Muskmelon
 

Land Requirements No Specific requirements. Land should be free from volunteer plants.  
Isolation Requirements

Most of thecucurbits are monoecious in character and a few are dioecious. A number of hermaphrodite and andromonoecious cultivars are also available in some crops. Pollination is largely done by insects. For pure seed production to separate it from fields of other varieties, fields of the same vareity not conforming to vareital purity requirements for certification.

 

 
Cultural Practices
Time of Sowing February to March  

Preparation of Land For transplanting prepare the field to a fine tilth by ploughing and 3to 4 harrowings followed by leveling.  

Source of Seed Obtain breeder's/foundation seeds from source approved by a seed certification agency.  

Seed Rate 3 to 4 kgs per hectare.  

Sowing of Seeds The seeds are sown after soaking them in water overnight.(a) Hills are prepared at proper spacing by adding well-rotted farmyard manure and a number of seeds are sown on each hill.
(b) Furrows are made at row to row spacings (two metres) and seeds are sown on the edge of the furrows 50 to 90 cm apart on both sides, above the water level so that the water is received by capillary movement. Two to three seeds may be sown at each place.		  

Fertilisation Apply 30tonnes of well-rotted farmyard manure at the time of land preparation; and 150 kg of Superphosphate or 125 kg amonium sulphate or C.A.N.and 50 kg sulphate of potash should be prepared and mixed at 500 gm per pit, while preparing the pits for sowing.. Top-dress 100 kg ammonium sulphate or C.A.N. at time of flowering.  

Thinning When the seed is sown on hills,the plants should be thinned so that not more than three plants are left standing on each hill. When sown along the furrow, the plants at each place are thinned to one or two.  

Spacing 1. Autumn, Winter crop 75 x 60cm; 2. Spring, Summer crop 75 x 40 cm.  

Irrigation The crop requires an abundance of moisture during the early part of vine growth. Once the melons are fully gorwn, over-watering should be avoided.  

Interculture Regular interculture operations are necessary to keep weeds under control.  

Insect and Disease Control Adopt recommended IPM methods  

Roguing Remove the offtypes.  

Harvesting and Extration of Seeds

Fruits are ready to harvest when the point of attachment with the stem shows a wide crack (full slip stage) and the seed is practically mature. it is advisable to wait until sufficient fruits ripen before harvesting. Fruits, after picking, are placed in piles. they are cut open by hand with a knife and the seed and pulp are scraped into a container. Later the seeds are separated from the pulp either by fermentation, followed by washing or by washing alone. The seeds, after washing in water, are dried quickly in the sun.

  

Seed Yield The average seed yield is about 200 to 300 kg per hectare.