Influence of Plant Density on Yield and Fruit Quality of Greenhouse-grown Galia Muskmelons

Abstract

<jats:p>Galia-type muskmelon (<jats:italic>Cucumis melo</jats:italic> cv. Gal-152) was grown as a fall and spring crop to determine the effect of plant density (1.7, 2.5, 3.3, and 4.1 plants/m<jats:sup>2</jats:sup>) on yield, fruit quality, plant growth, and economic feasibility for producing the crop in a greenhouse. Plant density had no influence on the early or total number of fruit produced per plant. Marketable yields increased linearly from 11.0 to 20.0 kg·m<jats:sup>−2</jats:sup> in fall and from 21.9 to 48.3 kg·m<jats:sup>−2</jats:sup> in spring with increasing plant density. Mean fruit size was unaffected by plant density during fall (mean weight, 1.0 kg), but was reduced linearly during spring from 1.8 kg at 1.7 plants/m<jats:sup>2</jats:sup> to 1.5 kg at 4.1 plants/m<jats:sup>2</jats:sup>. Soluble solids content was unaffected by plant density in either fall or spring and averaged 10.1% in both seasons. Number of leaves per plant was unaffected by plant density, but internode length was increased at 4.1 plants/m<jats:sup>2</jats:sup> compared with plants from the other densities. Increasing the plant density of ‘Gal-152’ muskmelon grown under protected cultivation led to increased yields in both fall and spring without negatively impacting fruit quality. When the market price is $1.44/kg, increased yields at 3.3 plants/m<jats:sup>2</jats:sup> can potentially increase net returns over yields of plants spaced at 2.5 plants/m<jats:sup>2</jats:sup> by 25% and nearly double net returns from plants grown at 1.7 plants/m<jats:sup>2</jats:sup>.</jats:p>

Effect of Fertigation on Yield, Fertilizer Use Efficiency and Economics in Hybrid Ridge Gourd

“…Increased nutrition to the vines with increase in levels of nitrogen and increased synthesis of chlorophyll and amino acids helped in efficient uptake resulting in increased length of the fruits. Similar findings were reported by Rodriguez [16] in musk melon, Sharma [12] in cucumber, Rasul [17] in kakrol and Anil Kumar [3] in ridge gourd. The mean fruit weight was maximum with T 3 (454.03 g), followed by T 2 (431.42 g), T 1 (422.17 g) and T 8 (408.69 g).…”

Sowing Dates and Fertilizer Application on Growth and Yield of Muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.) at Ado-Ekiti

“…In this study, the sowing in September gave the highest fruit yield (number of fruits and total fruit weight ha -1 ) followed by May and January. This agrees with Rodriguez, et al [30] who reported that the yields of muskmelon established from August to December were better than the yields obtained by Shaw, et al [31] for the plants sowed from October to February in the same location. The number of muskmelon fruits produced in this study ranges from 9861 to 12418 ha -1 which fell within the range proposed by Meena, et al [32] under proper management.…”

Impact of Within-row Plant Spacing and Fixed Fruit Setting on Yield and Quality of Rockmelon Fruit Cultivated by Drip Irrigation in a Greenhouse

“…Similarly, a few studies also showed that as within-row spacing increased, yield per plant, number of fruits per plant, weight per fruit, and percentage of soluble solids similarly increased (Bhella, 1985b;Mendlinger, 1994;Maynard and Scott, 1998). According to Rodriguez et al (2007), the mean fruit size of 'Galia' muskmelon was not affected by plant density during the fall, but was reduced linearly during the spring as the plant density increased.…”