Tinda (Citrullus vulgaris Schrad var. fistulousus)
Cucurbitaceae

Varieties
Annamalai and Arka Tinda

Soil
Sandy loam rich in organic matter with good drainage and pH range of 6.5-7.5.

Season
January-February. Sow the seeds on one side of the channel.

Seed rate
3.5 kg/ha.Treat the seeds with Trichoderma viride @ 4g or Pseudomonas @ fluorescens 10 g or carbendazim 2g/kg of seeds. Thin the seedlings after 15 days to maintain two per pit at 0.9 m spacing.

Seed treatment
Treat the seeds with Trichoderma viride 4g or Pseudomonas fluroscens 10 g or Carbendazim 2g/kg of seed. 

Preparation of field
Plough the field to fine tilth and form long channels at 1.5m apart.

Sowing
Sow the seeds on one side of the channel. hin the seedlings after 15 days to maintain two/pit at 0.9 m spacing.

Irrigation
Irrigate the field before dibbling the seeds and thereafter once in a week.

Application of fertilizers
Apply FYM 10 t/ha, N 20 kg/ha as basal and N 20 kg/ha 30 days after sowing.Apply Azospirillum and Phosphobacteria @ 2 kg/ha and Pseudomonas @ 2.5 kg/ha along with FYM 50 kg and neem cake @ 100 kg before last ploughing.

After cultivation
Weeding is done thrice to control the weed population.

Plant protection
Beetles
Bettles can be controlled by spraying Malathion 50 EC 1 ml/lit at weekly intervals.

Fruit fly
1.  Collect the affected fruits and destroy.
2. The fly population is low in hot day conditions and it is peak in rainy season. Hence adjust the sowing time accordingly.
3. Expose the pupae by ploughing.
4. Install cucurbit fruit fly trap @ 4/ acre.
5.Neem oil  @ 3.0 %  as foliar spray as need based

Do not use DDT, copper and sulphur dust, as these are phytotoxic.

White fly
Spray Neem Seed Kernal Extract 5 %.

Yield
10 t/ha in 90 days can be obtained.