All Issue

2018 Vol.36, Issue 2 Preview Page
Impact of Within-row Plant Spacing and Fixed Fruit Setting on Yield and Quality of Rockmelon Fruit Cultivated by Drip Irrigation in a Greenhouse
Wen-Chen Wee1,2
,
Kok-Song Lai3
,
Chee-Leong Kong2
,
Wai-Sum Yap1*
1Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, UCSI University
2Department of Aquaculture, Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia
3Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia
*교신저자. *Corresponding Author. 
30 April 2018. pp. 172-182
PDF XML Citation
Abstract

Experiments were conducted in a ventilated greenhouse located in a commercial farm (2°56'N, 101º54'E) at Broga, Malaysia from 2014 to 2015. The objective of this study was to evaluate the interaction between within-row plant spacing and fruit-set position on the yield and quality of ‘Glamour’ rockmelon fruit. Rockmelon was grown at 1.57 m between rows with 0.15 m, 0.30 m, and 0.60 m of within-row plant spacing. The plants were fixed to set fruit at T1 (one fruit, 1-7 lateral branches), T2 (one fruit, 8-14 lateral branches), T3 (two fruits, 1-7 lateral branches), and T4 (two fruits, 8-14 lateral branches). As within-row plant spacing decreased from 0.30 m to 0.15 m, yield per ha was increased by 58.1%, and a 3.7-fold increase in yield was seen from 0.60-m to 0.15-m spacing. Total soluble solids (11.96°Brix) and total carbohydrate content (86.60 g GE 100 g DW) were highest at a plant spacing of 0.60 m. Our results demonstrated that the interaction between 0.30-m within-row plant spacing with two fruits set at 8-14 lateral branches showed the most commercially viable outcome in fresh fruit weight as these conditions produced two fruits with an average fruit weight of 2.20 kg per fruit.

Keywords
biochemical assay
commercial
fresh fruit weight
fruit quality
‘Glamour’rockmelon
lateral branch

References
1
Ban D, Goreta S, and Borosic J (2006) Plant spacing and cultivar affect melon growth and yield components. Sci Hortic 109:238–243. doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2006.04.015
2
Bangerth F, Ho L (1984) Fruit position and fruit set sequence in a truss as factors determining final size of tomato fruits. Ann Bot 53:315–319. doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.aob.a086695
3
Barni V, Barni NA, Silveira JRP (2003) Meloeiro em estufa: duas hastes é o melhor sistema de condução. Ciênc Rural 33:1039–1043. doi.org/10.1590/S0103-84782003000600007
4
Baron VS, Najda HG, Stevenson FC (2006) Influence of population density, row spacing and hybrid on forage corn yield and nutritive value in a cool-season environment. Can J Plant Sci 8:1131–1138. doi.org/10.4141/P05-136
5
Bhella HS (1985a) Response of muskmelon to within row plant spacing. Proc Indiana Acad Sci 94:99–100
6
Bhella HS (1985b) Muskmelon growth, yield and nutrition as influenced by planting method and trickle irrigation. J Am Soc Hortic Sci 110:793–796
7
Brinen GH, Locascio SJ, Elmstrom GW (1979) Plant and row spacing, mulch, and fertilizer rate effects on watermelon production. J Am Soc Hortic Sci 104:724–726
8
Cabello MJ, Castellanos MT, Romojaro F, Martınez-Madrid C, Ribas F (2009) Yield and quality of melon grown under different irrigation and nitrogen rates. Agric Water Manag 96:66–874. doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2008.11.006
9
Davis GN, Meinert UGH (1965) The effect of plant spacing and fruit pruning on the fruits of P.M.R. No. 45 cantaloupe. Proc Am Soc Hortic Sci 87:299–302
10
de Queiroga F, Puiatti M, Fontes PCR, Cecon PR (2008) Fruit yield and quality of cantaloupe melon, under greenhouse conditions, as affected by number of fruits and position in the plant. Bragantia 67:911–920
11
Department of Agriculture, Peninsular Malaysia (2011) Fruit crops statistic, government of Malaysia. http://www.doa.gov.my/c/ document_library/get_file?uuid=37c24b5a-01fc-44f0-961e-d2c987cf12a5&groupId=38371. Accessed 24 January 2017.
12
Douglas JL, Heidi AB, Sean FO (2000) Conversion of nitrogen to protein and amino acids in wild fruits. J Chem Ecol 26:1749–1763. doi.org/10.1023/A:1005503316406
13
Dubois M, Gilles KA, Hamilton JK, Rebers PA, Ith FS (1956) Calorimetric method for determination of sugars and related substances. Anal Chem 28:350–356. doi.org/10.1021/ac60111a017
14
El-Hamed K, Elwan M (2011) Dependence of pumpkin yield on plant density and variety. Am J Plant Sci 2:636–643. doi.org/10.4236/ ajps.2011.25075
15
Etienne A, Génard M, Lobit P, Mbéguié-A-Mbéhuié D, Bugaud C (2013) What controls fleshy fruit acidity? A review of malate and citrate accumulation in fruit cells. J Exp Bot 64:1451–69. doi.org/10.1093/jxb/ert035
16
Fagan EB, Medeiros SLP, Simon J, Luz GL, Borcioni E, Jasniewicz LR, Casaroli D, Mafron PA (2006) Evolucão e particão de massa seca do meloeiro em hidroponia. Acta Sci Agron 28:165–172. doi.org/10.4025/actasciagron.v28i2.977
17
Higashi K, Hosoya K, Ezura H (1999) Histological analysis of fruit development between two melon (Cucumis melo L. reticulatus) genotypes setting a different size of fruit. J Exp Bot 50:1593–1597. doi.org/10.1093/jxb/50.339.1593
18
Hubbard NL, Pharr DM (1990) Sucrose metabolism in ripening muskmelon fruit as affected by leaf area. J Am Soc Hortic Sci 115:798–802
19
Kamiya E (1969) Culture and management of melon in greenhouse (in Japanese). Seibundo Shinkosha Press, Tokyo, Japan, pp 56–62
20
Knavel DE (1988) Growth, development, and yield potential of short-internode muskmelon. J Am Soc Hortic Sci 113:595–599
21
Kultur F, Harrison HC, Staub JE (2001) Spacing and genotype affect fruit sugar concentration, yield, and fruit size of muskmelon. HortScience 36:274–278
22
Lee SK, Coggins JCW (1982) Dry weight method for determination of avocado fruit maturity. Calif Avocado Soc Yearbook 66:67–70
23
Lester GE, Hodges DM (2008) Antioxidant associated with fruit senescence and human health: Novel orange-fleshed non netted honey dew melon genotype comparison following different seasonal productions and cold storage durations. Postharvest Biol Technol 48:347–354. doi.org/10.1016/j.postharvbio.2007.11.008
24
MAAI (Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry) (2015). Agrofood statistics of Malaysia in 2014. Information Management and Statistics Section Policy and Strategic Planning Division, MAAI, Malaysia
25
Maynard ET, Scott WD (1998) Plant spacing affects yield of “superstar” muskmelon. HortScience 33:52–54
26
Mendlinger S (1994) Effect of increasing plant density and salinity on yield and fruit quality in muskmelon. Sci Hortic 57:41–49. doi.org/10.1016/0304-4238(94)90033-7
27
Muhammad RM, Nik Mohd Masdek NR (2016) Overview of melon industry in Malaysia. Accessed on 4th July 2017 at http://ap. fftc.agnet.org/ap_db.php?id=677&print=1
28
Nerson H, Edelstein M, Paris HS, Karchi Z, Govers A (1984) Effects of population density and plant spacing on the vegetative growth, flowering and yield of cv. Galia muskmelon. Hassadeh 64:698–702
29
Norrizah JS, Hashim SN, Siti Fashiha F, Yasee SM (2012) β-carotene and antioxidant analysis of three difference rockmelon (Cucumis melo L.) cultivars. J Appl Sci 12:1846–1852. doi.org/10.3923/jas.2012.1846.1852
30
Paris HS, Amar Z, Lev E (2012) Medieval emergence of sweet melons, Cucumis melo (Cucurbitaceae). Ann Bot 110:23–33. doi.org/ 10.1093/aob/mcs098
31
Peirce LC, Peterson LE (1961) The response of muskmelons to spacing, seeding date and plant container. Proc Am Soc Hortic Sci 77:432–439
32
Rasmuna MM, Mohd MS, Mohd Zaffrie MA, and Siti ZP (2015) Kajian Menanda Aras Teknologi Pengeluaran Tembikai. Laporan Projek Sosioekonomi, Pusat Penyelidikan Ekonomi dan Sains Sosial, MARDI, Serdang, Malaysia.
33
Rodriguez JC, Shaw NL, Cantliffe DJ (2007) Influence of plant density on yield and fruit quality of greenhouse-grown Galia muskmelons. HortTechnology 17:580–585
34
Rubatzky VE, Yamaguchi M (1997) World vegetables. Principles, production and nutritive values, 2nd ed. Chapman and Hall, New York, USA, pp 843
35
Seabra Júnior, S, Pantano SC, Hidalgo AF, Rangel MG, Cardoso AII (2003) Avaliação do número e posição do fruto de melancia produzido em ambiente protegido. Hortic Bras 21:708–711. doi.org/10.1590/S0102-05362003000400028
36
Syn GY, Heong CS, Yoo KC (1991) Effect of temperature, light intensity and fruit setting position on sugar accumulation and fermentation in oriental melon. J Korean Soc Hortic Sci 32:440–446
37
Tabasi A, Nemati H, Akbari M (2013) The effects of planting distances and different stages of maturity on the quality of three cultivars of tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill). Not Sci Biol 5:371–375
38
Valantin M, Gary C, Vaissiére BE, Frossard JS (1999) Effect of load fruit on partitioning of dry matter and energy in cantaloupe (Cucumis melo L.). Ann Bot 84:173–181. doi.org/10.1006/anbo.1999.0904
39
Valantin M, Gary C, Vaissiere BE, Tchamitchian M, Bruneli B (1998) Changing sink demand affects the area but not the specific activity of assimilate sources in cantaloupe (Cucumis melo L.). Ann Bot 82:711–719. doi.org/10.1006/anbo.1998.0739
40
Valantin M, Morinson M, Vaissiere BE, Gary C, Robin P (2006) Source-sink balance affects reproductive development and fruit quality in cantaloupe melon (Cucumis melo L.). J Hortic Sci Biotech 81:105–117. doi.org/10.1080/14620316.2006.11512036
41
William II MM (2012) Agronomics and economics of plant population density on processing sweet corn. Field Crop Res 128:55–61. doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2011.12.007
42
Zahara M (1972) Effects of plant density on yield and quality of cantaloupe. Calif Agric 26:15
Information
  • Publisher :KOREAN SOCIETY FOR HORTICULTURAL SCIENCE
  • Publisher(Ko) :한국원예학회
  • Journal Title :Horticultural Science and Technology
  • Journal Title(Ko) :원예과학기술지
  • Volume : 36
  • No :2
  • Pages :172-182
  • Received Date : 2017-03-02
  • Revised Date : 2017-10-23
  • Accepted Date : 2017-06-14
  • DOI :https://doi.org/10.12972/kjhst.20180018
Journal Informaiton Horticultural Science and Technology Horticultural Science and Technology
Online Submission
  • scopus
  • NRF
  • KOFST
  • crossref crossmark
  • crossref cited-by
  • crosscheck
  • orcid
  • open access
  • ccl
Journal Informaiton Journal Informaiton - close