PRODUCTIVITY IMPROVEMENT OF CANTALOUPE UNDER LOW TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS ON SIWA OASIS

Elsaggan, Mohamed A.M.

doi:10.21608/ejdr.2021.37788.1074

PRODUCTIVITY IMPROVEMENT OF CANTALOUPE UNDER LOW TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS ON SIWA OASIS

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Mohamed A.M. Elsaggan

Department of Plant Production, Desert Research Center

10.21608/ejdr.2021.37788.1074

Abstract

This field experiment was performed at the Experimental Farm of the Desert Research Center, Siwa Oasis, Marsa Matroh Governorate, during the two consecutive seasons of 2015/2016 and 2016/2017. The experiments were conducted to study the effect of soil mulch and two commercial anti-transpiration products i.e.,anticool (2 and 4 ml/L) and green miracle (2 and 4 ml/L) beside control treatment as foliar application on growth, yield and chemical composition of cantaloupe plants cv. Regal grown under sandy soil conditions. Results revealed that soil mulch treatment significantly increased all most growth characters; yield and its components when compared with control treatment in both seasons. Foliar spray by green miracle at the rate of 4 ml/L showed a significant increase in plant height and weight; no. of branches/plant; leaf area; SPAD value; fruit weight and diameter; fruit moister (%); plant yield and total yield/feddan in both seasons. While, anticool rate of 4 ml/L showed significant increase in shoot dry matter (%); no. of leaves/plant;fruit T.S.S. and firmness and early yield in both seasons. Correlation and regression of some parameters indicated that for each one gram increase of plant weight was corresponding to the increase in fruit weight by 0.93 and 0.68 g and for each increase of one gram of fruit weight, total yield correspondingly increased by 0.031 and 0.025 ton/feddan, during the first and second seasons, respectively.

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