Citron watermelon characterisation and trait analysis in Kalahari sands

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dc.contributor.authorTembo, Lenon
dc.contributor.authorMaphosa, Mcebisi
dc.date.accessioned2025-07-10T09:58:45Z
dc.date.available2025-07-10T09:58:45Z
dc.date.issued2025-06-13
dc.description.abstractBackground: Citron watermelon, a drought-tolerant and nutrient-dense crop requiring low input, holds potential for enhancing food security under climate change conditions. However, it remains under-researched, with low productivity levels. Aim: To agro-morphologically characterise citron watermelon accessions and identify trait relationships relevant for variety development. Setting: The experiment was carried out at a Lupane State University Farm with Kalahari sands in Zimbabwe. Methods: A randomised complete block design field experiment, with three replications, was conducted over two consecutive seasons. Results: The accessions displayed wide diversity in fruit shape, skin colour and seed colour. Fruit yield ranged from 18.5 t/ha to 190.2 t/ha, exhibiting a strong positive correlation with the number of fruits per plant (R = 0.99) and individual fruit weight (R = 0.98). Path analysis confirmed that these traits exerted the highest direct effects on yield. Principal component analysis revealed that the first three components explained 89.85% of the total variation between accessions. Conclusion: The significant variation and trait correlations observed offer opportunities for effective parental selection and early genetic gains in breeding programmes. There is scope to improve yield-determining traits, such as the number of fruits per plant and individual fruit weight, forming a strong basis for initiating a breeding programme for this crop. Contribution: Promising accessions identified in this study can be utilised as parental lines for citron watermelon improvement.
dc.identifier.citationTembo, L. & Maphosa, M., 2025, ‘Citron watermelon characterisation and trait analysis in Kalahari sands’, Journal of Underutilised Crops Research 4(1), a28. https://doi.org/10.4102/jucr. v4i1.28
dc.identifier.issn2958-0994
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.4102/jucr. v4i1.28
dc.identifier.urihttp://ir.gsu.ac.zw:4000/handle/123456789/763
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherAOSIS Publishing
dc.relation.ispartofseriesJournal of Underutilised Crops Research; Vol 4, No 1 (2025)
dc.subjectCitrullus lanatus
dc.subjectgenotypic correlation
dc.subjectmorphological traits
dc.subjectpath analysis
dc.subjectunder-utilised crop
dc.titleCitron watermelon characterisation and trait analysis in Kalahari sands
dc.typeArticle

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