The Latest Field Management Techniques and Methods Tutorial for Honeydew Melon
Honeydew melon, also known as Lanzhou honey melon, originally named Wallace, is native to the United States. Its rind is thick and the melon is sweet, with abundant juice and tender flesh, and it also has the effects of clearing summer heat, quenching thirst and promoting urination, and stimulating the appetite and strengthening the spleen. In China it is mainly grown in Lanzhou, so how should honeydew melon be managed during cultivation? Follow the editor to learn about it.
1. Seedling stage management
Generally, seedlings begin to emerge 10 days after sowing, and full emergence is reached in about 2 weeks. As the seedlings grow, the temperature also rises, so at this time ventilation, air exchange and light must be managed well in the greenhouse. During the day, the two sides of the greenhouse should be gradually opened for ventilation and air exchange, while at night they should be pressed tight to provide insulation. At the same time, ventilation of the small row covers should be increased gradually; generally the temperature inside the row covers should be kept between 30-32 degrees only, and when the seedlings grow to 5 true leaves, the small row covers can be gradually removed according to weather conditions.
2. Assisted pollination
To increase the yield of honeydew melon, assisted pollination is indispensable. During the flowering period, manual assisted pollination should be used to ensure normal fruit set. Pollination is generally carried out in the morning, as the success rate of pollination is higher this way.
3. Ventilation and air exchange
The time and intensity of ventilation should be determined according to the different growth stages of honeydew melon and the weather of the day. The seedling stage occurs in early spring, when the outside climate is changeable, so ventilation should be less at this time; generally ventilating for 3-4 hours at noon is enough. As the seedlings grow, the outside temperature gradually rises, so ventilation can be increased and the ventilation time extended. Generally, the temperature inside the greenhouse should be kept between 30-35 degrees during the day, and must not be lower than 15 degrees at night. After fruit set, in order to promote fruit expansion and sugar accumulation, ventilation should be increased even more during the day; the greenhouse film at both ends of the greenhouse can be opened and closed at night. If there are continuous cloudy days, be sure to extend the ventilation time to reduce the humidity inside the greenhouse.
4. Pest and disease control
The main pests and diseases of honeydew melon include damping-off, gummy stem blight, powdery mildew, Phytophthora blight, leaf spot, viral disease and aphids, which should be controlled in a targeted manner. For damping-off control, the main goal is to cultivate strong seedlings and carry out crop rotation to improve plant resistance; dexon solution can also be used to spray the roots for control. For gummy stem blight, diseased plants should be removed promptly after being found, and mancozeb solution should be applied in the greenhouse. For powdery mildew, spray carbendazim or thiophanate-methyl solution once when the disease occurs. For aphids, smoke agents can be used for control, or dimethoate solution at 1000 times dilution can be sprayed.
The above is an introduction to the field management techniques for honeydew melon. We hope it can help you. If you want to learn more related knowledge, please follow us.