugume, Arthur K eng 2022/06/28 CABI Agric Biosci. 2022; 3(1):39. doi: 10.1186/s43170-022-00101-x. Epub 2022 Jun 22"