SEED PRODUCTION, VIABILITY AND GERMINATION OF CITRULLUS LANATUS AT THE KING NEHALE CONSERVANCY IN NAMIBIA A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NAMIBIA AND THE HUMBOLDT-UNIVERSITÄT ZU BERLIN BY UAZAMO KAURA FEBRUARY 2009 SUPERVISOR: DR. MUTJINDE KATJIUA CO-SUPERVISOR: MR. MICHEL MALLET 1 SEED PRODUCTION, VIABILITY AND GERMINATION OF CITRULLUS LANATUS AT THE KING NEHALE CONSERVANCY IN NAMIBIA A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN BIODIVERSITY MANAGEMENT AND RESEARCH AT UNIVERSITY OF NAMIBIA AND HUMBOLDT-UNIVERSITÄT ZU BERLIN By Uazamo Kaura Supervisor: Dr. Mutjinde Katjiua (University of Namibia) Co-supervisor: Mr. Michel Mallet (Center for Research-Information-Action for development in Africa - Southern Africa Development and Consulting (CRIAA SA- DC)) February 2009 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS _______________________________________________________ DECLARATION.............................................................................................................................................I ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS............................................................................................................................I DEDICATION..............................................................................................................................................III ABSTRACT..................................................................................................................................................III LIST OF TABLES....................................................................................................................................... IV LIST OF FIGURES..................................................................................................................................V LIST OF APPENDICES............................................................................................................................ VII CHAPTER 1....................................................................................................................................................1 INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................................................... 1 AIM AND OBJECTIVES........................................................................................................................................ 2 Research Hypothesis ....................................................................................................................................3 Description of the study area ................................................................................................................3 The King Nehale Conservancy................................................................................ 3 Soil types........................................................................................................................................................ 5 Climate ..........................................................................................................................................................5 Fauna and Flora.............................................................................................................................................. 5 CHAPTER 2....................................................................................................................................................7 LITERATURE REVIEW............................................................................................................................ 7 Species description................................................................................................................................. 7 The genus Citrullus..................................................................................................7 The taxonomic status of Citrullus lanatus ...............................................................9 Description....................................................................................................................................................10 Distribution...................................................................................................................................................10 3 Cultivation.................................................................................................................................................... 13 Diseases........................................................................................................................................................ 14 Utilization of the melon................................................................................................................................14 Potential of Citrullus lanatus........................................................................................................................ 15 CHAPTER 3..................................................................................................................................................16 RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY .................................................................................... 16 This chapter presents the methodology and approaches that were employed in the collection and analysis of the data. It also highlights some of the constraints encountered in the field as well as limitations of the study as a whole. Standard germination procedures were applied to most of the treatments, specific methods peculiar to individual investigations were discussed in those specific chapters. ...............................................................................................................................................16 Material Collection ..............................................................................................................................16 Ethnobotanical studies .........................................................................................................................18 Measurement of seeds per fruits and measurements of fruits weight ..................................................19 Seed viability tests ................................................................................................................................19 Limitations of research ......................................................................................... 20 Standard germination procedures ....................................................................................................... 20 Growth medium............................................................................................................................................20 Sampling design........................................................................................................................................... 20 Seed germination.......................................................................................................................................... 21 DATA ANALYSES .......................................................................................................................................... 21 Ethnobotanical studies........................................................................................... 21 Germination percentage ........................................................................................22 Data manipulation ................................................................................................22 CHAPTER 4..................................................................................................................................................24 ETHNOBOTANY OF C. LANATUS IN THE KING NEHALE CONSERVANCY .............................24 Introduction.......................................................................................................................................... 24 Material and Methods ..........................................................................................................................25 Ethnographic Approach........................................................................................................................25 4 The Selection of Respondents...............................................................................25 Data Collecting Techniques...................................................................................25 Interviews..............................................................................................................................................26 Individual Interviews............................................................................................. 26 Key Informant Interviews......................................................................................26 Focused Group Discussions..................................................................................26 Data Analyses ...................................................................................................................................... 27 RESULTS ...................................................................................................................................................... 27 Cultivation of economically important indigenous plants ...........................................................................27 Harvesting of wild C. lanatus .....................................................................................................................