Effect of transplanting on the growth of muskmelons,and the redistribution of nitrogen absorbed in the nursery

Transplanting muskmelon seedlings from the nursery to the greenhouse did not reduce the rate of increase of total dry weight, leaf area, amount of nitrogen (N) or photosynthetic activity, but N content on a dry-weight base first decreased and then increased. Therefore, transplanting does not necessarily cause a decline of the growth rate of the seedlings. Such a decline may depend on the nitrogenous conditions at the time of transplanting.In an ¹⁵N labelling-experiment, N incorporated into the leaves was actively redistributed to the younger leaves, and N absorbed in the nursery period is thought to be important for growth immediately after transplanting.