Plant Growth and Fruit Quality of ‘Prince’ Melon Plant as Influenced by the Timing of Alkalized Organic Waste Application

Abstract

Alkalized organic waste was applied to ‘Prince’ melon cultivation at different growing stages. Alkalized organic waste inhibited the initial growth of the germinated seeds. When small seedlings with cotyledon were transplanted into the waste, subsequent plant growth was also inhibited and growth did not recover at least for 2 weeks even after setting into waste-free sand. Growth inhibition by the waste resulted in delayed fruit harvest. Harvest date and fruit weight were not inhibited when seedlings with three expanded leaves were set into alkalized organic waste. Moreover, the waste effectively inhibited both development of water-soaking mesocarp tissue and soil acidification when the plants were repeatedly grown under the same cultivation medium.