The effect of heating air or nutrient solution on productivity and fruit quality of cantaloupe grown in winter by using nutrient film technique (NFT) in comparison with soil cultivation

Abstract

The experiment was conducted in El-Bosaily Protected Cultivation Unit - El- Behera governrate, Egypt during 1997/1998 and 1998/1999 in the first and second seasons respectively. The aim of the experiment was to investigate the effect of heating air or nutrient solution on productivity and fruit quality of cantaloupe grown in winter by using Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) in comparison with soil cultivation under plastic houses. Nutrient solution adjusted to 25 °C day and night and air temperature was adjusted not to be less than 16 °C at night. The treatments of the experiment were no solution or air heating, nutrient solution heating only, air heating only, air heating and nutrient solution heating in comparison with the soil cultivation without air heating and with air heating. The results of the experiment indicated that using the Nutrient Film Technique as a method of growing cantaloupe at winter gave the highest yield and better quality in comparison with soil cultivation. Also, using Nutrient Film Technique gave the highest water use efficiency comparing with the soil. On the hand, heating the nutrient solution and heating air and nutrient solution gave the highest yield and fruit quality. Although heating air and nutrient solution gave the highest yield and quality but heating the nutrient solution only was economically better. Fruit quality did not differ much among the Nutrient Film Technique treatments.