Long Melon Practices

• Plant Growth- Vigorous and Bushy.
• Fruit Colour- Whitish Green
• Fruit Shape- Long
• Fruit Length- 40-45 cm
• Fruit Maturity Period – 40-45 days after sowing
• Remarks- Good Heat & Disease tolerant

• Row to Row 1.5-2.0 m and Plant to Plant 0.5-0.75 m

• 40;30;30 kg NPK/ hectare
• Apply 1/4 N along with other fertilizers as basal application and the remaining N should be top dressed in three split doses at the time of vining (20-25 days after sowing), at full bloom (40-45 days after sowing) and after first harvest (55-60 days after sowing).

• Apply irrigation at the initiation of first true leaf during spring summer and at its expansion during the rainy season.
• Irrigation at regular intervals of 4-5 days after is very important for spring summer crop.
• Irrigate the field subsequently at 5-6 days interval during summer season and as and when required during the rainy season.
• The crop must be irrigated during the critical stages i.e., flower bud development and early fruit development stages.

• Frequent hoeing and weeding of young vine promote healthy growth and quality fruits.
• When the vine start spreading weeding may not be needed in between the rows or ridges, since the vine growth can smoother the weeds.
• The pre-emergence application of fluchloralin (Basalin) @ 1.25 kg a.i/ha can check the weed population.

• Red pumpkin Beetle ;
  Spraying of Carbaryl 50WP @ 2 g/lit of water at evening hours or acetamiprid @ 0.3 ml/ lit of water.
• Jassids and Aphids:
  Spray dimethoate 30 EC @ 2 ml or Metasystox @ 1.0 ml/lit or imidacloprid @ 0.3 ml/ lit of water at 15 days interval
• Fruit Flies :
  Installation of methyl eugenol traps @ 5-10 per ha or increase its number as required. Spray Malathion @1ml + 10g gur/liter of water at evening hourswhen fruit flies are congregated on leaf surface

Diseases
Powdery Mildew

• Identification: Disease can be identified by appearance of small white patches on the leaves which later on spread to cover whole plant with white floury mass on stem, tendril and even fruits resulting into low yield and poor quality and sun burnt fruits..
• Control : Spray dinocap @0.05% (50 ml in 100 L of water) carbendazim (100g/100L. water) or wettable sulphur @ 0.2%
  can also in morning and evening to avoid sulphur injury. Repeat the spray at 7-10 days interval if disease incidence is
  high

Downy mildew

• Identification: The disease is recognized by presence of yellow spots on upper surface of leaves and purple to brown on the corresponding lower sides with white downy growth. Leaves wither off prematurely resulting into low, poor quality and sun-burnt fruits.
• Control: On the appearance of disease spray the crop with mancozeb or zineb@ 0.25% (250g/100 L), copper fungicide
  0.3% (300g/100 L) or Matalaxyl + Mancozeb 0.20% (200g/100 L) Repeat at weekly interval keeping in view the wet weather
  condition.

Mosaic: CMV

• Identification: New growth is cupped downward, and leaves are severely mottled with alternating light green and dark
  green patches. Plants are stunted, and fruits are covered with bumpy protrusions. Severely affected cucumber fruit may be almost entirely white.
• Control: The virus is readily transferred by aphids and survives on a wide variety of plants. Spray dimethoate 30 EC @ 2 ml or Metasystox @ 1.0 ml/lit or imidacloprid @ 0.3 ml/ lit of water at 15 days interval.