2003 Volume 2 Issue 3 Pages 175-178
The effects of applying corn steep liquor (CSL) and methane fermented liquid cattle waste (MFC) on yield and sugar content of muskmelon fruit in organic fertigation culture were examined in comparison with converntional basal dressing of chemical fertilizer and traditional inorganic fertigation culture. CSL is a byproduct of corn starch factories. It is a viscous liquid and contains about 30 g kg−1 each of N, P2O5 and K2O. MFC was added to acetic acid (finally 48 g kg−1). This treatment dissolved phosphate and calcium, and established inorganic concentrations in the liquid at 4.9 g kg−1 of N, 2.2 g kg−1 of P2O5 and 3.6 g kg−1of K2O.
In experiment I, yield and sugar content of melon fertilized with CSL were lowest among the treatments. These results suggested that it is difficult to cultivate muskmelon using only CSL, because of the slow and low release of nitrogen from CSL is inadequate for muskmelon production. In experiment II, yield and sugar content of melon fertilized with MFC improved and were almost the same as that of melons raised under other treatments. This is because MFC consists of 70% of inorganic nitrogen in total N, which is more suitable than CSL for early growing muskmelon. Greater leaf area caused by faster N supply led to the improvement of yield and sugar content in organic fertigation.
