Response of Soil Properties, Growth, Yield and Fruit Quality of Cantaloupe Plants (Cucumis melo L.) to Organic Mulch

A modified greenhouse study was performed in summer season 2016 and 2017 to evaluate the effect of organic mulch on soil temperature, soil properties, vegetative growth, and total yield and its components for cantaloupe plants (Cucumis melo L.), 10411 F1 hybrids, at El-Bosialy site. Five types of organic mulches were used (chopped wheat straw, wood dust, chopped maize straw, rice straw, and chopped sugarcane straw) compared with bare soil as the control. Seedlings were transplanted in 1^st of April 2016 and 2017. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with four replications. Results indicated as generally, the application of organic mulch treatments were the most effective in reducing maximum and minimum of soil temperature, improved soil properties (soil pH, soil organic matter, soil moisture content, soil bulk density, electrical conductivity and N. P. K. availability), enhanced vegetative development (plant height, total leaves area and fresh and dry weights of plant), improved percent of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium in leaves, gave greatest values of fruit characters such as (fruit average weight and firmness), increased chemical components of fruits, i.e., (T.S.S and ascorbic acid) and maximum productivity for both early and total yields, also, economic evaluation presented that productivity was increased by application organic mulches compared to bare soil. Finally, wheat straw treatment had the greatest effect of all parameters.