A field experiment was conducted to assess the growth and yield of watermelon
Citrullus lanatus [(Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai] under acidic soil conditions in
Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria. The experiment was a 3 ? 3 factorial
experiment laid in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three
replications. The factors studied were varieties (Heracles F1, Kaolack and
Sugar Baby), lime rates (0 t ha-1, 2.7 t ha-1 and 5.7 t ha-1), and their
interactions on watermelon growth and yield traits. Heracles F1 and Kaolack
outperformed Sugar Baby (p ? 0.05) regarding growth and yield traits. Lime
rates of 2.7 t ha-1 and 5.7 t ha-1 increased the initial soil pH range
(4.6-4.9) by 21.74% (5.4-5.8) and 43.48% (6.4-6.7), respectively. These
rates improved the soil pH to a range suitable for watermelon cultivation in
the study area. Vine length, number of leaves, transverse and longitudinal
sections of the fruits and sugar content of the fruits had ? 50%
heritability, a useful index in the selection of choice growth and yield
traits in watermelon. Overall, GAM was greater than GA for each of the
traits except for the total number of seeds per fruit. Multi-location
studies are recommended to give further insights to this pilot study.