Prabhakar and Senapathi Gowda from Sagar district in Karnataka soak seeds of watermelon in kumkum or vermilion water or milk to enhance germination. Gowda soaks watermelon seeds in vermilion water or milk for a day before sowing. This helps the seeds to germinate faster and grow into healthy plants.
Crop: Watermelon
Crop Family: Cucurbitaceae
Crop Scientific Name: (Citrullus lanatus)
Crop Vernacular Name: Tarbuch, Kadu, Vrindavana, Eriputccha
Formulation: Watermelon in kumkum or vermilion water or milk
Ingredients: Milk, kumkum or vermilion and water.
"The effect of hydro and osmo (ZnSo4) priming on seed germination characteristics under Salt (NaCl) Stress on Silybummarianum (Milk thistle) seeds"
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mohammadreza_Mohammadi/publication/263009706_The_effect_of_hydro_and_osmo_ZnSo4_priming_on_seed_germination_characteristics_under_Salt_NaCl_Stress_on_Silybummarianum_Milk_thistle_seeds/links/0a85e539896b7cf88f000000/The-effect-of-hydro-and-osmo-ZnSo4-priming-on-seed-germination-characteristics-under-Salt-NaCl-Stress-on-Silybummarianum-Milk-thistle-seeds.pdf
"Milk can be used during two stages of watermelon gardening. The first application is to soak the seeds in milk to help them germinate faster -- a real plus if you are in colder areas with short summers. Later, milk can also be used to spray mature vines to help prevent powdery mildew, a common watermelon fungal disease."
https://www.hunker.com/13426409/how-to-grow-watermelon-from-seed-with-milk
"If you soak the watermelon seeds in milk before planting them, the seeds soften and germinate more quickly than they would if planted directly in the soil. Although you can soak the watermelon seeds in water, the milk adds extra nutrients upon which the sprouting seedlings feed"
https://www.gardenguides.com/94621-soak-watermelon-seeds-milk-before-growing.html