How Long Does It Take For Cantaloupe To Grow

 

How Long Does It Take For Cantaloupe To Grow

Muskmelon (Cantaloupe)

Botanical Name    : Cucumis melo

Family                     : Cucurbitaceae

Chromosome No. : 2n = 24, 48 Secondary 

                                                                                

Muskmelon (Cantaloupe) has a prominent place among vine vegetables. It is mainly eaten fresh. Some villagers also make vegetables from its raw fruits. It is very popular for its sweetness and taste. It can be easily cultivated in the plains of Rajasthan and on the banks of rivers.

History and origin - Scholars are not unanimous about the origin of muskmelon (Cantaloupe). Most scholars believe that it originated in the hot valleys of Iran and North Western India, while according to some scholars, its origin is the tropical and subtropical climate areas of Africa.

In India, it is mainly grown in Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Bihar, but its popularity is also continuously increasing in the states of South India and other plain areas.

  How Do You Plant Cantaloupe

Nutritional value - Ripe fruits of muskmelon (Cantaloupe) are eaten, while vegetables are made from raw fruits, chaat is also made from ripe fruits, summer drink is also made by grinding the kernels of muskmelon. Its kernels are added to sweets. It is a very beneficial fruit for patients of constipation. It is a complete and nutritious diet. 47 percent of the melon is edible. In which vitamins 'A', 'B' and 'C' are found in abundance. The amount of sweetness in melon depends on its varieties. Some of its varieties contain up to 17 percent sweetness.

Climate - Hot and dry climate is required for successful production of melon. 27°-30°C temperature is considered optimum for germination of its seeds. Melon crop is damaged more by frost. At the time of ripening of fruits, especially strong sunlight, hot air (loo) is considered necessary for sweetness in fruits. Due to humid environment, fungal diseases occur in its crop and fruits are also attacked by insects due to which both the yield and quality of the crop are adversely affected.

Soil - Muskmelon (Cantaloupe) can be grown in different types of soil, but sandy loam soil with proper drainage and pH value of 6-7 is considered the best. It cannot be grown successfully in soil with pH value of 5-5. In heavy soils, the growth of plants is high, but fruits are produced late. Muskmelon can be easily grown in the alluvial soils along the river banks. Highly alkaline soils are considered to be a hindrance in its successful production.

Improved Varieties

Many improved varieties/hybrid varieties of melon are available, hence only those should be grown which are mentioned below-

Arkajeet - This is an early variety. The fruits of this variety are small, round and flat at the end. The peel of the fruit is smooth, orange to orange brown, the pulp is white, juicy, very sweet (15-17% TSS) in which vitamin C is found in abundance. The weight of the fruit is 300-350 grams. It gives up to 15 tonnes of yield per hectare.

Arka Rajhans - This is an early variety. Its fruits are round to slightly oval. The fruits are medium to large in size. The weight of the fruit is 1.25-2.0 kg. The pulp of the fruit is dense, white and solid in which there is 11-14 percent sweetness. This variety is resistant to the disease called powdery mildew. It gives up to 28.5 tonnes of yield per hectare.

Durgapura Madhu - This is an early variety. Its fruits are round. The peel is light green in colour. Green stripes are found on it. The mace is light green in colour, juiceless and very sweet (13-14% TSS). The weight of each fruit is 500-600 grams.

Green Madhu - This is a late ripening variety. The first fruit appears on the eighth node and the average length of the vine is 2-3 meters. Its fruits are round and weigh 1 kg. The pulp is light green, juicy and very sweet (13% TSS). It gives a yield of 12.5 tons per hectare. The storage capacity of the fruits is very low.

Hisar Madhu - The vines of this variety grow very long. The fruits are round. The peel is yellow with a brown tinge. The pulp is orange in colour which is juicy and sweet, it gives a yield of 10 tons per hectare. Hisar Saras-Its vines are short. It is an early maturing variety. The fruit is round with greenish pulp and is white and sweet. This variety has the ability to tolerate downy mildew. 8-10 tonnes of yield is obtained per hectare.

   How Do You Plant Cantaloupe Seeds

MH 10 - It is an early maturing variety. Its vines are medium-length growing. Fruits are round or oval with brown coloured peel. The pulp is orange, medium juicy, thick, sweet (9-10 TSS) and fragrant. Its storage capacity is high. Up to 24 tonnes of yield is obtained per hectare.

Pusa Sharbati - It is an early maturing variety, which is ready in 80-85 days. Its fruits are round with green stripes and netted peel. The pulp is thick and light green in colour. Its seed cavity is small. The fruit has a good smell and is very sweet (10-12% TSS), which can be preserved for 4-5 days. It gives up to 16 tonnes of yield per hectare.

Pusa Madhuras - This is a medium duration variety. It gets ready in 90-95 days. Its vines are strong and spread out. The fruits of this variety are round, slightly flat on both ends, their peel is smooth, yellow in colour with green stripes, the pulp is light orange in colour, juicy, sweet with a good smell (12-14 TSS). The weight of the fruit is approximately one kg. It gives 15 tonnes of yield per hectare.

Pusa Rasraj - This is an early hybrid variety. Its fruits are round, the peel is yellow with a greenish tinge, smooth. The pulp is green, juicy and sweet. It gives 17.3 tonnes of yield per hectare.

Punjab Rasila - This is an early variety. The fruits of this variety are almost round. The peel is light yellow and medium netted. The pulp is green, dense, juicy and sweet. This variety is resistant to powdery mildew and tolerates downy mildew. It gives a yield of up to 16 quintals per hectare.

Punjab Sunhari - This is an early variety. The fruits of this variety are round to elliptical. The peel is light brown, which is netted and dense. The pulp is salmon orange in colour, which is dense and sweet (11 percent TSS). It has good storage capacity, it gives a yield of up to 16 tonnes per hectare.

Other varieties - There are other varieties of melon which are grown in different parts of the country. Some of the varieties are MHW 6, Gujarat Muskmelon (Chaman-262), Gujarat Muskmelon-2 (Chaman-40), Narendra Muskmelon-1, Sona, Swarna, M-3, M-4.

Field preparation - Pits are dug on the river bank and basins are made for the vines. Sand is removed from the pits until water starts shimmering at the bottom. A mixture of 5 kg compost, 100 gm castor cake, 25 gm single super phosphate and 30 gm muriate of potash is filled in each pit.

For growing Muskmelon (Cantaloupe) in the fields, first plough the field with a soil turning plough. After that, plough the field 2-3 times with a cultivator or harrow. After every ploughing, make sure to use a leveller. Then beds and irrigation channels should be constructed. Muskmelon (Cantaloupe) should be sown in raised beds. The width of the beds depends on the crop and its variety. For green Madhu, 4 meter wide beds should be made. For medium spreading varieties, it should be kept 3 meters. For green Madhu, the distance between rows is kept 3.5 meters. Sowing is done on both sides. The distance between hills should be kept 50-60 cm. Seeds can also be sown in long irrigation canals.

   Tips On Growing Cantaloupe

Manure and Fertilizers - Various experiments have been conducted in different parts of India to find out the appropriate amount of manure and fertilizers for the melon crop. These are mentioned below—

Sharma and Shukla (1952) obtained good yield by giving nitrogen and phosphorus to the Arka Hans variety of melon.

In Andhra Pradesh, wet guaro of bats was used as fertilizer in the crop to obtain melons with high aroma, pulp and strong peel (Sanjeevraj 1958).

Nath (1965) recommended giving 88 kg ammonium sulphate in addition to 200 quintals of cow dung manure per hectare in the initial stage in the melon crop grown in light soils of Rajasthan.

Singh and Randhawa (1968) found that spraying a solution of 1.5% nitrogen and potash on the vines of Hara Madhu variety of melon significantly increased the number of bisexual flowers as compared to the normal crop. Potash also increased the sweetness, ascorbic acid, aroma, taste, pulp and juice of the fruits. On the contrary, Rekhi and his colleagues (1968) reported that by giving 120 and 180 kg nitrogen per hectare, the ratio of bisexual and female flowers in melon vines becomes very low (1: 20-6) (1: 41.5).

The amount of manure and fertilizers for melon depends on the fertility of the land and the variety being grown. It is best to grow melon after potato or legume crop. In medium fertility soil, good yield is obtained by giving 200 quintal compost, 80 kg nitrogen, 50 kg phosphorus and 50 kg potash per hectare. Cow dung manure should be spread evenly in the field from the first ploughing. Half quantity of nitrogen, full quantity of phosphorus and potash should be mixed and put in the soil at the time of final ploughing. The remaining quantity of nitrogen should be put as top dressing at the time of flowering.

Sowing

Time - Sowing of melon depends on where it is to be grown. If you are going to grow it on the banks of rivers, then it is sown in the fields from November to January. In the plain areas of northern India, it should be sown in February. Whereas in the plain areas of southern India, it should be sown in December-January. In the frost free areas of West Bengal, Bihar, sowing should be done in November-December. In the mountainous areas, it is sown in the middle of April.

Method - Some farmers sow melons in the fields in furrows behind the plough, while progressive farmers do so by making 90 cm wide furrows and 10 cm deep drains. The distance between rows is kept 180-240 cm and the distance between basins is kept 60-120 cm. The crop sown in this way requires less amount of water and water does not come in direct contact with the crop.

Soaking the seeds in water for 12 hours before sowing helps in good germination. 2-3 kg seeds are sufficient for one hectare. 3 seeds are sown in each basin. When the plants have 4 leaves, two weak plants are uprooted.

Irrigation

For successful production of watermelon, it is necessary to maintain soil moisture. The crop sown on the river bank does not need to be irrigated. Because water reaches the roots through capillary action, but in the initial stage of vine growth in the fields, irrigation should be done at intervals of few days. When the fruits are about to ripen, the frequency of irrigation should be reduced because watering in this condition adversely affects the quality of fruits. Irrigation should always be done shallowly. In summer, irrigation should be done at an interval of 5-7 days. Light sandy soils require relatively more irrigations.

How Long Does It Take For Cantaloupe To Grow

Weed control - Many weeds grow along with the melon crop. They compete with the crop for moisture, nutrients and sunlight, which adversely affects the growth, development and yield of the plants. Therefore, in the initial stage of the crop, shallow weeding should be done near the plants. After that, even more shallow weeding should be done. When the vines cover the land, the weeds cannot grow. If some weeds are seen in the field, they should be uprooted by hand because if weeding is done at that time, there is a possibility of damage to the vines.

Crop protection

Insects and diseases - like watermelon.

Plucking of fruits - Picking of melon fruits is a very important task. Therefore, the farmer should have experience of this. At what stage the fruits should be picked depends mainly on the variety, temperature at the time of picking, and the possible time taken to reach the market. Usually, the melon fruit separates from its stalk on ripening and a big stain is left at that place. This is called 'Full slip'. If the fruit is plucked 1-2 days before this stage, then some part of the stalk remains stuck to the fruit. This is called the 'Half slip' stage. For sale in local markets, the fruits are plucked only when they are completely removed from the stalk. But for sale in distant markets, the fruits are plucked 1-2 days in advance. In Northern India, the fruits are available from the second week of May to the second week of June.

Yield - The yield of melon depends on many things. The main ones among them are the fertility of the land, the variety grown and the care of the crop. Up to 125-150 quintals of yield is obtained per hectare, while up to 250 quintals of yield is obtained from the variety of melon called 'Pusa Rasraj'.