Effect of foliar feeding on yield and fruit quality of three melon (Cucumis melo L.) cultivars

The effect of foliar feeding with two fluid multicomponent fertilizers was investigated: Florovit and Ekolist Warzywa + Urea on the yield and quality of three medium-fruit-size melon cultivars (‘Charentais F₁’, ‘Melba’, ‘Fiesta’). Weather conditions in the consecutive years of the study had a significant influence on the yield level and quality of fruit. A higher yield of better quality was achieved in the years 2005 and 2007. That period was characterised by relatively high air temperature and low rainfall towards the end of the growing period of melon. The fertilizers applied in the experiment significantly influenced melon yielding. The plants fertilized with Ekolist Warzywa + Urea provided a higher marketable yield of melon fruit than the plants fertilized with Florovit. When applied, this fertilizer also caused an increase in flesh thickness and fruit flavour as compared with Florovit feeding. Foliar feeding with both studied patterns increased the average fruit weight and number of marketable fruit as compared to the non-fertilized treatment. Among the studied cultivars, ‘Fiesta’ gave the highest marketable yield and the best quality fruit.