Effects of microbial agent on root system,yield and quality of muskmelon

ZHOU Xiaojian; WANG Zhipeng; WANG Jianyu; DUAN Xiangkun

doi:10.16861/j.cnki.zggc.2025.0034

Abstract：To investigate the optimal application strategy of microbial agents in drip-irrigated muskmelon cultivation,the thick-skinned muskmelon cultivar Golden Years was used as test material to systematically evaluate the dose effects of dif-ferent microbial agent application rates(0,400,600,800 g per 667 m2)on plant growth,root architecture,and yield forma-tion.The results showed that the 800 g·667 m-2 treatment(A3)significantly optimized the agronomic traits.At the seed-ling and elongation stages,the stem thickness,main stem length,leaf number,and leaf area were significantly increased by 14.89％,14.29％,12.96％,17.91％,and by 15.63％,34.39％,25.00％,9.11％,respectively,compared to the control.The application of microbial agents significantly increased dry matter accumulation by promoting shallow root develop-ment during the seedling stage(under A3 treatment,the dry matter mass of roots in the 0-1 cm soil layer increased by 57.6％,and the total length of roots increased by 56.55％),with a 26.17％increase in aboveground dry matter mass at ma-turity compared to the control(184.97 g vs 146.60 g).Yield analysis revealed that the 800 g·667 m-2(A3)treatment in-creased single melon mass(3.4 vs2.8 kg)and economic yield(48.39 vs 42.04 t·hm-2)by 21.43％and 15.11％,respectively,compared to the control.However,no significant difference was observed between the 600 g·667 m-2(A2)and A3 treat-ment.In conclusion,the"Junlin Tianxia"microbial agent,applied at 600-800 g·667 m-2,optimized root architecture and synergistically improved yield,with 800 g·667 m-2 recommended as the optimal rate for balancing benefits and stability.