STUDIES ON CANTALOUPE BEHAVIOUR UNDER SOIL SOLARIZATION AND MULCHING

Abstract

Cantaloupe is severely affected by soil-borne pests and weeds, which cause great losses in terms of low tunnel cantaloupe production and quality. Although several methods for pest and weed control are used, but none seems perfect. For example soil fumigation is an effective method of pest control, but it is expensive and may cause problems to human, animals and environment. Therefore most fumigants have been banned and/or being phased out. Controlling weeds in low tunnel cantaloupe may be done by hand pulling, black plastic mulch and herbicides. Again methods may be impractical, expensive and /or cause environmental pollution. Soil solarization is a technique used for disinfestation of soil. It was known since 1976 and was put in application because of being non­ chemical, environment friendly and effective for integrated pest and weed control. Soil mulching especially with black plastic was known and used for weed control since drip irrigation •method used in vegetable production. The goal of this study was to test soil solarization effects on growth, yield and quality of cantaloupe and controlling weeds and soil­ borne pathogens. The well-prepared and moistened soil were covered with transparent polyethylene mulches 50 J.U1l for the duration of 4, 6, and 8 weeks in August and September, in addition to transparent plastic sheet retained in place following 8 weeks solarization was used as mulch all season treatment. The comparison between applying solarization and black plastic mulch, dry banana leaves mulch and the hand weeding for non-solarized soil were carried out through the two seasons 98/1999 and 99/2000.