Two field experiments were carried out during 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 (Cucumis melo 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/ha compost + compost
tea + biofertilizers, T3: Rd + 47.6 ton/ha compost + compost tea+ biofertilizers, T4: Rd + 23.8 ton
compost + humic acid + biofertilizers, T5: Rd + 47.6 ton/ha compost + humic acid + biofertilizers, T6:
Rd + 23.8 ton/ha compost + compost tea + EM, T7: Rd + 47.6 ton/ha compost + compost tea + EM,
T8: Rd + 23.8 ton/ha compost + humic acid + EM and T9: Rd + 47.6 ton/ha 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. The highest cantaloupe yield was observed in T5, followed by
T9 in the two seasons. Furthermore, all tested fertilizers treatments increased chemical composition
parameters of cantaloupe leaves (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 plant as affected by some fertilizer treatments are improved by all studied
fertilizer treatments as compared with the control treatment in the two seasons. |
