Watermelons developed through research by the Hongcheon-gun Agricultural Technology Center and grown by local farmers following science-based cultivation guidelines shipped Thursday as a new income crop for the region.
This year, the center introduced heat-tolerant varieties and provided pollination bees to improve plant stability and fruit-set rates. It also installed shade structures to reduce sunscald damage and raise overall quality, the center said.
Farmer satisfaction has also risen. This year, 12 farms covering 5.1 hectares are growing watermelons in Hongcheon-gun.
All crops are grown under rain-shelter facilities, which allowed growers to maintain optimal soil moisture even through the prolonged monsoon season, resulting in high sugar content and a crisp texture, the center added.
Setting aside variables such as soil conditions, the updated farming techniques represent a state-of-the-art approach to watermelon cultivation.
The watermelons sell wholesale at around 23,000 won ($16) per 9 kilograms, with the entire harvest delivered to wholesale markets.
After the watermelon harvest, farmers plan to plant sunflowers as a second crop to boost land utilization and farm income, with projections showing household income rising roughly 154 percent compared with growing watermelons alone.
Yun Seon-hwa, director of the Hongcheon-gun Agricultural Technology Center, said she hopes the support will stabilize production of high-quality watermelons and help increase farm income through the watermelon-sunflower double-cropping system. "We will continue to identify new cultivation models and disseminate technologies that respond to climate change, building a sustainable agricultural foundation," she added.
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