Abstract
Organic waste was hydrolyzed by adding calcium oxide and used as bed soil for ‘Prince’ melon cultivation. When plants were grown in bed soil mixed with alkalized organic waste and sand (1:1 v/v), flesh firmness of the fruit became higher than that of the fruit grown in sand. Alkalized organic waste resulted in significantly higher calcium concentration in both fruit and matured leaves than in those of plants grown in sand or sand with added Ca(OH)2. Potassium accumulation in both fruit and expanded leaves, however, was not inhibited by alkalized organic waste. Alkalized organic waste contained far higher total calcium compared with that in sand even at fruit harvest. The exchangeable/total calcium ratio, however, was similar or rather lower than that of sand. Although alkalized organic waste raised the soil pH above 8.0, fruit growth was not inhibited.
