Botanical name: Cucumis melo – Musk melon
Family : Cucurbitaceae
Chromosome no 2n = 22
Origin: China
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Arka rajahans: selection from local collection of Rajasthan. It has fruit weighing
up to 1 kg fine net. Fruits are white and sweet variety resistant powdery mildew.
Yield is 280 Q per ha.
Har madhu: selection from UP. Released by PAU, Ludhiana. Leaves are
sparsely lobed. Fruits pale yellow at maturity.
Pusa madhuras: it is released by IARI, Delhi.
Pusa ras raj: released by IARI, Delhi.
Pusa sharbati: released by IARI, Delhi.
Climate:
It requires hot and dry climate. Optimum temperature 27 to 30 0 C. short
days promote female flowers. High temperature, low humidity, plenty of sun
shine are essential for proper ripening, high sugar content. Plants are sensitive
to low temperature and frost.
Soil:
it requires sandy soils. Loamy soils are good. Preferable pH 6 to 6.8. soil
should be rich in organic manure, proper drainage facility.
Sowing time:
In plains of North India best time is February to March. In south India
best time is October to November.
Seed rate and method of sowing:
4 to 6 kg per ha; broad cast sowing.In case of transplanted crop 1 kg per
ha is sufficient. Seeds can be directly sown in fields or first raised in polythene
bags @ two seeds per bag and water daily with enough care. Seedlings will be
ready for transplanting in about 30 days. In case of river beds trenches are dug
at 1 m deep and specially fertilized with FYM and fertilizers other wise pits of 60
cm3 are dug and filled with mixture of FYM and then sowing can be done.
Recommended spacing 2.5 m x 1 m
Manuring:
Manures and fertilizers should be given to musk melon as per the
availability in the soil FYM @ 25 to 45 t per ha is applied. It is mixed with the
soil at the time of last ploughing or applied 10 to 15 days before sowing. In case
of Karnataka and himachal Pradesh 100: 75: 50 kg per ha of NPK should be
applied half N, full quantity each of P and K are applied in pits or furrows at the
time of sowing. Remaining quantity may apply 30 DAS or visit before flowering.
Irrigation:
Pre sowing irrigation is given, if there is insufficient moisture in soil. Musk
melon plants require abundant moisture when the vines are rapidly developing
and up to the time the melons are grown. Crop require eleven irrigations at the
interval varying 4 to 9 days. Furrow and basin irrigation is commonly adopted
for watering in musk melon. Pitcher method of irrigation is also used in water
scarcity areas
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Interculture:
Secondary growth up to 7th node in 3rd node in Punjab sunheri, 4th node
in Punjab hybrid and Pusa madhuras, 6th node in Pusa sarbati it is to be
removed in order to enhance fruit yield. First weeding. Is done 15 to 20 DAS or
DAT. 2 to 4 weedings are required before the vine covers the whole area.
Weedicides like fluchloralin, Nitrofen can also be used for weed control.
Harvesting, yield and storage:
Crop is already for harvesting about 90 days after sowing depending
upon variety. Fruits of musk melon takes 30 days from fruit set to maturity.
Maturity is determined by 1. a change in outer colour to yellowish green or
brown. 2.Fruits will also slip from vine. This is due to development of abscission
layer resulting in automatic detachment of the fruit from the vine when fully
mature. This is called slip stage. Varieties like karanapur there is no
development of slip in such case only indication is change in colour. For local
market fruits are harvested at full stage where as for distant markets they
should be harvested at half slip stage or even earlier yield varies for 10 to 15 t/
ha. Fruits can be stored at room temperature i.e. 32 + 80 C up to 8 days and + 1
0 C up to 25 days.
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