Water melon (Citrullus lanatus)

Water melon fruits

Distribution, Yield, Use:

Production (1000t) Yield (dt/ha)

Country	1979-81	1992	1979-81	1992
China	4230	6530	183	191
Turkey	3160	3520	209	293
USSR	3700	4650	88	101
Egypt	1200	710	234	233
USA	1100	1100	137	134
Japan	1010	730	311	327
World	24700	28400	139	152

• Distribution:
  Cultivation stretches from the temperate zones to 50oN latitude. China, Turkey, USSR, Egypt , USA and Japan are leading producers. Warm loving, resistant to high humidity, withstands drought better than the melon.
• Use:
  Fruit
  consumed raw
  The fruit contains 93-95% water, 5% carbohydrate, 0.5-1% protein, 0.2% fat.

Region of origin: Region of cultivation:

• Cultivation and Breeding:
  The water melon stems from Southern Africa. The indigenous people, in their search for water-containing foods, selected varieties with low glycoside content. In ancient times the water melon was cultivated in Egypt. From there followed the spread to the mediterranean areas and in an eastern direction to India. The fruit of the cultivated varieties possesses a dark green, smooth skin. The flesh colour ranges from deep red through wine-red, yellow, to green. In Japan in 1951, the breeding of seedless triploid varieties was first achieved.
• Breeding aims:
  The breeding aims are similar to those of the melon.

Text by Dr. Wolfgang Schuchert
Adapted to HTML by R.Saedler