December 2016—One of the biggest challenges to the melon farmers of northern Afghanistan is melon fly infestation, which damages the fruit and leads to secondary rot. Unfortunately, traditional methods of melon cultivation do little to protect the fruit, and farmers lack pest management controls. The result is lower yields and less income for the farmers.

To address the problem, USAID’s Regional Agricultural Development Program-North program introduced innovative planting methods in March 2016 that protect the fruit as it matures. USAID supported the development of 100 melon demonstration plots in 19 districts that demonstrated various melon fly control practices, including the use of melon seedlings.

Planting melons using cold frame-grown seedlings is an effective method of cultivation that can overcome the disadvantages of the traditional planting method, or direct planting, where seeds are placed directly into the soil. Cold frames, which serve as miniature greenhouses, protect the seedlings from the elements as they develop. The seedlings grow in the cold frames for two to three weeks and are then transferred to the open ground where they can mature earlier than smaller plants that have not been protected.

Early maturation allows the melons to develop a harder skin before the melon flies appear, thus making the fruit less vulnerable to penetration by the pests. It also enables farmers to bring their produce to market one to two months earlier, thereby ensuring a higher price.

Abdul Qayom, 32, from the Aybak district of Samangan province, harvested high-quality melons from cold frame-grown melon seedlings produced by his mother Noqra. USAID had trained Noqra in the melon seedling methodology, after which she produced some 400 seedlings of her own.

“New methodology saved my melons from infestation, doubled my production from the previous year, and brought a 16 percent higher price as my melons were the first to reach the market,” says Abdul. He adds that he looks forward to using the frame-grown method again next year and expanding the size of his melon crop.

USAID’s Regional Agricultural Development Program-North program, which runs from 2014 to 2019, works in six provinces in Afghanistan to strengthen selected value chains for wheat, high-value crops, and livestock to provide food and economic security for rural citizens.

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