Sustainable production of melon seedlings (Cucumis melo L.) Zacapa with different substrates

Objective: Different substrates were evaluated in Styrofoam containers to produce Harper-type melon seedlings in relation to the growth and a priori handling of melon for transplantation. Design/methodology/approach: A completely randomized design was used, with 15 treatments and 30 replications, the experimental unit was a plant. The treatments were four pure substrates: T1 peat moss [PM], T2 rice husk [CA], T3 vermicompost [L], T4 red clay [AR] and eleven mixtures of these substrates combined with each other. Plant height, leaf length and width, stem diameter, root length and diameter, among others, were recorded. Results: Significant differences were detected in all treatments for all variables. The best results, statistically significant for plant height, were: T10 [PM 10% + CA 70% + L 10% + AR 10%] and T11 [PM 33.33% + CA 33.33% + L 33.33%] with 4.74 and 4.78 cm respectively. The greatest growth in leaf length and width was for T14 [PM 30% + L 70%] with 3.25 and 3.29 cm respectively, or a leaf surface of 10.69 cm2. Limitations on study/implications: This study was limited to evaluating the technological part of melon seedling production; it is subsequently important to evaluate the economic profitability of the best treatments. Findings/conclusions: The PM-based substrate showed a germination of 97.85%, which represents good commercial potential for the production of melon seedlings.