Black Pi Dong is the largest melon variety cultivated in South China, with an annual planting area exceeding 800,000 mu. However, the majority of black melon varieties are still grown by farmers, as market demand for high-quality products continues to rise, and pests and diseases in agricultural areas have become increasingly severe. This makes it difficult for traditional farming methods to meet modern production needs, highlighting the urgent need for disease-resistant and high-quality hybrid varieties.
To address this challenge, the Institute of Vegetables at the Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences has developed the first black hybrid melon variety in the province called “Black You Da.†This variety not only offers higher yields—reaching 6,778 kg per mu, which is 13.87% higher than local farmer varieties—but also exhibits strong resistance to wilt disease and other common plant ailments. The fruit has a beautiful shape, with a round, cannonball-like appearance, measuring 58–75 cm in length and 25 cm in diameter. It features a green skin with shallow grooves, smooth texture, and a meat thickness of 5.5–6.5 cm. Its dense flesh, high soluble solids content, and good adaptability make it ideal for meeting the growing demands of the Guangdong black-skin gourd market.
For successful cultivation, the following practices are recommended:
1. Choose well-drained sandy soil that is deep, fertile, and receives ample sunlight.
2. Plant at a spacing of 1.8 meters, with 0.8–1 meter between plants in spring and 50–70 cm in autumn, with about 500 plants per acre.
3. Provide sufficient water and nutrients throughout the growing season. Use farmyard manure (such as chicken or cow dung) as a base fertilizer at 1,000 kg per mu. Apply compound fertilizers during the seedling stage, and add phosphorus and potassium fertilizers after flowering. Spray foliar fertilizers 1–2 times during the middle growth period. Reduce irrigation 10–15 days before harvest to improve storage and transport quality.
4. Prune all lateral vines and allow fruits to develop on the 23rd–35th nodes, preferably on the 28th node. After fruit setting, leave 10–15 healthy leaves above the fruit.
5. Pest and disease management:
- **Fusarium Wilt**: Practice crop rotation, use fully decomposed manure, and apply 800 times diluted *Trichoderma* during planting. Water roots early with 600 times diluted *Wilt Stop* or 95% *Green Hen No. 1 WP* at 500 times. Mix with *Withered Net* at 200 times for better results.
- **Downy Mildew**: Rotate crops, disinfect the soil with 25% metalaxyl powder at 8g/m², and manage irrigation carefully. Spray *Ank* at 1,500 times, *Chlorothalonil* at 400 times, and *Jin Lei Duo Mi* at 1,500 times, applying both foliar spray and root irrigation for best control.
- **Zinc Deficiency**: Apply *Antai WP* at 600 times.
- **Thrips**: Use *Efficient & Powerful* at 1,500 times, *Sea Out Insects* at 100 times, *Winter Vegetable* at 600–800 times, and *Vegetable Killer* at 1,000 times.
- **Whiteflies**: Apply *Bufalin EC* at 1,000 times for effective control of adults, eggs, and nymphs. *Methyl Ciprofloxacin* at 25% concentration and 1,000 times dilution also works well.
6. Harvest within 35–40 days after flowering. Choose sunny days for harvesting and handle the fruits gently to avoid damage.
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