Effects of Different Pruning and Fruit Retention Methods on Plant Growth and Fruit Quality of Melon

In order to explore the effect of pruning and fruit retention on the comprehensive traits and fruit quality of melon plants, the main melon variety “Xiazhi” in Turpan was used as the experimental material, and set up seven different pruning and fruit retention methods, including one-vine with single fruit, one-vine with double fruit, et al. to measure and analyze the agronomic traits, photosynthesis, and fruit related indicators of melon plants in four stages of growth, and five stages after pruning. The determination of comprehensive traits of melon plants and the analysis of fruit appearance and quality showed that the melon plants treated with double vines pruning had better comprehensive traits; The appearance characteristics and fruit quality of the melon fruit treated with double vines and single fruit are the best, while the appearance characteristics and fruit quality of the melon fruit treated with one-vine and double fruit are the worst. The double vines with single fruit treatment method can effectively balance the distribution of plant nutrients, keep the plant in a good growth state, and ensure the appearance and quality of the fruit. The one-vine with double fruit treatment cannot meet the nutritional needs of the fruit well, exacerbating the physiological premature aging of the melon plant, leading to poor growth status and fruit quality.