RADA Assisting Farmers To Solve Watermelon Mystery Illness

Following complaints by farmers about their watermelon yields being affected by a “mystery disease”, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries has been dedicating efforts and resources to finding a solution to the problem.

It is against this background that demonstration plots have been established by the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) in St. Elizabeth and Manchester, the two main parishes of contention, to find workable solutions.

Principal Director, Technical Services RADA, Dr. Lisa Myers Morgan, said the situation of watermelons being rotted or hollow on the inside while appearing healthy and robust on the outside was experienced by some farmers from as far back as 2020.

The situation, she explained, can only be detected when the watermelon is cut, noting that the unexpected and mystifying rot on the inside has reportedly been severely affecting production, forcing some farmers to halt cultivation considering considerable losses.

“From as early as 2020, the farmers in the Pedro Plains area of St. Elizabeth began complaining of their watermelons being affected by what they believed was some strange disease,” Mrs. Myers Morgan told JIS News in a recent interview.

“The fruits were looking pretty on the outside… nice sizes… but once you cut the watermelon… the inside looked bad. The Ministry’s technical team was called in as this was an issue the farmers had never had before.”

Dr. Myers Morgan said it was equally mystifying to the Ministry in the initial stages, noting that the technical team, inclusive of the Land Division Department, went about conducting soil testing and other interventions.

“We went from testing the nutrients in the soil to sending out questionnaires to farmers to see if they have been doing anything differently than they have been doing before,” she said, adding that, based on the findings, “we then ruled out that it was a disease problem.

“We also discovered from a previous assessment that was done that the causal agents were more of an abiotic nature [abiotic components include physical conditions and non-living resources that affect living organisms in terms of growth, maintenance, and reproduction… meaning something to do with the practices. We realised that water and the use of nutrients were very important,” Dr. Myers Morgan added.

She said that a lot of data had been collected to be analysed for more information to guide the way forward.

Prominent St. Elizabeth watermelon farmer, Junior Ebanks, said that even after changing his farming practices, he was still having the same problems and had to be refunding customers.

“The higgler will come to the farm… collect what looks like normal and healthy watermelons… and within two days… will come back complaining that the melons are no good and have left a lot of spoilage on his hands. I have personally lost thousands of dollars as a result.”

Pedro Plains, St. Elizabeth farmer Peter Nash said many watermelon farmers were reeling from the impact on their production, noting that with COVID-19 already creating havoc, the last thing “we were expecting is this”.

“We are happy to know that the Agriculture and Fisheries Ministry has taken a serious interest in this matter, as this has been having a serious effect on production,” he told JIS News.

Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Franklin Whitter, said that to find a workable and practical solution to the watermelon situation, the Ministry has begun collaborative efforts with suppliers, such as Newport Fersan Jamaica Limited, T. Geddes Grant and H & L Agro, in the establishment of three farmer demonstration and validation study plots in both St. Elizabeth and Manchester.

The main aim of the exercise, he said, is to practically demonstrate best practices to farmers and get a clearer understanding of the matter at hand.

“Farmers, the onus is on you to observe, to learn and share what will be imparted over time. We urge you not to draw any premature conclusions but to work with the stakeholders as we seek the clear solutions needed for us to move forward,” Minister Whitter told farmers in a recent meeting in Pedro Plains.

The Minister also noted that a joint team of officers from RADA and the Agriculture Land Management Division (ALMD) has conducted a series of surveys to bring light to general farming practices. He said there were also sessions with farmers and input suppliers to discuss the findings.

The general survey findings suggested that Pedro Plains has the highest incidence of the fruit disorder, and Minister Whitter said also indicated high frequency of irrigation applied to the crop.

“A defined nutrition programme and crop calender of best practices and proper nutritional information will also be generated as output. A study plot at Bodles Research Station, laboratory testing and training and extension advisory services from RADA are among the main deliverables targeted at decisively dealing with the watermelon situation,” he further explained.

Last year, former Agriculture Minister Hon. Floyd Green told JIS News that a team, comprising representatives from RADA and the Scientific Research Council (SRC), had collected samples of melons in sections of St. Elizabeth to determine the cause of the reduced quality of the crop.

Mr. Green had said that the team was also investigating whether farming practices could be part of the problem.

But now there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel, as according to Junction, St. Elizabeth farmer, Everton Holness, he had lost three consecutive watermelon crops prior to RADA’s intervention.

“I would encourage farmers to follow the RADA lead and do the soil testing. Now I am seeing better results.”

Asked to explain the new methodology and what has changed for the better, he said: “First thing is that we get the soil test done… then we get the fertiliser… and we used different things like we never used to use… . Instead of just spray and fertiliser, we followed up the soil testing by using acid and zinc.

Another Junction farmer, Daylon Holness, agreed that since the RADA intervention, he is now seeing yields of “95 per cent good… and for the second time around”.

Zinc was one of the first micronutrients recognised as vital for plants. This nutrient is needed throughout the growing season for crops to reach their full potential.