The Use of Soil Surface Mulching on Melon (Cucumis melo L.) Production under Temperate Climate Conditions

Despite its significant thermal requirements, melon is a vegetable species that holds the potential for expanding the crop range in temperate climate regions. The selection of appropriate varieties and agronomic practices facilitates its cultivation in these regions. This experiment, employing a randomized block design, was conducted from 2019 to 2021, and this study evaluated the response of three melon varieties-'Seledyn F1', 'Melba', and 'Malaga F1' (factor I)-to various mulching materials (factor II): black polyethylene film (PE), black polypropylene nonwoven (PP), biodegradable film (Fbio), and giant miscanthus straw. Control plots were left unmulched. Melon seeds were sown on 15 April, and seedlings were transplanted on 31 May at a spacing of 100 x 80 cm. This study assessed yield, fruit number, individual fruit weight, and vertical and horizontal fruit diameters. Under optimal conditions, the varieties Seledyn F1 and Malaga F1 produced fruits with the highest individual mass. The application of synthetic mulches led to a two-fold increase in fruit yield compared to unmulched plots, with a 23.7% increase in fruit number. On average, the largest fruits were obtained with PE mulch. Melons grown on Fbio mulch yielded, on average, 40% less and produced 18.8% fewer fruits compared to those grown with PE mulch.