Enhancing Organic Production of Melon by Using Compost Tea Under Arid Region

Abstract

The melon is a highly esteemed crop in both local and international markets. Within Algeria, it holds great popularity as one of the most favoured vegetable crops. About 12% of cultivated land in Algeria is dedicated to growing melons, producing 8.5% of total vegetable crops. However, growing melons necessitates considerable fertilisation, and synthetic fertilisers prove exorbitant whilst also possessing the potential to inflict damage upon both soil and environment. As part of an experiment carried out in 2022/2023 in the SIDI-Okba region of Biskra (Algeria), the aim was to investigate the impact of a household compost extract as fertilizer on the yield and quality of melons, in comparison to commercially available humic acids. The findings revealed that employing the compost extract as fertilizer significantly boosted the melon yield by 97.86%, when compared to not using any additional fertilizer. The yield difference between the compost extract and humic acids did not exceed 34.59%. Irrigating plants with compost extract derived from household waste resulted in enhanced plant growth. According to measurements, plant length increased by 15.78% with compost extract usage and 26.31% with humic acids usage. The fresh biomass of the plants also increased, with an increase of 6.54% when using compost extract and 16.01% when using humic acids. Moreover, it was observed that the stem diameter of the plants showed an 18.89% increase when using compost extract and a 33.07% increase when applying humic acids. Technical term abbreviations, if used, will be defined upon first use. The structure of the text is also logically consistent and the language used is formal, clear and objective throughout. These findings provide evidence that utilizing compost extract from household waste in plant irrigation enhances the yield and quality of melon crops, particularly in arid regions.