Scientia Horticulturae 102 (2004) 53–60

Effects of potassium levels on fruit quality of

muskmelon in soilless medium culture
Duo Lin1 , Danfeng Huang∗ , Shiping Wang
Department of Plant Science, College of Agriculture and Biology,
Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 201101, PR China
Accepted 2 December 2003

Abstract

Effects of potassium levels on fruit quality were evaluated on ‘Tiantian No. 1’ muskmelon (Cucumis
melo, cv. reticulatus Naud.) in soilless medium culture under a greenhouse. Three potassium levels,
K120 (insufficient), K240 (suitable), and K360 (excessive) in nutrient solution, which represent 120, 240,
and 360 mg l−1 of potassium (K), respectively, were applied. At potassium level of 240 mg l−1 , the
concentrations of total sugar, total soluble solids, glutamic acid, aspartic acid, alanine, and volatile ac-
etate components (n-amyl acetate, 2-butoxyethyl acetate) significantly increased in fruit flesh, which
should improve the taste and aroma of muskmelon. However, no significant difference in fruit appear-
ance or size was recorded among the treatments. Favorable quality of muskmelon in soilless medium
culture were achieved when potassium level was adjusted to near 240 mg l−1 in nutrient solution.
© 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Muskmelon; Potassium levels; Fruit quality; Soilless medium culture

1. Introduction

The taste and aroma of muskmelon (Cucumis melo, cv. reticulatus Naud.) depends on con-
centrations of sugars, total soluble solids (TSS), vitamins, aromatic substances, and amino
acids in fruit. Although sucrose concentration has been shown to be an important melon fruit
quality indicator (Wang et al., 1996), other factors including aroma and amino acid should
also be considered (Wang et al., 1996; Beaulieu and Grimm, 2001; Shalit et al., 2000).
Nutrient solution is a key determining factor of yield and quality of muskmelon in soilless
medium culture (Jung et al., 1994; Roh et al., 1995). Potassium, a well-known quality ele-
∗ Corresponding author. Tel.: +86-21-6478-7808; fax: +86-21-6478-7808.

E-mail addresses: linduo73@163.com (D. Lin), hdf@mail.sjtu.edu.cn (D. Huang).

1 Present address: Department of Horticulture, Laiyang Agricultural University, Laiyang 265200, Shandong

Province, PR China.

0304-4238/$ – see front matter © 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.scienta.2003.12.009
54 D. Lin et al. / Scientia Horticulturae 102 (2004) 53–60

ment, regulates activity of enzymes in plants (Suelter, 1970). Potassium increases photosyn-
thetic rate of chloroplasts (Dekov and Velichkov, 1992) and the translocation rate of photo-
synthate from leaves through phloem to storage tissue (Ashley and Goodson, 1972; Mengel,
1980), thereby improves fruit quality and yield (Hartz et al., 1999). Insufficient or exces-
sive potassium level adversely affects fruit quality (Trudel and Ozbun, 1971), grapevine
(Murisier et al., 1992), and Pistachio (Zeng and Brown, 2001). However, potassium levels
in previous nutrient solution culture studies varied considerably (156–316.64 ppm) (Tan
and Liu, 1996; Ma et al., 2001), and the optimal potassium level of nutrient solutions has
not yet been precisely investigated in soilless medium culture so as to produce high quality
fruit with excellent taste and aroma.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of potassium levels on sugar
accumulation during fruit development, on fruit weight, sucrose concentrations, amino
acids, and aromatic compounds at fruit ripeness stage, and to optimize potassium fertilizer
application.

2. Materials and methods

The experiment was carried out in a plastic greenhouse at College of Agriculture and
Biology, Shanghai Jiaotong University, China. ‘Tiantian No. 1’ muskmelon seeds were sown
in soilless medium (peat:perlite:vermiculite = 2:2:1, v/v/v) on 8 August 2001. Sixteen days
later, two seedlings per bag were transplanted to soilless medium bags (peat:perlite:slag =
1:1:1, v/v/v; each bag about 17 dm3 volume) with a density of 4 plants m−2 . Nutrient
solution was applied through a fertigation system with 800 ml per bag once every 2 days
before pollination, then 1000 ml per bag every day to 2 weeks before harvest, and thereafter
the nutrient solution was not applied until plants became obviously wilted.
A random block experimental design was used in this study with three replications, each
of 24 plants. Nutrient solutions K120 , K240 , and K360 , representing 120, 240, and 360 mg l−1
of potassium (K2 SO4 as K source), respectively, were applied. One liter of the nutrient solu-
tions also contained 944 mg Ca(NO3 )2 ·4H2 O, 114 mg NH4 H2 PO4 , 492 mg MgSO4 ·7H2 O,
32.5 mg EDTA–Fe, 2.86 mg H3 BO3 , 2.13 mg MnSO4 ·4H2 O, 0.22 mg ZnSO4 ·7H2 O,
0.08 mg CuSO4 ·5H2 O, and 0.02 mg (NH4 )6 Mo7 O24 ·4H2 O. Electrical conductivity (EC)
of the applied nutrient solutions were adjusted according to plant developmental stages:
EC = 1.35 ± 0.06 mS/cm (K120 ), 1.47 ± 0.13 mS/cm (K240 ), 1.57 ± 0.12 mS/cm (K360 )
from transplanting to pollination; EC = 1.75 ± 0.05 mS/cm (K120 ), 1.89 ± 0.06 mS/cm
(K240 ), 2.05 ± 0.09 mS/cm (K360 ) at fruit enlarging stage; EC = 2.19 ± 0.11 mS/cm (K120 ),
2.37 ± 0.09 mS/cm (K240 ), 2.77 ± 0.11 mS/cm (K360 ) at fruit ripening stage. On each plant
one fruit was retained.
Young muskmelon fruits with the same pollination date, same node, and similar fruit size,
were marked in each treatment. At 10, 20, 25, 30, 40, and 45 days after pollination, three
muskmelon fruits per treatment were sampled among the marked fruits. The fresh fruits
were peeled, cut, seeds removed, and the fruit flesh samples were homogenized in a blender.
Glucose, fructose, sucrose, and total sugar in the homogenized fruit flesh were measured by
the following method. An amount of 2 g homogenate was heated with 20 ml boiling distilled
water for 10 min to extract soluble sugars, 2 ml NaOH (1N) and 3 ml ZnSO4 (10%) were
 D. Lin et al. / Scientia Horticulturae 102 (2004) 53–60 55

added to the system to deposit protein and other compositions. The homogenate was made to
100 ml with distilled water, and took the filtrate as the sample of sugars. After respectively
mixing 2 ml filtered homogenate and 5 ml ferricyanide reagent (1 l reagent consisting of
6.60 g K3 Fe(CN)6 , 90 g NaHPO4 ·12H2 O, and 64 g Na2 CO3 ) in two tubes, one of the tubes
was heated in boiling water for 15 min, the other was placed in a thermostatic water bath
heater with 55 ◦ C for 30 min. Cool the both tubes to 25 ◦ C, then added 1 ml KI (20%),
5 ml ZnSO4 (3%, dissolution with acetic acid), and 0.1 ml soluble starch solution to the
compound (the color was blue). The compound was titrated with 0.005N Na2 S2 O3 to the
blue disappeared, and dosage was recorded:
A[1.12(a − c) − 1.3(a − b)][145 + (a − c)]
glucose (%) =
vn × 10 000
A[1.12(a − b) − 0.104(a − c)][166 + (a − b)]
fructose (%) =
vn × 10 000


A[143 + (a − c)](a − c)
sucrose (%) = 0.95 total sugar −
vn × 10 000
where A is the total dilution volume of sample, ν the volume for titration of sample, n
the fresh weight of sample, a the titration amount of ferricyanide reagent, b the titration
amount of 55 ◦ C tube, and c is the titration amount of 100 ◦ C tube. After mixed 10 ml filtered
homogenate and 1 ml HCl (1N), the tube was heated in boiling water for 10 min. Cool the
tube to 25 ◦ C, then added one drip phenolphthalein and NaOH (1N) to make the solution
color turning to rosiness, then the solution was made to 100 ml with distilled water. The
2 ml rosiness solution and 5 ml ferricyanide reagent were boiled in boiling water for 15 min,
then titrated as above. The titration amount of 0.005N Na2 S2 O3 to 5 ml ferricyanide reagent
was taken as control:
A[143 + (a − c)](a − c)
total sugar (%) =
vn × 5000
At harvest, 18 amino acid concentrations of fruit flesh were analyzed using a fully automated
amino acid analyzer ( Model 835-50, Hitachi Co.). An amount of 50 g of ripening fruit flesh
homogenate went through an extraction cartridge filled with HLB3cc (60 mg). Eluting by
n-pentane flow, the aromatic substances were collected. Then, the elution was concentrated
to 0.5 ml with K–D concentrator. Aromatic compounds were analyzed using a GC–MS
(TRACEMS, TherrnoFinnigan Co.), equipped with a DB-5 (30 m × 0.25 mm × 0.25 mm)
silica capillary column. The temperature conditions were initially set at 50 ◦ C for 3 min, then
increased 10 ◦ C/min to 240 ◦ C, and held at 240 ◦ C for 12 min. The detector temperature was
200 ◦ C. Mass range was recorded from m/z = 45 to m/z = 450, with an electron impact
ionization of 70 eV. The carrier gas was helium (1 ml/min). The components were identified
by comparison of mass spectra and retention time with data of GC–MS library and standard
samples. At harvest, Vitamin C, TSS (according to the method of Wang et al. (1996)), fruit
cheek diameter, fruit weight, and flesh thickness were also recorded.
Data were analyzed with SAS (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA). The means were
compared using the least significant difference (LSD) test. All analyses of significance
were made at the P < 0.05 level of significance.
56 D. Lin et al. / Scientia Horticulturae 102 (2004) 53–60

4
* Glucose 3.5
Frutose
3.5 3
3
2.5
Glucose(%)

Fructose(%)
2.5
2
2
1.5
1.5
1
1
0.5 0.5

0 0
7 14 21 28 35 42 49 56 7 14 21 28 35 42 49 56
Days after pollination (d) Days after pollination (d)

* *
8 12
Sucrose Total
7
10
6
8
Sucrose(%)

5
Total(%)

4 6
3
4
2
1 2

0 0
7 14 21 28 35 42 49 56 7 14 21 28 35 42 49 56
Days after pollination (d) Days after pollination (d)

Fig. 1. Changes in sugar concentrations in muskmelon fruits during development: (䊏) Glucose, Frutose, Sucrose
and Total Sugar Concentrations in K120 Treatment; (䉱) Glucose, Frutose, Sucrose and Total Sugar Concentrations
in K240 Treatment; (䉬) Glucose, Frutose, Sucrose and Total Sugar Concentrations in K360 Treatment. *Significant
difference by Duncan’s multiple range test (P < 0.05) for values within a line.

3. Results and discussion

During the early stages of development, glucose and fructose were the major forms
of sugar in muskmelon fruit. Both reached peaks at 28 days after pollination and then
declined rapidly as sucrose began to dramatically rise, becoming the major form of sugar
in ripe fruit (Fig. 1), consistent with the result reported by Wang et al. (1996). The trends

Table 1
Effects of potassium levels on fruit cheek diametera , weight, and quality of harvested muskmelon
Treatment Cheek diameter Fruit weight Flesh thickness TSS (%) Vitamin C
(cm) (kg) (cm) (mg per 100 g)
K120 10.59b a 0.77c a 3.12 a 11.68 b 7.74 b
K240 11.18 a 0.79 a 3.50 a 14.00 a 13.32 a
K360 10.96 a 0.77 a 3.48 a 12.53 ab 9.36 ab
a Cheek diameter means the average of two cheek diameter in vertical and horizontal directions.
b The mean of three replications.
c Significant difference by Duncan’s multiple range test (P < 0.05) for values within a column.
 D. Lin et al. / Scientia Horticulturae 102 (2004) 53–60 57

of sucrose accumulation in muskmelon fruit showed no significant difference among the

three treatments, except in maturity, with the highest in fruit of K240 treatment and lowest
in K120 treatment. Zhao et al. (2001) reported that sucrose accumulation in ripe fruit was
related to the activity of sucrose-metabolizing enzymes (acid invertase, neutral invertase,
sucrose synthase, and sucrose phosphate synthase). An amount of 240 mg l−1 potassium
concentration increased the sucrose accumulation in fruit, maybe through the control of
enzyme activities and ATP formation. Effects of potassium level on these enzymes activity
should be studied further. At harvest, no significant differences in fruit cheek diameter, fruit
weight, or flesh thickness were recorded among all three treatments (Table 1), opposite
to results of Zeng and Brown (2001), stating significant yield difference with potassium
level, which may be a result of cultivar and potassium level differences. In the fruit flesh,
an abundance of glutamic acid, aspartic acid, alanine, glycine, serine, threonine, isoleucine,
phenylalanine, valine, leucine, and proline were detected (Table 2). Glutamic acid, aspartic
acid, and alanine were the major amino acids, accounting for about 51% of total amino acids.
The total amino acid concentrations of both K240 and K360 treatments were significantly
higher than that of the K120 treatment. Glutamic acid and threonine concentrations were
the highest in fruits of the K240 treatment. There were no significant differences between
the aspartic acid, alanine, serine, phenylalanine, and proline concentrations in fruits of
the K240 and K360 treatments, but significantly higher than those of the K120 treatment. It
is well known that amino acids have a significant effect on food taste. Tao et al. (1990)
indicated that amino acids were an important contributory factor to melon taste. Glycine,
alanine, serine, and threonine increased fruit flesh sweetness. Aspartic acid and glutamic
acid increased freshness. Arginine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, methionine, and histidine
increased bitterness. The other amino acids changed the taste slightly. To evaluate the
influence of the potassium applied, on fruit taste through amino acids, the combination
of amino acids should be considered. The freshness amino acids concentrations of K240
treatment were significantly higher than those of other treatments. The concentrations of
sweetness amino acids were the lowest in K120 treatment. Further, no significant difference
in bitterness amino acids was recorded among the three treatments (Table 2). This indicated
that 240 mg l−1 potassium in nutrient solution improved fruit quality through increasing the
concentrations of freshness and sweetness amino acids.
In our study, 19 aromatic compounds were identified in fruit flesh, including acetates,
esters, alcohols, hydrocarbons, and acids (unpublished data). Allyl mercaptan and nonadien
were at very low concentration (unpublished data), different from the results reported by
Homatidou et al. (1992) with melon. Nonadien and phthalic acid diisobutyl ester were
detected in ripe fruits, not reported previously, might be due to differences of muskmelon
varieties and distilling methods. Although the aroma components of melon are not yet clearly
established, the acetates are regarded as typical aroma compounds (Badei and Faheid, 1998;
Shalit et al., 2000). An amount of 240 mg l−1 potassium in nutrient solution was beneficial
for the accumulation of acetates and ester, especially for n-amyl acetate, 2-butoxyethyl
acetate, and benzyl acetic acid ester (Table 3). Our results also showed that there was
positive correlation between the concentration of aroma and total sugar (raroma total sugar =
0.8887∗∗ ), similar to a previous report (Shalit et al., 2000).
Our data suggested that muskmelon fruit quality could be improved by providing a potas-
sium level above 120 mg l−1 but below 360 mg l−1 in nutrient solution through increased
 58
D. Lin et al. / Scientia Horticulturae 102 (2004) 53–60
Table 2
Effects of potassium levels on amino acid concentrations (g per 100 g DW) in muskmelon fruit at harvest
Treatment GLU ASP ALA GLY SER THR ILE PHE VAL LEU PRO Others Total

K120 0.54a c 0.40b b 0.59 b 0.18 a 0.13 b 0.12 c 0.16 a 0.14 b 0.2 a 0.25 a 0.14 b 0.24 b 3.09 b
K240 0.83 a 0.46 a 0.62 ab 0.2 a 0.19 a 0.17 a 0.16 a 0.16 ab 0.2 a 0.24 a 0.17 a 0.25 b 3.65 a
K360 0.73 b 0.44 ab 0.65 a 0.2 a 0.18 a 0.15 b 0.16 a 0.17 a 0.21 a 0.26 a 0.16 ab 0.36 a 3.67 a
GLU: glutamic acid; ASP: aspartic acid; ALA: alanine; GLY: glycine; SER: serine; THR: threonine; ILE: isoleucine; PHE: phenylalanine; VAL: valine; LEU: leucine;
PRO: proline.
a The mean of three replications.
b Significant difference by Duncan’s multiple range test (P < 0.05) for values within a column.
 D. Lin et al. / Scientia Horticulturae 102 (2004) 53–60
Table 3
Effects of potassium levels on aroma component concentrations (mg per 100 ml) in muskmelon fruit at harvest
Treatment n-Amyl 2-Butoxyethyl Benzyl Benzyl acetic Nonadien Acetic acid Cinnamic Phthalic acid Total
acetate acetate acetate acid ester phenethyl ester acid diisobutyl ester
K120 2.78a c 2.03b b 1.14 ab 3.35 b 0.99 a 0.55 a 0.29 b 0.34 b 11.48 c
K240 5.09 a 2.97 a 1.27 a 4.40 a 1.23 a 0.87 a 0.79 a 0.86 a 17.48 a
K360 4.08 b 2.25 b 1.08 b 4.27 a 0.81 a 0.53 a 0.40 a 0.41 b 13.83 b
a The mean of two repetitions.
b Significant difference by Duncan’s multiple range test (P < 0.05) for values within a column.

59
60 D. Lin et al. / Scientia Horticulturae 102 (2004) 53–60

sugar accumulation, by raising the concentrations of amino acids and aroma components at
harvest. There were no significant effects of potassium level in the range of 120–360 mg l−1
on appearance or yield of fruit. Thus, the optimal potassium level in nutrient solution may
be near 240 mg l−1 for growing muskmelon in soilless medium culture.

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