Two field experiments were carried out during the two successive seasons of 2012/2013 and 2013/2014 in a sandy soil at a private Sector Farm in El-Khatatba region, Minofia Governorate, Egypt, to study the effect of some fertilization treatments (organic and biofertilizers) in presence of chemical fertilizer on growth, chemical composition, productivity and fruit quality of cantaloupe plants (Cucumismelo L.) cv. Gal 152. The experiment consisted of nine treatments as follows:T1: Control (recommended dose of chemical fertilizer: Rd), T2: Rd + 23.8 ton compost + compost tea + biofertilizers, T3: Rd + 47.6 ton compost + compost tea+ biofertilizers, T4:Rd + 23.8 ton compost + humic acid + biofertilizers, T5: Rd + 47.6 ton compost + humic acid + biofertilizers, T6: Rd + 23.8 ton compost + compost tea + EM, T7: Rd + 47.6 ton compost + compost tea + EM, T8: Rd + 23.8 ton compost + humic acid + EM and T9: Rd + 47.6 ton compost + humic acid + EM. The vegetative growth parameters of cantaloupe plant as plant height, number of branches/plant, fresh and dry weights of plant as well as leaf area increased by all fertilizer application treatments when compared with the control treatment (recommended dose of chemical fertilizer (T1)) in the two seasons. Moreover, yield parameters of cantaloupe plant i.e., fruit diameter, fruit circumference, fruit fresh weight and total yield were increased greatly when compared with the control treatment in the two seasons. However, the highest cantaloupe yield was observed in T5, followed by T9 in the two seasons. Furthermore, all tested fertilizers treatments increased leaf chemical composition parameters of cantaloupe plants (total chlorophylls, total carbohydrates, N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn and Mn) as compared with the control treatment in the two seasons. In addition, fruit quality parameters of cantaloupe plantas affected by some fertilizer treatments are improved by all studied fertilizer treatments as compared with the control treatment in the two seasons. |
