Abstract:
A field experiment was conducted to determine the effects of planting season on the growth and
yield of muskmelon (Cucumis melo L) at the Teaching and Research Farm of the Ekiti State
University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria during the 2017 and 2018 cropping seasons. The treatments
consisted of three planting seasons; viz dry (January), early (May) and late (September) planting
seasons. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design, replicated three
times. Data were collected on growth, yield and yield components of muskmelon and were
subjected to analysis of variance and treatment means separated using Duncan Multiple Range
Test at 5 % probability. Muskmelon sowed in May gave 71.33 mean number of leaves and
133.83 cm2 leaf area at 10 WAS which was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than 63.67 and 90.78
cm2 for January and 43.33 and 97.78 cm2 for September. Sowing in September gave 11300.00
number of fruits per hectare and 10.70 t ha-1 fruit weight which was higher than 10697.30 and
10.63 t ha-1 for May and 10466.70 and 8.09 t ha-1 for January. Although sowing in September
gave higher number of fruits and fruit yield, planting in May gave higher marketable yield (15.58
cm fruit length, 11.90 cm fruit diameter and 0.92 kg fruit weight). Planting muskmelon in
September produced fruits with 3.59 % total soluble sugar (TSS) which were sweeter than fruits
produced by January (3.33 % TSS) and May (3.03 % TSS) sowing dates. Therefore it is
advisable to plant muskmelon during the rainy season except if and when adequate irrigation is
made available during dry season |
