Studies on the absorption of nutrient elements in muskmelon. II
On nitrogen, potassium, calcium and magnesium levels
1960 Volume 29 Issue 2 Pages 147-156
Details
1960 Volume 29 Issue 2 Pages 147-156
The purposes of the present study were to determine what levels and what proportions of the elements, nitrogen, potassium, calcium and magnesium, might best and most economically satisfy the nutritional need of muskmelon plants.
Plants of, the Earl's Favourite variety were grown by the method reported in the previous paper. Details of the design of fertilizer treatments are presented in Table 1. The results obtained are presented in Tables 2 to 7, inclusive. These data can be summarized as follows.
1. The main effects of nitrogen were to inhibit vigorous growth, to decrease the leaf, stem and fruit weights, to depress soluble solids and external appearance, to lower the pH value of soil, to depress the nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magesium amounts in the whole plants, and to increase the percentage of nitrogen in various organs of the plant.
2. The main effects of potassium were to inhibit vigorous growth, to depress soluble solids, to lower the pH value of soil, to increase the potassium amount in the whole plant, to decrease the nitrogen and calcium amounts in the whole plant, and to increase the percentage of potassium in various organs of the plant.
3. The main effects of calcium were to promote vigorous growth, to increase the leaf, stem, root and fruit weights, to improve soluble solids and external appearance, to increase the pH value of soil, to increase the nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, caclium and magnesium amounts in the whole plant, and to increase the percentage of calcium in various organs of the plant.
4. The main effects of magnesium were to depress soluble solids, to lower the pH value of soil, to increase the phosphorus and magnesium amounts in the whole plant, to decrease the calcium ammount in the whole plant, to increase the percentage of magnesium in various organs of the plant, and to decrease the percentage of calcium in various organs of the plant.
5. The interactions of nitrogen and potassium were to decrease fruit weight, and to decrease the nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium amounts in the whole plant.
6. The interactions of nitrogen and calcium were to increase the root weight, to improve soluble solids, to lower the pH value of soil, and to decrease the phosphorus, potassium and calcium amounts in the whole plant.
7. The interactions of calcium and magnesium were to increase phosphorus and potassium amounts in the whole plant, and to decrease the calcium and magnesium amounts in the whole plant.
8. Very few secondary interactions were obtained from the variables.
9. The plants, which received 7g of N, 10g of K2O, 40g of CaO and 0g of MgO per plant were able to maintain vigorous growth and produced fruits of high quality. The results seem to indicate that these amounts are recommendable for the muskmelon culture.
10. The amounts of N, P2O5, K2O, CaO and MgO in the whole plant that received 7g of N, 10g of K2O, 40g of CaO and 0g of MgO were 4.4, 1.6, 6.8, 9.3 and 1.2g respectively, per plant.
