Production of early rockmelons with polythene mulches and tunnels

Abstract

In an experiment with transplanted rockmelons, cultivar Yanco Treat, sown in early September and sprayed with the herbicide, trifluralin, a clear polythene mulch (CPM) and clear polythene tunnel (CPT) increased soil temperatures, advanced maturity, and increased the number of fruit, but the CPM produced smaller fruit than untreated controls. Daytime soil temperatures under black polythene mulch (BPM) were similar to those of the control. Trifluralin was not effective as a herbacide for rockmelons. In another experiment with rockmelons sown directly into the field the cultivar PMR 45 was sown in early September, CPM, CPT, BPM and perforated polythene mulch (PPM) used alone or in combination produced earlier fruit than the control. The CPT, BPM + PPT (perforated polythene tunnel), BPM + CPT and CPM produced more fruit than BPM or the untreated control. The CPT, BPM and BPM + PPT also produced larger fruit than the controls. In both experiments, the main advantage of BPM was better weed control. Polythene treatments had no effect on Brix content of the fruit.