Quality of muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.) as influenced by plant spacing and levels of pruning under greenhouse

A study was carried out to determine the quality of muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.) as influenced by plant spacing and levels of pruning under greenhouse during 2011 at Sardarkurshinagar, Gujarat, and consisting 12 treatments laid out in a completely randomized block design with factorial concept. The results revealed that among three plant spacing the treatment S₂ (100 cm x 50 cm) was found superior over other plant spacing with regards to quality parameters like maximum length of fruit (18.49 cm), thickness of pulp of fruit (2.31 cm), minimum diameter of seed cavity (6.14 cm), highest TSS content (10.17° B), reducing sugar (3.14 per cent), non reducing sugar (2.77 per cent) and total sugar content of fruit (5.89 per cent). Regarding effect of severity of pruning the treatment P₂ (double stem pruning) was found superior in terms of quality of fruits like length of fruit (18.28 cm), TSS content (10.22° B), reducing sugar (3.04 per cent), non-reducing sugar (2.65 per cent) as well as total sugar content of fruit (5.69 per cent).