Aluko, M. (2024). Plant population density affect on muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.) growth and yield. Egyptian Journal of Agricultural Research, 102(3), 425-434. doi: 10.21608/ejar.2024.183814.1322
Matthew Aluko. "Plant population density affect on muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.) growth and yield". Egyptian Journal of Agricultural Research, 102, 3, 2024, 425-434. doi: 10.21608/ejar.2024.183814.1322
Aluko, M. (2024). 'Plant population density affect on muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.) growth and yield', Egyptian Journal of Agricultural Research, 102(3), pp. 425-434. doi: 10.21608/ejar.2024.183814.1322
Aluko, M. Plant population density affect on muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.) growth and yield. Egyptian Journal of Agricultural Research, 2024; 102(3): 425-434. doi: 10.21608/ejar.2024.183814.1322
Plant population density affect on muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.) growth and yield
Department of Crop, Horticulture and Landscape Design, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria, P.M.B.5363, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria
Abstract
Improvements in crop growth and productivity have been partly ascribed to the effect of plant population on spacing and the number of plants stand-1 in a field. In a field experiment conducted at the Teaching and Research Farm of Ekiti State University in Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria, the growth and yield of muskmelon were determined using four different spacings (1×1, 1×1.33, 1×2, and 2×2 m), and 1 or 2 plants stand-1 to attain 2,500 - 20,000 plants ha-1 population. Using a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replicates, the experiment's 4×2 factorial was established. The number of leaves, leaf area, vine length, branches, branch length, flowering, number of fruits hectare-1, fruit weight, fruit yield, and fruit pulp width were all measured. The 2,500 plants ha-1 produced the longest vine (131.50 cm) and branches (111.78 cm), while the 5,000 plants ha-1 (2 plants stand-1) generated the most significant number of leaves (81.83) and largest leaf area (156.33 cm2). The 1 plant stand-1 group produced more leaves, more significant leaf areas, and longer vines and branches. At larger plant densities, fruit yield and number per hectare per year increased. However, fruit size decreased. 20,000 plants ha-1 (2 plants stand-1) of muskmelons produced the most significant number of fruits (20,803.30) and fruit output (10.29 t ha-1); hence it is recommended that this setting be utilized for muskmelons production.
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