Organic muskmelon challenge succeeds: Tainan Agricultural Improvement Station's unique seedlings are easy to grow and manage

Muskmelon is a relatively difficult crop to grow, and when organic cultivation methods are added, the difficulty rises even more. The Tainan District Agricultural Research and Extension Station therefore developed a "healthy management model," managing from the aspects of soil fertilization, healthy seedlings, creating a suitable cultivation environment, and blocking off disease and pest sources. Among these, they inoculate mycorrhizal fungi during seedling raising and add an appropriate amount of vermicompost, developing seedlings with high absorption capacity that can also resist black spot root rot. Farmers only need to combine reasonable fertilization and biological control materials for subsequent planting.

"Muskmelon is a rather delicate crop; you cannot just plant it any way and expect to harvest, so it needs frequent protection, which makes organic cultivation even more difficult," pointed out Huang Yuanman, associate researcher in the Agricultural Extension Section of the Tainan District Agricultural Research and Extension Station. In addition, there are problems with Taiwan's climatic conditions, being especially cold and especially hot, or like some years with lots of rain while last year had little rain. "Biological fertilization must be adjusted in response to these climate changes."

Huang Yuanman said that during the seedling stage, using the symbiotic method between endomycorrhizal fungi developed by the Tainan Station and plant roots allows biological fungi to directly enter the plant roots and form a good cooperative relationship. In addition, using vermicompost, the excrement produced by earthworms after digesting fruit peels, cow dung, and other materials, contains natural microbial fungi, even more than ordinary organic fertilizers. At the same time, the granular nature of vermicompost also gives the soil moderate air permeability. "The soil should be loose, with an appropriate amount of air, and vermicompost plays a very good role in that."

The Tainan Station said that according to plant sampling analysis, the sodium ion content in the two treatments of inoculation plus vermicompost was lower than in the treatment without inoculation, showing that inoculating mycorrhizal fungi can improve melon tolerance to salt stress. In addition, the demonstration area also irrigated with high-phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium organic liquid fertilizer 4 times during the muskmelon growing period, promoting the release and absorption of soil nutrients, making plant growth vigor appropriate and increasing fruit sugar content.

Plant at the right time and right place; choosing the right variety is the core

"In summary, it is planting at the right time and right place, matching the appropriate variety at the appropriate time and in the appropriate region; that is the spirit, and the appropriate variety is the core of it." Huang Yuanman pointed out that Tainan varieties grow well and have strong disease resistance, and with the development of various materials, "when we plant our varieties, they have good adaptability. Other common Japanese introduced varieties cannot adapt, and powdery mildew often appears; foreign varieties are relatively weaker, with low harvest rates." "It is already remarkable that muskmelon can be organically cultivated. Farmers feel that Tainan varieties are easier to grow and manage, and in use they require less anxiety."

"Thoroughly cleaning the field also provides a healthy cultivation environment for muskmelon and can achieve the goal of reducing disease and pest sources," emphasized Huang Ruizhang. Cleaning at the very beginning is very important; if it is not cleaned thoroughly, pathogens easily develop. "Organic cultivation cannot spray chemical pesticides, and there are not many control materials available, unlike conventional agriculture where spraying chemical pesticides can kill insects, so disease and pest exclusion requires special care. In addition to double doors in the greenhouse, traps can also be placed."

"The most common disease and pest problem for muskmelon is black spot root rot, but the endomycorrhizal fungal inoculation seedlings we developed can effectively reduce the occurrence of this disease and also reduce nematode invasion." Huang Ruizhang said that when farmers receive the seedlings, they only need to carry out subsequent biological control and natural pesticides. "Just like conventional agriculture spraying pesticides, organic cultivation also uses organic materials for regular control, such as using Bacillus subtilis to reduce diseases and pests."

Huang Ruizhang said that this set of technology developed by the Tainan Station will be transferred to manufacturers in the future, but if farmers are interested now, the Tainan Station will also provide guidance for planting.