Vol. 12, Issue 10 (2023)

Author(s):
Gaurav Dixit, PK Bisen, Sanat Kumar Prajapati, Pragya Uikey and Ramvijay Lodhi

Abstract:
Muskmelon (Cucumis melo) is a popular and economically important fruit crop known for its sweet and aromatic flavor. It belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family and is cultivated worldwide in diverse climatic conditions. It is a warm-season crop that requires well-drained soil, adequate sunlight, and optimal temperature for successful growth and fruit development. The study aimed to investigate the effects of different nutrient management strategies on morphological and phenological parameters of muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.). A field experiment was conducted using a completely randomized design with eight treatments: T₁ (absolute control), T₂ (RDF-NPK), T₃ (NPK - 50% + 3 Spray of 0:0:50), T₄ (NPK - 50% + 3 Spray of 19:19:19), T₅ (NPK - 50% + 3 Spray of 0:52:34), T₆ (NPK - 50% + 1 Spray of 19:19:19 +1 Spray of 0:52:34, T₇ (NPK - 50% + 2 Spray of 19:19:19, + 1 Spray of 0:0:50) and T₈ (NPK - 50% + 2 Spray of 19:19:19, + 1 Spray of 0:52:34). The results showed that the nutrient management strategies significantly influenced the growth, yield, and quality of muskmelon. T₂ exhibited the highest vine length, chlorophyll content and number of branches, and leaf area index and T₁ exhibited lowest morphological parameters. In phenological parameters T₄ also had positive effects on number of staminate and pistillate flowers. Overall, the findings suggest that incorporating chemical fertilizers along with spray can enhance the growth of muskmelon. These nutrient management strategies can be adopted by farmers to optimize muskmelon production and improve marketable fruit quality. Further research is recommended to explore the long-term effects and economic feasibility of these strategies.