Effect of Nitrogen Fertilization and Pinching on Storage ability of Some Melon(Cucumis melo L.) Cultivars Cultured in the south of Iraq

Abstract

Experiment was conductd at Autum season of 2016 at Almusharah district which belong to Maysan province to study the response of some melon cultivars to Urea fertilizer and pintching their effects on vegetative and flowering growth, chemical constituent of leave, total and qualitative yiled and storage ability. The experiment included18 factorial treatments came from three cultivars; Samit F1, Hira F1, and local cultivur(shuwachi), besides, three levels of Urea fertilizers(0,40,80)kg per dounum and two pintching treatments. ltuas conducted as factorial experiment in split split design as a randomomized complete block design in three repli cates. Mean were compaired by LSD at 0.05 propability. Results can be summarized .As follow: the loss of weight after 5 days of storage, while Samit F1 decrease weight loss after 10days of storage. Hira F1, had the highest total soluble solids after 5days of storage and both hybrids had the highest total soluble solids after 10days of storage .Urea fertilized at 40 kgl donum and unfertilized plant had the lowest weight loss after 5daya of storage. Pintched plants were superior in total soluble solids after 5 and 10 days of storage compaired to unpintched plants. the interaction among treatment were significant in some characteristics.