Melon (Eng) ALINA

A. LAND PREPARATION The land for cultivating melons should be plowed first to refine the soil clumps. Then, create beds with a width of 100-120 cm, height of 30-50 cm, with a distance of 50-60 cm between beds, and aligned in the direction of sunlight (east-west). Afterward, apply the base fertilizer consisting of 3 kg of organic manure per tan (a unit of area) + 150 g of TSP (Triple Super Phosphate) per tan + 150 g of NPK (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium) pearl per tan.

B. SEEDING Prepare melon seeds, then sow the seeds directly into seedling trays. If you encounter difficulty with germination, you can soak the seeds in warm water for 30 minutes before sowing. The melon seedlings will be ready for transplanting in about 7-10 days.

C. PLANTING Once the melon seedlings are around 7-10 days old, plant them at the designated spacing. Before planting, water the planting holes in the area. The ideal time for planting is in the afternoon, just before sunset. Water regularly to ensure proper melon growth.

D. MAINTENANCE Installation of Supports (Ajir) Use sturdy bamboo pieces for the supports. 1-5 days after planting, firmly insert the supports into the soil, about 10 cm away from the planting holes.

Watering Regular watering is essential, 1-2 times per day during the dry season. Ensure good drainage during the rainy season to avoid waterlogging, which can lead to fungal diseases on the leaves.

Additional Fertilization Apply additional fertilization when the plants are 5 days old. Fertilize weekly with NPK fertilizer and add organic fertilizer. During the last three fertilizations, apply additional fertilizers like KNO3, MKP, KCL (±10 mg/tan).

Fruit Selection Maintain melon fruits that appear between the 9th and 15th branch nodes. This will prevent the fruits from becoming flat and touching the ground. Support the fruit stem with a tied knot and thick string to prevent the stem from being strangled.

E. PEST AND DISEASE CONTROL Melon cultivation is susceptible to pest and disease attacks. Common pests include leaf aphids, fruit flies, leaf caterpillars, mites, and thrips. Common diseases include Gemini Virus, fruit rot, leaf fungus, and stem rot. To prevent pest and disease attacks, practice crop rotation, balanced fertilization, sanitation, good drainage, and select virus-resistant seeds. If pests and diseases occur, use appropriate pesticides with the following guidelines: (1) Targeted application, (2) High-quality pesticides, (3) Appropriate pesticide type, (4) Timely application, (5) Correct dosage or concentration, and (6) Proper application method.

F. HARVESTING Melons are ready for harvesting after 70-75 days after planting (DAP)

1. GEMINI VIRUS Symptoms include yellowing and curling of leaves, with smaller leaf size. Infected plants usually become stunted, and the internodes on branches shorten. Often, during the generative phase (flowering), many flowers are aborted. Control measures involve monitoring whitefly development from the early stages of planting and implementing whitefly control. Infected plants should be removed and destroyed. Sanitation practices should be carried out to eliminate weeds, which act as alternative hosts for whiteflies. Insecticides with active ingredients Abamectin, Thiamethoxam, Methidathion, and Diafenthiuron can be applied.

2. FUSARIUM WILT Symptoms manifest as partial yellowing or yellowing of certain leaf parts. Plants wilt, dry up, and die. When the stem is cut transversely, brownish vascular tissue is visible. Control measures include avoiding excessive nitrogen fertilization to prevent succulence, improving drainage to prevent waterlogging, removing infected plants, and applying the fungicide Benomyl.

3. GUMMY STEM BLIGHT Symptoms on the leaves consist of irregular spots with concentric circles of gray-brown color. Infected stems produce dark brownish gum-like exudate. Control measures involve sanitation to remove weeds, pruning to reduce humidity, improving drainage to prevent waterlogging, and removing infected plant parts. Fungicides such as Hexaconazole, Tridemorph, Mancozeb, Tebuconazole, Difenconazole, and Methyl Thiophanate can be applied.

4. DOWNY MILDEW Symptoms on cucumber plants appear as irregular dark brown spots. Control measures include land sanitation to eliminate weeds, improving land drainage to avoid waterlogging, crop rotation with non-cucumber plants, and applying fungicides like Hexaconazole, Cymoxanil, Propineb, and Mancozeb.