Influence of ethrel and nutrients on growth, earliness, yield and quality parameters in snap melon (Cucumis melo var. momordica)

An investigation was carried out on “Influence of ethrel and nutrients on growth, yield and quality parameters of snap melon (Cucumis melo var. momordica)” at the Department of Vegetable Science experimental block, College of Horticulture, University of Horticultural Sciences, Bagalkot, Karnataka, India, during Rabi 2022. The main challenge of the study was to determine the optimal combination and concentration of Ethrel, boron, and calcium that could effectively enhance growth, yield and quality parameters in snap melon. Balancing these treatments to achieve maximum productivity without negatively affecting plant growth or fruit quality required precise experimentation and analysis under varied treatment interactions. The experiment was laid out in RCBD with sixteen treatments and 3 replications. Treatment includes Ethrel at 3 different concentrations, i.e., 150, 200, and 250 ppm, combined with boron and calcium at 0.5 and 1% each, along with a control, which includes a spray of distilled water. The imposition of treatment of Ethrel was carried out at 2 and 4 leaf stages, while calcium and boron were applied at 30 and 45 days after transplanting. The studies revealed that, foliar application of Ethrel at 250 ppm: Boron at 1% recorded the highest number of branches per vine (5.01), minimum vine length (173.40 cm) at 50 DAT and inter nodal length (7.44 cm), least sex ratio (5.25), higher fruit weight (1261 g /fruit), yield (13.96 kg/ vine) and cost benefit ratio (4.35), fruit firmness (3.88 kg/cm2) and shelf life (5.66 days). Whereas, days to first male and female flower appeared of 25.02 and 27.02 days respectively, a higher number of female flowers per vine (33/plant), maximum number of fruits (14.00/plant) and minimum number of days to first harvest (61.67 days) was recorded with foliar application of Ethrel at 250 ppm: Boron at 0.5 per cent treatment. However, Ethrel at 250 ppm: Calcium at 1% application showed first female flower appearance at 2.96th node. The results of the investigation, finally inferred that, foliar application of Ethrel at 250 ppm and Boron at 1 per cent was the most effective in improving female flowers, increasing the marketable fruits and yield.