EFFECT OF USING PLASTIC MULCH ON CANTALOUPE PLANTS GROWN UNDER PLASTIC HOUSE AND LOW TUNNELS DURING AUTUMN AND EARLY SUMMER PLANTATION

Two field experiments were carried out at Kaha Vegetable Station, Horticulture
Research Institute under the condition of Plastic house and low tunnels plantation
during autumn and early summer seasons of 1997 and 1998 to study the effect of
covering the soil with clear or black plastic mulch comparing with unmulching on the
productivity of cantaloupe plants. It was found that clear plastic rnutch then black
mulching induced obvious increment in vegetative growth as well as earliness of
flowering comparing with the control (unmulched). Concerning fruit yield, it was found
that clear plastic mulch increased fruit yield under low tunnels at early summer
plantation, while under Height tunnels 0 r Plastic house during a utumn black plastic
mulch was the superior on fruit yield. It was found also that, clear plastic mulch
enhanced some fruit characteristics such as total soluble solids as well as total
carotene while total acidity did not affected. Generally it can said that mulching the soil
under low tunnels in early summer with clear plastic and under height tunnels in
autumn with black plastic induced significant increment in cantaloupe fruit yield, while
clear plastic mulch was the superior for enhancing total soluble solids and total
carotene concentration in cantaloupe fruits.