Effect of Foliar Application of Calcium and Potassium on Growth, Fruit Yield and Some Properties of Two Muskmelon Cultivars (Cucumis melo L.)

Calcium and potassium are essential nutrients that play a significant role in increasing yield, quality and postharvest properties of many fruits and vegetables. The role of these nutrients in improving quality and quantity of fleshy fruits is important and their interaction on plants such as cantaloupe is less understood. In this research the effects of calcium (0 and 3 g/L) and potassium (0, 1 and 2 g/L) and their interactions on some growth parameters, yield and fruit quality of two hybrid cultivars of cantaloupe (Anans and Shahpasand) was studied in a factorial split plot experiment based on a randomized completed block design with three replications. Calcium increased fresh and dry weight of plants, number of leaf, relative water content, thickness and firmness of fruit flesh, fruit diameter and mean fruit weight in both cultivars and the number of fruits per plant in Shahpasand cultivar. Potassium increased the relative water content, leaf number, thickness and firmness of fruit flesh, fruit diameter and length, mean fruit weight in both cultivars and number of fruits per plant in Shahpasand cultivar. The interaction between calcium and potassium was significant for the number of leaves, relative water content, thickness and fruit firmness, total fruit yield and fruit carotenoid levels. Combination treatment of calcium and potassium increased the fruit yield of Ananas and Shahpasand cultivars by 80 and 147 and the amount of carotenoids by 47 and 81 percent as compared with control, respectively.