Search Results (52)

With the expansion of muskmelon cultivation, manual pollination is increasingly inadequate for sustaining industry development. Therefore, the development of automatic pollination robots holds significant importance in improving pollination efficiency and reducing labor dependency. Accurate flower detection and localization is a key technology for enabling automated pollination robots. In this study, the YOLO-MDL model was developed as an enhancement of YOLOv7 to achieve real-time detection and localization of muskmelon flowers. This approach adds a Coordinate Attention (CA) module to focus on relevant channel information and a Contextual Transformer (CoT) module to leverage contextual relationships among input tokens, enhancing the model’s visual representation. The pollination robot converts the 2D coordinates into 3D coordinates using a depth camera and conducts experiments on real-time detection and localization of muskmelon flowers in a greenhouse. The YOLO-MDL model was deployed in ROS to control a robotic arm for automatic pollination, verifying the accuracy of flower detection and measurement localization errors. The results indicate that the YOLO-MDL model enhances AP and F1 scores by 3.3% and 1.8%, respectively, compared to the original model. It achieves AP and F1 scores of 91.2% and 85.1%, demonstrating a clear advantage in accuracy over other models. In the localization experiments, smaller errors were revealed in all three directions. The RMSE values were 0.36 mm for the X-axis, 1.26 mm for the Y-axis, and 3.87 mm for the Z-axis. The YOLO-MDL model proposed in this study demonstrates strong performance in detecting and localizing muskmelon flowers. Based on this model, the robot can execute more precise automatic pollination and provide technical support for the future deployment of automatic pollination robots in muskmelon cultivation. Full article

DNA methylation is a crucial epigenetic marker linked to plant defense responses, but its significance in fungal infection of postharvest fruits remains poorly understood. This study indicated that Trichothecium roseum inoculation increased ROS production, enhanced phenylpropanoid metabolism-related enzyme activity, and promoted lignin accumulation in harvested muskmelon fruits (Cucumis melo cv. Yujinxiang) within 24 h post-inoculation (hpi). In addition, whole-genome bisulfite sequencing showed that genomic DNA methylation levels of muskmelon decreased by 6.15% at 24 hpi. Notably, CG sites exhibited a higher methylation level and the largest number of differentially methylated regions (DMRs). Moreover, 176 DMR-associated genes (DMGs) involved in the defense response, 134 DMGs in the ROS metabolic pathway, and 41 DMGs in phenylpropanoid metabolism were identified. The differentially expressed genes harboring differential methylation were mainly influenced by hypomethylation and exhibited elevated transcript levels, involved in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. Full article

The excessive use of chemical fertilizers has resulted in a decline in soil quality, crop yield, and crop quality. Partial substitution of chemical fertilizers with organic fertilizers is a sustainable practice that can alleviate these issues. However, a comprehensive evaluation of the effects of partial organic substitution on muskmelon yield, quality, soil fertility, and economic benefits remains unclear. We conducted a greenhouse experiment with muskmelon production in Shandong, China, involving five treatments: no fertilization (CK); total chemical fertilizer (CON); only replacing base fertilizer with organic fertilizer (OPT); 15% (OF15) and 30% (OF30) organic substitution of chemical fertilizers based on optimized fertilization. Our results indicated that the partial organic substitution treatments (OF15 and OF30) improved yield by 5.60–11.9% compared to CON. Furthermore, the Vitamin C, soluble protein, and sugar content in muskmelon were higher in the OF15 and OF30 treatments than in the CON. Compared to the CON, organic substitution treatments significantly increased soil organic matter, total N, total K, alkaline-hydrolyzable, available P, and available K. Additionally, the economic benefit analysis revealed that OF15 and OF30 increased net benefits by 5.60–14.9% respectively, compared to CON. Collectively, these findings suggest that partial substitution of mineral fertilizer with organic fertilizer improves muskmelon productivity, enhances soil nutrients, and increases economic benefits. Full article

The present study aimed to investigate the occurrence of eight potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in selected varieties of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus var. Arka Shyama and Crimson Sweet) and muskmelon (Cucumis melo var. Cantaloupe and Kajri) grown near riverbanks in the Yamuna and Ganga River basins of Northern India. For this purpose, samples of melon fruits were collected from ten sampling sites from May to June 2024 and analyzed using ICP-OES. The results showed that the levels of PTEs varied significantly across the sampling sites, with muskmelons exhibiting slightly higher concentrations compared to watermelons. Specifically, the concentration (mg/kg dry weight) ranges for the watermelon varieties were Cd (0.05–0.20), Cr (0.40–1.10), Cu (1.50–4.90), Pb (0.01–0.11), As (0.01–0.08), Fe (80.00–120.00), Mn (9.00–15.80), and Zn (5.00–18.00). For muskmelons, the ranges were Cd (0.05–0.23), Cr (0.40–1.00), Cu (2.40–4.80), Pb (0.01–0.08), As (0.02–0.08), Fe (80.00–120.00 g), Mn (9.00–15.00), and Zn (8.00–18.00). In particular, the variability coefficients (CV%) indicated differential contamination in Crimson Sweet. On the other hand, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) tools facilitated the identification of sites of significant contamination and their respective interactions. The health risk studies using the health risk index (HRI), dietary intake modeling (DIM), and the target hazard quotient (THQ) also revealed no significant health risk of eight PTEs in melon fruits. Therefore, this study provides valuable insights into the biomonitoring of PTE contamination in widely consumed summer fruits of Northern India and the subsequent health risk assessment. Full article

Grafting is a promising approach to control melon fusarium wilt disease. However, there is a potential risk of deterioration in the quality of melon fruit due to scion–rootstock interactions. Using two primary muskmelon cultivars, ‘ZheTian 105’ (ZT105) and ‘ZheTian 401’ (ZT401) in Zhejiang Province as scion, and taking one squash (interspecific hybrids between Cucurbita maxima and Cucurbita moschata) ‘Sizhuang No.12’ (SZ12) and four melon, ‘YongZhen No 9’ (YZ9), ‘XiaTe’ (XT), ‘ZhenTian No 1’ (ZT1), and ‘T1-151’ (T1) as rootstock, the yield and fruit quality including total soluble solid content (SSC), flesh texture, and flavor of grafted melon were measured, compared with non-grafted melon. The results indicated there was no significant difference in single fruit weight among the grafted melon and non-grafted melon plants, while the yield of most grafted melon plants was significantly higher than that of the non-grafted ones. No significant differences were observed in SSC and flesh texture among the grafted and non-grafted melon plants. The fruit of the “ZT401/SZ12” combination exhibited peculiar odors reminiscent of pumpkin flavor, negatively affecting edibility, whereas the fruit of the “ZT105/SZ12” combination did not. Considering both yield and fruit quality, the results indicated that the squash rootstock “SZ12” and the melon rootstocks “ZT1” are suitable for grafting with the muskmelon cultivar “ZT105”, while the melon rootstocks “ZT1” and “T1” are appropriate for grafting with the muskmelon cultivar “ZT401”. The results of this research are of considerable significance for the sustainable cultivation of the cultivars “ZT105” and “ZT401”, particularly under continuous cropping conditions. Full article

Leveraging the transformative potential of digital technologies to support the farmers’ green production transformation (FGPT) is a critical catalyst for facilitating the accelerated green transformation and upgrading of agricultural systems, thereby achieving high-quality agricultural development. Using survey data from major watermelon- and muskmelon-producing regions in Henan, Shandong, and Xinjiang, and employing Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), Propensity Score Matching (PSM), and the Logit model, this study examines the mechanisms through which digital technology influences FGPT. The findings reveal that the adoption of digital technology significantly reduces farmers’ use of pesticides and fertilizers, with a particularly pronounced effect on pesticide reduction. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that the impact of digital technology on reducing pesticide and fertilizer usage varies across regions: while its adoption leads to significant reductions in Henan and Shandong, the positive effects in Xinjiang remain statistically insignificant. Mechanism analysis shows that digital technology enhances FGPT by reducing information asymmetry, improving market access, and enhancing precision management practices. Based on these findings, this study recommends expanding awareness campaigns to accelerate the adoption of digital technology, enhancing digital infrastructure to bridge the urban–rural digital divide, and optimizing digital technology promotion systems. These actions can be taken alongside the implementation of economic incentives and compensation mechanisms. The insights and policy recommendations from this research provide valuable guidance for China and other countries seeking to leverage digital technology for sustainable agricultural development. Full article

This study presents a one-step multiplex reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method for the simultaneous detection of multiple viruses affecting melon crops. Viruses such as Watermelon mosaic virus (WMV), Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV), Squash mosaic virus (SqMV), Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), Papaya ring spot virus (PRSV), and Melon yellow spot virus (MYSV) pose a great threat to melons. The mixed infection of these viruses is the most common observation in the melon-growing fields. In this study, we surveyed northern Xingjiang (Altay, Changji, Wujiaqu, Urumqi, Turpan, and Hami) and southern Xingjiang (Aksu, Bayingolin, Kashgar, and Hotan) locations in Xinjiang province and developed a one-step multiplex RT-PCR to detect these melon viruses. The detection limits of this multiplex PCR were 10³ copies/μL for ZYMV and MYSV and 10² copies/μL for WMV, SqMV, PRSV, CMV, and TMV. The detection results in the field showed 242 samples were infected by one or more viruses. The multiplex RT-PCR protocol demonstrated rapid, simultaneous, and relatively effective detection of viruses such as WMV, CMV, ZYMV, SqMV, TMV, PRSV, and MYSV. The technique is designed to identify these melon viruses in a single reaction, enhancing diagnostic efficiency and reducing costs, thus serving as a reference for muskmelon anti-virus breeding in Xinjiang. Full article

Ambient pH, an important environmental factor, affects the growth, pathogenicity, and mycotoxin production of pathogenic fungus. Fusarium sulphureum is one of the predominant causal agents causing fusarium rot of muskmelon. In this study, we investigated the effects of ambient pH on fusarium rot development and diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS) accumulation in muskmelon infected with F. sulphureum, then analyzed the possible mechanisms in vitro and in vivo. The results suggested that ambient pH 6 was more conducive to the growth, pathogenicity, and mycotoxin production of F. sulphureum in vitro. Ambient pH 6 was also more favorable for secretion of cell wall-degrading enzymes for the pathogen to degrade the cell wall of the host plant and up-regulated the relative expression of genes involved in DAS biosynthesis, thus aggravating fruit disease and DAS accumulation. However, when the pH of the inoculated spore suspension was too acidic or too alkaline, the opposite results were observed. Full article

With the rapid development of ecological agriculture and organic products, there is an urgent need to reduce the use of fertilizers and pesticides by producing bio-nursery substrates containing multifunctional microbial communities. In this study, beneficial Pseudomonas strains were screened from the rhizosphere of muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.) pre-inoculated with Bacillus velezensis R1-3. The ability of the strain to dissolve phosphorus and produce indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), the effect of the strain on seed germination rate, and the antagonism with R1-3 were determined. Four strains of beneficial Pseudomonas strains that had no antagonistic effect against R1-3 were obtained and formed a Bacillus–Pseudomonas community. The seedling effect of biological substrates containing the Bacillus–Pseudomonas community was evaluated using a seedling pot experiment and a pot experiment. The results showed that the phosphorus solubilization range of all Pseudomonas strains was 86.32–459.48 mg L⁻¹ and the IAA production range was 2.98–11.86 mg L⁻¹. There was a significant negative correlation between the amount of phosphorus dissolved in the fermentation solution and pH. Combined with the results of the seed germination rate and antagonism test, the strains R1-3 + HY-S7, R1-3 + HY-S25, R1-3 + HY-S36, and R1-3 + HY-S70 were selected for the seedling pot experiment and the pot experiment. The results of the two-season seedling culture and two-season pot experiments showed that the bio-nursery substrates containing the bacterial community R1-3 + HY-S70 significantly promoted the growth of muskmelon seedlings, improved plant height, maximum leaf length, and fresh weight, and were significantly better than single bacterial and control treatments at increasing plant height and fresh weight. Finally, the bacterial community R1-3 + HY-S70 was established as the optimal combination for developing biological seedling substrates. Based on 16S rDNA gene sequence analysis, the strain HY-S70 was preliminarily identified as Pseudomonas moraviensis. Full article

This study examines the effects of biodegradable mulches on melon production and quality in a Mediterranean environment, specifically focusing on Mater-Bi and Ecovio in comparison to conventional (low-density polyethylene) LDPE mulch. Biodegradable mulches influenced soil temperature, with Mater-Bi maintaining higher maximum soil temperatures conducive to crop growth, while Ecovio exhibited lower maximum temperatures beneficial in hot summer months. Results revealed a significant increase in melon yield with biodegradable mulches, with both Ecovio and Mater-Bi demonstrating higher yields at approximately 20.41 t ha⁻¹, showing an improvement of 23.4% compared to LDPE. Although mulching did not impact the number, weight, or distal diameter of marketable fruits, it affected the apical diameter, with Ecovio-treated plants displaying an 8.4% larger apical diameter compared to the average of all treatments. Furthermore, mulching influenced fruit quality parameters such as consistency, pulp thickness, sugar content, and anti-oxidant activity, with Mater-Bi exhibiting the best performance. Since both Mater-Bi and Ecovio possess strengths and weaknesses, selecting the optimal mulch depends on the farmer’s specific objectives and local growing conditions. Overall, the study suggests that biodegradable mulches, particularly Ecovio, offer a sustainable alternative to traditional plastic films, contributing to environmental preservation and enhancing melon yield and quality in Mediterranean agricultural settings. Full article

The obstacle associated with continuous cropping is an important problem in the production of muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.). The allelochemicals from root exudates play an active role in root–microbe communication. The primary objective of this study was to delve into the impact of root exudates and the continuous cultivation of muskmelon on the growth and colonization patterns of Trichoderma viride T23. It was observed that the root exudates of muskmelon significantly promoted mycelial growth and the sporulation of Trichoderma viride T23 at concentrations of 0.05, 0.1 g·mL⁻¹, while at a concentration of 0.05 g·mL⁻¹, the enzyme activities of β-glucosidase, chitinase and cellulase were 12.34, 13.23, and 17.85 U·mL⁻¹, respectively, which were higher than those of the control. With increasing concentrations of root exudates, the hyphal growth, spore germination, and the three enzyme activities of Trichoderma viride T23 were decreased. The findings from the pot experiments revealed that the total phenolic acid content in the soil of replanted muskmelon demonstrated a trend of escalating over the course of the first growth cycle of continuous cropping to the fourth growth cycle of continuous cropping. The population density in the rhizosphere soil of Trichoderma viride T23 in the first growth cycle and the second growth cycle of continuous cropping shows a significant difference compared with other treatments, which led to statistically significant increments of stem diameter, leaf area, fresh weight, dry weight and SPAD index. It is necessary to increase the dose of the beneficial microorganism or degrade the phenolics in the rhizosphere soil to promote effectiveness while increasing the growth cycles of continuous cropping. Full article

Accurate detection of muskmelon fruit ripeness is crucial to ensure fruit quality, optimize picking time, and enhance economic benefits. This study proposes an improved lightweight YOLO-RFEW model based on YOLOv8n, aiming to address the challenges of low efficiency in muskmelon fruit ripeness detection and the complexity of deploying a target detection model to a muskmelon picking robot. Firstly, the RFAConv replaces the Conv in the backbone part of YOLOv8n, allowing the network to focus more on regions with significant contributions in feature extraction. Secondly, the feature extraction and fusion capability are enhanced by improving the C2f module into a C2f-FE module based on FasterNet and an Efficient Multi-Scale attention (EMA) mechanism within the lightweight model. Finally, Weighted Intersection over Union (WIoU) is optimized as the loss function to improve target frame prediction capability and enhance target detection accuracy. The experimental results demonstrate that the YOLO-RFEW model achieves high accuracy, with precision, recall, F1 score, and mean Average Precision (mAP) values of 93.16%, 83.22%, 87.91%, and 90.82%, respectively. Moreover, it maintains a lightweight design and high efficiency with a model size of 4.75 MB and an inference time of 1.5 ms. Additionally, in the two types of maturity tests (M-u and M-r), APs of 87.70% and 93.94% are obtained, respectively, by the YOLO-RFEW model. Compared to YOLOv8n, significant improvements in detection accuracy have been achieved while reducing both model size and computational complexity using the proposed approach for muskmelon picking robots’ real-time detection requirements. Furthermore, when compared to lightweight models such as YOLOv3-Tiny, YOLOv4-Tiny, YOLOv5s, YOLOv7-Tiny, YOLOv8s, and YOLOv8n, the YOLO-RFEW model demonstrates superior performance with only 28.55%, 22.42%, 24.50%, 40.56%, 22.12%, and 79.83% of their respective model sizes, respectively, while achieving the highest F1 score and mAP values among these seven models. The feasibility and effectiveness of our improved scheme are verified through comparisons between thermograms generated by YOLOv8n and YOLO-RFEW as well as detection images. In summary, the YOLO-RFEW model not only improves the accuracy rate of muskmelon ripeness detection but also successfully realizes the lightweight and efficient performance, which has important theoretical support and application value in the field of muskmelon picking robot development. Full article

Melon pest management relies on the excessive application of pesticides. Reducing pesticide spraying has become a global issue for environmental sustainability and human health. Therefore, developing a new cropping system that is sustainable and eco-friendly is important. This study found that melon seedlings irrigated with ultrafine water containing H₂ and O₂ (UFW) produced more root hairs, increased shoot height, and produced more flowers than the control irrigated with reverse osmosis (RO) water. Surprisingly, we also discovered that UFW irrigation significantly reduced aphid infestation in melons. Based on cryo-scanning electron microscope (cryo-SEM) observations, UFW treatment enhanced trichome development and prevented aphid infestation. To investigate whether it was H₂ or O₂ that helped to deter insect infestation, we prepared UF water enrichment of H₂ (UF+H₂) and O₂ (UF+O₂) separately and irrigated melons. Cryo-SEM results indicated that both UF+H₂ and UF+O₂ can increase the density of trichomes in melon leaves and petioles. RT-qPCR showed that UF+H₂ significantly increased the gene expression level of the trichome-related gene GLABRA2 (GL2). We planted melons in a plastic greenhouse and irrigated them with ultrafine water enrichment of hydrogen (UF+H₂) and oxygen (UF+O₂). The SPAD value, photosynthetic parameters, root weight, fruit weight, and fruit sweetness were all better than the control without ultrafine water irrigation. UFW significantly increased trichome development, enhanced insect resistance, and improved fruit traits. This system thus provides useful water management for pest control and sustainable agricultural production. Full article

In nature, the fruit shapes of many plants resemble avian eggs, a form extensively studied as solids of revolution. Despite this, the hypothesis that egg-shaped fruits are themselves solids of revolution remains unvalidated. To address this, 751 Cucumis melo L. var. agrestis Naud. fruits were photographed, and the two-dimensional (2D) boundary coordinates of each fruit profile were digitized. Then, the explicit Preston equation (EPE), a universal egg-shape model, was used to fit the 2D boundary coordinates to obtain the estimates of the EPE’s parameters of each fruit. Under the hypothesis that egg-shaped fruits are solids of revolution, the fruit volumes were estimated using the solid of revolution formula based on the estimated EPE’s parameters. To test whether the fruits are solids of revolution, the fruit volumes were measured by using a graduated cylinder and compared with the estimated volumes using the solid of revolution formula. The EPE was demonstrated to be valid in describing the 2D profiles of C. melo var. agrestis fruits. There was a significant correlation between the measured fruit volumes using the graduated cylinder and the estimated fruit volumes using the solid of revolution formula based on the estimated EPE’s parameters. Acknowledging potential measurement errors, particularly fruit fuzz causing air bubbles during volume measurements, we recognize slight deviations between measured volumes and estimated values. Despite this, our findings strongly suggest that C. melo var. agrestis fruits are solids of revolution. This study contributes insights into the evolutionary aspects of fruit geometries in plants with egg-shaped fruits and introduces a practical tool for non-destructively calculating fruit volume and surface area based on photographed 2D fruit profiles. Full article

This paper presents a detailed design of a skid-steering mobile platform with four wheels, along with a Cartesian serial (PPP) manipulator. The aim of this design is to enable the platform to perform various tasks in the agricultural process. The parallel manipulator designed can handle heavy materials in the agricultural field. An experimental robotic harvesting scenario was conducted using parallel manipulator-based end-effectors to handle heavy fruits such as watermelon or muskmelon. The conceptual and component design of the different models was carried out using the Solidworks modeling package. Design specifications and parametric values were utilized during the manufacturing stage. The mobile manipulator was simulated on undulating terrain profiles using ADAMS software. The simulation was analyzed for a duration of 15 s, and graphs depicting the distance, velocity, and acceleration were evaluated over time. Proportional derivative control and proportional derivative-like conventional sliding surface control were applied to the model, and the results were analyzed to assess the error in relation to the input and desired variables. Additionally, a structural analysis was performed to ensure minimal deformation and the highest safety factor for the wheel shaft and L bracket thickness. Throughout the fabrication and prototype development, calibration tests were conducted at various X-, Y-, and Z-axis frame mounting stages. The objective was to minimize the lateral and longitudinal deviation between the parallel linear motion (LM) rails. Once the fabrication and prototype construction was completed, field testing was carried out. All mechanical movements in the lateral and longitudinal directions functioned according to the desired commands given by the Arduino Mega, controlled via a six-channel radio frequency (RF) controller. In the context of agriculture, the grippers utilizing parallel mechanisms were also subjected to testing, demonstrating their ability to handle sizable cylindrical and spherical fruits or vegetables, as well as other relevant objects. Full article