Table of Contents
Crop Introduction
Soil Requirement
Climate Requirement
Time of Showing and Showing Method
Manures and Fertilizers
Inter cultural operations
Major insect pest and their management
Average Yield
Muskmelon
Muskmelon is a warm season crop. In India it is grown riverbed upland plains and in hills, Northern Southern Northern Southern Western and Eastern region of India.
Climatic Requirement:
The optimum temperature requirement for Muskmelon cultivation is 20 to 25 degree Celsius. Germination of seeds is poor at temperature below 18. High temperature and humidity at fruit ripening stage enhance the sweetness of fruit and aroma, flavour of the fruit .The crop is susceptible to Frost but tolerate to draught.
Soil:
The muskmelon cultivation is done in wide range of soil; loam and sandy loam soil are considered best for melon cultivation. The soil pH suitable for muskmelon cultivation should be 6 to 7.5
Method of sowing or planting:
Muskmelon is grown direct seeded and transplanted. Seeds are grown in pits or in raised bed .In river bed cultivation seeds are sown in trench. The pits should be 60 cm long 60cm wide and 45cm deep at a distance of 150 to 200 cm between rows and 60 to 90cm apart from hills. They are filled with FYM and fertilizers a week before sowing’’
5 to 6 seeds are shown in each pit at a depth of 1 to 1.5cm
Only two or three plants in every pit is allowed to grow, rest are uprooted’
Seeds are sown both side of the raised bed which is 150 for 200 cm wide. Generally 2 to 3 seeds are sown at each site about 60 to 90 cm.
Time of sowing or transplanting:
In Northern Hill seeds are shown directly during the mid of February to early March. Seeds for raising seedling in small poly bag are sown in end of January or first week of February. In western and southern region October /November to January. In the Hills seeds are sown in April may.
Generally sowing is done in November in river bed cultivation.
Seed rate
The seed rate for muskmelon is 4 to 6 kg per hectare for open pollinated varieties and 500 to 800 gram for hybrid varieties.
Manure and fertilizers
The fertilizer requirement varies with the soil type , fertility, climate ,season and location.
Generally 25 to 40 ton farmyard manure per hectare is applied to the soil at the time of land preparation. Farmyard manure and compost along with fertilizers are mixed with the soil in each pit at the time of digging.
About 80-100 kg nitrogen, 60 to 75 kg Phosphorus and 30 to 60 kg Potassium applied at the time of Field preparation and for hybrid varieties 200 kg nitrogen 100kg phosphorus and 100 kg potassium is required’
One third of Nitrogen is applied at the time of land preparation, the rest quantity of nitrogen is given as basal application twice during the early stage after 25 to 30 days after sowing and other one third is 25 to 30 days after second dose.
Irrigation:
The irrigation is applied 4 to 6 days interval during summer. Over watering should be avoided particularly at the fruit measuring stage irrigation may be done carefully so that fruits do not come in contact with water.
Intercultural operation:
Light hoeing at initial stage of vine growth helps in check the weeds. Weeding is necessary very early stage of crop
Mulching: Dry grass or straw is recommended for mulching so that the fruits do not come in the contact with soil to avoid Fruit rot or damage. In USA and other countries the plastic sheet or polythene is used for mulching
Major diseases;
Fusarium wilt:
Symptoms: The disease caused seed rot draught damping off of seedling and wilting of plants.
The affected plants become yellow and stranded and show streaks or cracks on one side of stem with a brown sap oozing out. The pathogen is seed borne as well as soil borne.
Control:
· Use of disease free seeds
· Destruction of plant debris after harvesting
· Add straw to the soil as it reduces the survival of the pathogen in the soil.
· crop rotation with not host crop
· seed treatment with Bavistin( Carbendazim) 2 gram per kg of seed or with hot water at 55 degree Celsius for 15 minute
· grow resistant varieties
2. Fruit rot:
All cucurbits are affected by this disease
Symptoms: Soft dark green water soaked lesions appears on the fruit skin followed by white mycelia growth resulting in fruit rot. In the field the fruits come in the contact with the soil are more prone to infected than others.
Control measures
· grow the crops on raised bed
· Cover the beds with straw grass as mulch to avoid contact with the soil.
· Avoid heavy irrigation
· destroy all affected plant parts and fruits
· Soil drenching with blitox and copper oxychloride 0.2%
· prevent injury of fruit skin during transportation and also In storage
· Training of veins on trending or bower so that the fruit do not touch the ground soil.
Major pest
. Melon Fruit Fly
Management practices:
· Collect infested and fallen fruits and burn in deep pits.
· In endemic areas, change the showing dates as the fly population is low in hot dry condition and at its peak during rainy season.
· Expose the pupae by ploughing and turning over the soil after harvest.
· Use ridge guard as a trap crop
· Use attractants like citronella oil, eucalyptus oil, vinegar (acetic acid) and lactic acid to trap flies.
· Use pheromone trap
· Use poison baiting in severe infestation.
Yield: The average yield of muskmelon is 10 to15 tones per hectare.
Pumpkin
Climate requirement: Pumpkin is a warm season crop grow under warm climate but susceptible to Frost. The optimum temperature for pumpkin cultivation is 18 to 30 degree Celsius .
Soil: loam and sandy loam soil is considered best soil for growing pumpkin cultivation. Pumpkin can grow also in clay soil. The soil should be well drained and rich in organic matter having pH 6.5 to 7.5
Seeds Sowing: The pumpkin crop is a direct seeded crop the sowing distance is 2 to 3 meter between rows at 62- 150 cm in rows plant.
Seed rate: The seed rate of pumpkin crop is 6 to 8 kg per hectare
Seed sowing time:
The sowing time of the pumpkin crop is different all over India due to adverse climatic condition. In southern end western region the sowing time is June July/ January. In Northern plain the sowing time is July and January and February and in Hills in March April
Manure and fertilizers:
About 15 to 20 tons per ha farmyard manure composed are applied to the soil at the time of land preparation and 6o to 100 kg Nitrogen,50 and 60 kg Phosphorus and 60 to 80 kg Potassium may be applied. Half quantity of Nitrogen and full quantity of Phosphorus and potassium is applied at the time of early stage of plant growth,
Intercultural operation:
Light hoeing and weeding are required in early stage of growth.
The fields should be light hoed after every irrigation when soil becomes working for hoeing in initial stage of vine growth.
Irrigation: Frequent irrigation at a interval of 4 to 6 days during summer. In rainy season crop will require less irrigation
Major diseases
1. Pumpkin mosaic: It is a viral disease of pumpkin
Symptoms;
Vein clearing on infected leaves.
In some leaves serration with tips of the veins protruding beyond the leaves edges giving a a tooth head appearance.
Deformed leaves and reduce in size.
Internodes shortened at thickening of stamps with large elongation
Very less fruit branches flower and fruits
Control measures
Use seeds from healthy plants
Application of carbofuran 1.5 kg a.i per hectare at sowing time
Spray with monocrotophos or Phosphamidon 0.05% or Krishi oil at 10 days interval.
2. Powdery mildew: It is a fungal disease in pumpkin
Symptoms
White or dirty grey patches/ spots appear on the leaf and stem.
Leaves become yellow and shriveled and later defoliation occurs.
The fruits become small
The disease spread during high temperature and dry weather.
Control measures;
Destruction of crop debris after harvesting the crop.
The pathogen survives on old plants debris and weeds
Eradication of weeds with Harbour the pathogen
Grow resistance varieties.
Major pest:
1. Pumpkin beetles:
Management practices:
· Always keep the field clean, show early so that plant passes the cotyledon stage by the time the beetles are active.
· Seedlings can be saved by covering with a mosquito net..
· Apply dry ash to the plant. Keep the field free of alternate host plant.
· Using neem oil cake in the soil has been reported to kill the pest larvae.
· Collect adult insects from the infested leaves and kill them.
· Plough the field just after the harvesting destroys the hibernating adults.
Yield: The average yield is 20 to 25 ton/ ha.
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