Durgapura Meetha
A Rajasthan (Durgapura) selection for hot, arid conditions — round to oval fruit with sweet red flesh, grown across the dry north-west and in river-bed plantings where a hardy open-pollinated type is wanted.
Quick facts
- Type
- Open-pollinated
- Season
- Zaid / summer
- Maturity period
- First harvest ~90 days
- Expected yield
- 25–35 t/ha
- Suitable soil
- Sandy / light soil
About this variety
Durgapura Meetha is an open-pollinated watermelon selected at Durgapura, Rajasthan, for the hot, arid tracts of the north-west. The fruit is round to oval with sweet red flesh, and the plant tolerates dry heat and poorer sandy soil better than many hybrids, which makes it a common choice for river-bed (diara) plantings and dryland fields where a cheap, hardy open-pollinated variety with saveable seed is wanted. It matures at about 90 days.
Key characteristics
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
First harvest ~90 days
Expected yield
25–35 t/ha
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
Pest & disease considerations
Major diseases
- Hardy in dry heat; standard cucurbit disease watch
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Tolerant of dry heat and poorer sandy soil — suits arid and river-bed cultivation
- Sweet red flesh; hardy, dependable open-pollinated type
- Seed can be saved; cheaper than a hybrid
Things to consider
- Lower yield potential and less rind toughness than the big commercial hybrids
- No special disease resistance — manage wilt and the mildews and rotate away from cucurbits
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Rajasthan
- Haryana
- Uttar Pradesh
- Gujarat
- Madhya Pradesh