This is melon popularly known as Egusi melon here in my place. It is one of the most important food and cash crops here in West Africa Nigeria. It resembles watermelon both in size and shape, but unlike the watermelon, the Egusi melon is not grown for its fleshy inside. The main purpose of cultivating egusi is for the seeds, which, when it dried and processed, serve as a key ingredient in egusi soup.
The crop grow well on sandy loam or loamy soil that does not hold water, because it does not tolerate waterlogged conditions. To much of water is not suitable for this type of crop as it can lead to fruit rot.
I planted this crop about three to four months ago and now it is matured. It develop a hard outer shell and feel heavy on the hand when you carry it. Although like I said earlier, they look similar to watermelons, their inside is quite different. The inside of the Egusi melon is made up of white spongy pulp with many seeds inside.
Harvesting egusi is done by hand picking. One way to know that the crop is ready for harvesting is that the vines will dry and the shell or the fruit entire will be heavy. I gather them from the field and put them in one place.
The process of harvesting and processing the Egusi melon is simple though little bit tedious. What I do is that, as it is harvested now, I will live it in the farm for some days to ferment before open it. This is done to soften the pulp so that it can be easy to separate the seeds inside easily. Most people do split it with either a knife or a stick to expose the pulp and the seeds before allowing it to stay for some days. Which ever method is applied can work. After the waiting period, the seeds are then removed and washed clean to get rid of the pulp after which it is spread out under the sun to dry thoroughly. Drying it is very important as the seeds that are not well dried can quickly develop mold and lose its quality.
After drying, the seeds are stored in bags or containers. When storage is done correctly in a cool and dry place, they can last for months without damage. In many homes some of these seeds are later dehusked to remove the hard outer shell, leaving the white inner kernel. The kernels are ground and used for cooking the Egusi soup. Apart from household use, the seeds also provide oil. When you pressed the seed with your hands or when grounded, oil is produced, and the leftover seed cake is often used as animal feed.
In the course of harvesting the egusi crop, one common observation I noticed is the difference in the color of the fruits. It is not unusual to find some fruits that are green, others that appear yellow, and others still that are brownish, even though they are all matured at the same time. This variation is not a sign of immaturity or poor development but is due to several natural factors. The first is the variety of the seed planted, as genetic differences between varieties influence the color of the outer skin at maturity and secondly, the type of soil and its fertility can also affect how the fruit matures and changes color. Sunlight exposure also affect the crop as fruits exposed to direct sunlight often lose their green shade quicker and appear yellow or brown, while shaded fruits that grows under another plant may retain a greenish color. Regardless of these differences, once the vines are drying up and the seeds inside are hard, the fruits are ready for harvest.
Intercropped with potatoes
Intercropped with maize
Another aspect worth noting is the farming practice itself. Egusi is often grown as a sole crop, but it can also be intercropped with other crops like maize, yam, potatoes or cassava. Like in my own case, I intercropped it with maize and potatoes. Though this intercropping system helps maximize land use, however, careful management is needed to ensure that the vines of the egusi are not overshadowed by the other crops, as they need enough sunlight to spread and yield well.
Egusi is a versatile crop and its adaptability to different soil types, its multiple uses, and its strong market demand make it a reliable choice for farmers to cultivate.
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All pictures used for this post are taken by me