Integrated Nutrient Management in Muskmelon: A Comprehensive Field Study
Swapnil Dekhane *
ASPEE Agricultural Research and Development Foundation, At- Nare, Tal- Wada, Dist- Palghar, Maharashtra- 421 312, India.
Narendra Kumar
Research and Development, ASPEE Agro Equipment Pvt. Ltd., Bilimora, Gujarat- 396 321, India.
R. R. Pisal
Department of Agronomy, Navsari Agriculture University, Navsari, Gujarat- 396 450, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The present study aims to describe the effects of integrated nutrient management (INM) on Madhumita variety of muskmelon cultivation in terms of plant growth, fruit yield, and quality. The experiment has been carried out in the crop field located in the North Konkan region of Maharashtra, India. This case study involved seven different treatments (T1 to T7), each with varying nutrient application regimes. Certain observational data, such as vine length, number of leaves per plant, leaf length, days to 50% flowering, number of fruits per plant, fruit length, fruit width, fruit weight, and fruit yield, were recorded for three replications over the course of the experiment.
The results of statistical analysis revealed significant differences, with specific treatments demonstrating T6, which included Vermicompost at 5 tons/ha, 75% of the recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF), and 1% NOVEL prime organic liquid nutrient, consistently outperformed the other treatments groups. The findings highlight the utility of integrated nutrient management. It helps in understanding and optimizing the application of nutrients to boost crop productivity and promote sustainability.
Keywords: Bio compost, crop health, Crop Protection Equipment (CPE), Randomized Block Design (RBD), Recommended Dose of Fertilizer (RDF), vermicompost