EVALUATION OF PRODUCING WATERMELON USINGDIFFERENT SOILLESS CULTURE SYSTEMSUNDER PROTECTED CULTVATION

Abstract

The experiment was carried out in the Arid Land Agricultural Graduate Studies and Research Institute, Faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shams University, Shoubra El-Kheima, Egypt during the two successive seasons of 2010 and 2011 under unheated plastic house (9 x 30 x 3.5 m) to evaluate different soilless culture systems on production of two watermelon cultivars watermelon seedlings were transplanted, in all soilless culture systems. On the other hand, for NFT systems, seedlings were sown directly in small perforated bags (8 cm diameter x 10 cm length) contain peat moss mixed with vermiculite (1:1 v/v) then transferred after 4 weeks to the systems in both growing seasons. Plant spacing was 50 cm in the gully, 60 cm between the gullies, and 100 cm between the double gullies. Cultural management, disease and pest control programs were followed according to the recommendations of the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture. The experiment included two factors as follows: Soilless culture techniques including, Nutrient Film Technique system Substrate culture system filled with. (Peat moss mixed with sand / mixed with perlite / mixed with vermiculite (1:1)) All these systems compared with traditional cultivation in clay loam soil as a control.