Influence of different soilless culture systems on cantaloupe growth, productivity and fruit quality under protected cultivation

Abstract

Two experiments were carried out cantaloupe plants (Cucumis melo L.). 6004 F1 hybrid were grown under unheated plastic house, during 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 seasons. This experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of using different soilless culture systems on cantaloupe growth and productivity in different growing plantations to determine the best soilless culture system for increasing cantaloupe high quality production with under the Egyptian conditions. Three different soilless culture systems were evaluated in comparison with soil cultivation (control treatment) as follows: aeroponic, nutrient film technique (NFT), substrate culture (perlite in horizontal bags). Vegetative growth (plant length, number of leaves and total leaf area), physical fruit quality (firmness, flesh thickness, fruit diameter and average fruit weight), chemical fruit quality (TSS, total acidity and vitamins C) and total yield/plant were recorded. The results showed that all the soilless culture systems performed better than the soil system and the NFT system resulted in the best vegetative growth, yield and quality comparing with the other treatments.