MSc

A field experiment on drip irrigation and mulching on oriental pickling melon (Cucumis
melo var. Conomon [L.] makino) was conducted during the summer season of December 1999 to
April 2000 in the summer rice fallows of Agricultural Research Station, Mannuthy, Thrissur. The
experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications. The
treatments consisted of combinations of five schedules of irrigation (drip irrigation at 50, 75, 100
and 125 per cent Ep and basin method of irrigation once in three days @ 45 litres per pit as
control) and three mulching treatments (control, paddy waste @ 3 kg pit" and low density black
polythene mulch). In drip irrigation water was replenished daily according to Ep recorded in the
previous day. The variety used in the study was Mudicode Local.
The study revealed that, polythene mulching increased the soil moisture content,
consumptive use, water use efficiency and completely checked the growth of weeds. It also
increased soil temperature by 2°C and improved NPK content of leaves as compared to the
control and paddy waste mulching. Because of this and other benefits, polythene mulching
resulted in higher number of vines, length of vines, leaf number and leaf area index by 20.9, 19.6,
21.5 and 69.2 per cent respectively over the control with no mulch. Similarly increased fruit
number, fruit weight per plant and fruit yield (t ha-1) by 27, 41.9 and 43.4 per cent respectively.
The economic analysis also showed a considerable increases in net income and net profit per
rupee invested by 64 and 43.6 per cent over the control. In the case of paddy waste mulching, its
beneficial influences on soil temperature, weed growth, checking evaporation loss and in
maintaining soil physical condition, were not as effective as polythene mulching. Hence its effect
on growth, yield and net return on oriental pickling melon was not as good as that of polythene
mulching, but it was better than with no mulching.
Oriental pickling melon responded more to drip irrigation. Drip irrigation maintained
favourable soil potential constantly without causing severe aeration problems due to its special
capacity in providing water to plants at effective root zone, daily, at lower rate (2 I h-1) for longer
period of time and at predetermined rate. Hence water content in the soil was always near field

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capacity but unsaturated. Therefore slow and frequent watering eliminated wide fluctuation of soil
moisture and resulted in better growth, yield, water use efficiency and higher net profit.
Growth, yield and net income increased with increase in level of daily drip irrigation from
50 to 125 per cent Ep and reached the maximum at 14 (125% Ep). Drip irrigation at 125 and 100
per cent Ep increased vine number (8.5, 4.3), vine length (10.5, 7.2), leaf number (18.1, 9.8), leaf
area index (40.9, 23.7), plant dry matter production (20.8, 13.3), fruit number per plant (23.5,
23.5) and fruit yield per plant (27.3,20) per cent respectively.
The yields obtained from drip irrigation at 125, 100 and 75 per cent Ep were 34.82, 32.78
and 31.07 t ha" respectively as compared to the basin method with yield of27.31 t ha" and the
increases in yield over control were more by 27.5,20 and 13.8 per cent respectively. These
treatments also increased water saving by 13, 37 and 75 and net income by 47.6,36.7 and 27.9
per cent respectively over the basin method of irrigation.
The combination of mulches and irrigation schedules increased fruit yield, water use
efficiency, net profrt and net return per rupee invested over the individual effects of irrigation.
Best fruit yield; net profrt and net return per rupee invested were obtained when the crop was drip
irrigated at 125 per cent Ep combined with black polythene mulch. Second best treatment was
the combination of drip irrigation at 100 per cent Ep with black polythene mulch. It is also worth
to note that the combination of drip irrigation at 75 per cent Ep with polythene mulch or at 100 per
cent Ep with paddy waste mulching emerged to be the third best treatments. The combination of
14M2, 13M2, bM2 and bM1 increased yield by 41.9, 25.6, 22.8 and 19.7 per cent, water saving by
13,37,75 and 37 percent and net return by 71.9, 45.6, 42.6 and 34.7 per cent respectively
over the control (15) with similar mulching material.