Melon Branco do Ribatejo
A Portuguese melon with unmistakable charm: white rind, honey-sweet flesh, and fruits weighing between 2 and 4 kg.
About the variety. 'Melão Branco do Ribatejo' is a highly productive variety, medium oval in shape, with creamy white-yellow flesh of pronounced sweetness. The flowers are edible and attract pollinators.
Itinerário técnico
Um guia de cultivo passo a passo, da sementeira à colheita.
Usually done in trays, with subsequent transplanting when the plant is 6 to 7 weeks old and has at least the first true leaf developed. Water supply should be reduced the week before transplanting. Care must be taken during transplanting to minimize root disturbance and reduce transplant shock.
The crop prefers light, fertile, well-drained and well-worked soils to allow proper root development. The pH should be between 6.5 and 7.5.
It thrives in warm climates, without cold nights that can cause poor pollen tube formation, resulting in fewer fertile flowers. A south-facing exposure is ideal.
Compost should be incorporated into the base fertilization.
Due to varying water requirements throughout the growing cycle, drip irrigation is recommended. In the early stages and during pollination, when fruits are forming, water needs are high; after this point, irrigate only when the soil is dry, as excess water leads to poor-quality fruit. Drip irrigation also has the added benefit of preventing excess moisture on the leaves, which can trigger the onset of disease.
Mulching with organic materials or plastic is a good option, preventing competition between weeds and the crop, as well as keeping fruits off the ground and reducing the risk of rot.
Mites, aphids, leafminer larvae, whitefly, root-knot nematodes and thrips are the main pests of this crop. Mites can be managed through biological control with predatory mites; if necessary, azadirachtin or sulphur dust (if T < 28°C) may be applied. Aphids are controlled by moderate fertilisation without excess nitrogen, natural limitation through border hedgerows to support beneficial insects, biological control with parasitoid or predatory Hymenoptera, and, if necessary, application of potassium soap or azadirachtin. Leafminer larvae can be managed using biological control with parasitoid Hymenoptera and natural limitation through hedgerows and other nectar-rich plants that feed adult parasitoids; azadirachtin may be used as an alternative. Whitefly should be controlled through moderate fertilisation without excess nitrogen, avoiding the transplanting of already-infested plants, placing yellow sticky traps for monitoring, and biological control with parasitoid Hymenoptera and predatory mites; azadirachtin may also be applied if necessary. Root-knot nematodes are controlled through crop rotation, biofumigation and soil solarisation. Finally, thrips can be managed by planting border strips with species beneficial to anthocorid auxiliaries (such as marigolds and other composites) and through biological control with predatory mites and anthocorids.
Fusarium wilt, downy mildew, powdery mildew and grey rot are diseases affecting this crop. For fusarium wilt, appropriate crop rotations, biofumigation and soil solarization should be carried out. To control downy mildew, appropriate crop rotations should be carried out, avoiding excessive soil moisture, using wide plant spacing and, if necessary, applying copper-based fungicides. Powdery mildew is controlled through wide plant spacing, moderate fertilization without excess nitrogen and, if necessary, by applying dustable sulphur powder or in combination with lithothamne (1:1), which is less phytotoxic than pure sulphur. As for grey rot, diseased plant debris should be removed, excessive vigour avoided, water on plants avoided, lateral shoots pruned early to keep pruning wounds as small as possible, and regular applications of bentonite clay made.
They can be stored at a temperature between 7 and 10°C and a relative humidity between 85 and 95%.
