Crop guide

Melon

Melon (Cucumis melo) – Complete Crop Program 1. Soil Preparation Perform deep ploughing 2–3 times to achieve a loose and well-aerated seedbed. Soil should be well-drained, sandy loam is ideal.

Both Sowing Feb–Apr Harvest Aug–Sep 80–150 maund per acre

Soil Preparation

Perform deep ploughing 2–3 times to achieve a loose and well-aerated seedbed.

Soil should be well-drained, sandy loam is ideal.

Add well-rotted Farm Yard Manure (FYM): 3–4 tons per acre before the last ploughing.

Maintain soil pH between 6.0–7.5.

Sowing Time (Pakistan)

Region Sowing Time
Punjab February–April
Sindh January–March
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa March–May

Melon is a warm-season crop and requires day temperatures of 25–35°C.

Seed Rate and Spacing

Seed Rate: 1.5–2 kg per acre.

Row-to-row spacing: 5–6 feet (150–180 cm).

Plant-to-plant spacing: 1.5–2 feet (45–60 cm) in pits or ridges.

Seed Treatment

Treat seeds with Carbendazim (2g/kg) to prevent damping-off and seed-borne fungi.

Optional: Soak seeds in water for 6–8 hours to promote quick germination.

Irrigation Schedule

Growth Stage Watering Requirement
After Sowing Light irrigation immediately
Early Growth Every 7–10 days
Flowering & Fruiting Every 5–7 days (critical)
Fruit Maturity Stop irrigation 7–10 days before harvest

Avoid overwatering to prevent fruit cracking and diseases.

Fertilizer Application (Per Acre)

Fertilizer Quantity Timing
DAP (18:46:0) 1.5 bags (75 kg) At sowing
Urea (46% N) 1.5 bags (75 kg) Split: ½ at sowing + ½ at flowering
SOP (Potash) 1 bag (50 kg) Before fruit setting
Zinc Sulphate 10 kg At sowing

Potassium improves fruit sweetness and shelf life.

Weed Management

Weed Damage Control Product
Horse Purslane (Itsit) Germinates in a thick flush with the first irrigation after sowing and takes the moisture and nitrogen from the young vines, so fewer fruits set. Pendimethalin 33%EC
Common Purslane (Kulfa) Comes up with the melon seedlings and drinks the water out of the top of the sandy soil, so the vines stay short and carry less fruit. Pendimethalin 33%EC
Wild Amaranth (Chulai) Comes up with the first irrigation after sowing and takes the light and the first fertiliser dose from the young vines, so fewer fruits set. Pendimethalin 33%EC
Crowfoot Grass (Madhana) Germinates thick in the rows before the vines spread and takes the water and the first fertiliser dose, so the vines stay weak and the fruit stays small. Pendimethalin 33%EC
Purple Nutsedge (Deela) Comes up between the vines right through the fruiting weeks and takes the water and nitrogen meant for the swelling fruit, so the melons run small. Hand weeding with the first hoeing, 20–25 days after sowing

First hoeing: 20–25 days after sowing

Use Pendimethalin 33% EC (1 liter/acre) as a pre-emergence herbicide right after sowing.

Maintain a weed-free field especially during early growth.

Major Pests and Their Control

Pest Damage Control Product
Fruit Fly Maggots in fruits, rotting Use bait traps + Spinosad spray
Aphids Sap sucking, virus spread Imidacloprid or Thiamethoxam
Red Pumpkin Beetle Feeds on leaves, reduces growth Lambda Cyhalothrin or Spinetoram
Thrips Leaf curling, silvering Acetamiprid (Rancho™ 20 SP) or Emamectin Benzoate (Veento™ 1.9% EC)

Major Diseases and Their Management

Disease Symptoms Control
Downy Mildew Yellow spots on leaves Metalaxyl + Mancozeb (Contra Ache™ 72% WP)
Powdery Mildew White powder on leaf surface Sulphur 80% (Vesant 80% WG) or Tebuconazole
Fusarium Wilt Wilting, yellowing of leaves Crop rotation + Trichoderma
Anthracnose Dark sunken lesions on leaves/fruit Azoxystrobin + Tebuconazole spray