With a melon trellis productivity is increased, be it outdoors, in a greenhouse, or in a high tunnel.
Using HORTOMALLAS® melon support net allows for better ventilation of of the leaf canopy and this reduces the incidence of fungal diseases (mycosis) in cucurbitaceae.
By utilizing vertical growth, planting density can be increased since the leaves will take advantage of the HORTOMALLAS® trellising system, enabling the melon plants to use their tendrils for support and grow vertically. Not only does a melon trellis reduce the incidence of mycosis, but it also reduces the need for manually training the plant to the trellis, as is the case when horticultural twine is used for making a trellis, thus reducing the possibility that pathogens are transmitted by physical contact with the workers’ hands acting as vectors.
Trellising melons with trellis netting according to a study by UAS (a Mexican university) increases the harvest by 30% when compared with other trellis systems made with twine. It needs to be taken into account that a melon crop on the ground is going to get stepped on when being pruned and sprayed. This reduces the number of blossoms that can be pollinated and creates access points for plant pathogens since the damaged vegetative material easily becomes a port of entry to the plant for fungi, virus, and bacteria.
Just as in the case of solanaceae, so also with cucurbitaceae (especially those with high market value) it is recommended to use the double panel of trellis netting system (one on each side of the plants for the length of the row) and thus eliminate almost completely the need to touch and manipulate the plant with one’s hands since the squares of the melon support net will do the supporting without the need for training by hand.
