YIELD AND QUALITY OF MELON FRUITS AS A RESPONSE TO THE APPLICATION OF NITROGEN AND POTASSIUM DOSES

Abstract

There is an interest in the knowledge about the fertilizing requirements of melon crops, explored at Pólo Agroindustrial Assú/Mossoró/Baraúnas, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, aiming at obtaining high productivity levels for quality fruits, reducing fertilizer wastes, and decreasing environmental degradation. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of applications of nitrogen (urea) and potassium doses (potassium chloride) on yield and quality of Gold Mine, yellow melon fruits under drip irrigation. Nitrogen doses (0, 50, 100, and 150 kg N ha-1) were combined in a factorial arrangement with potassium doses (0, 50, 100, and 150 kg K2O ha-1) and applied in a randomized complete block design with five replications. Nitrogen increased the number and total mass of fruits, number of marketable melon fruits, and fruit length/width shape ratio; decreased pulp firmness; but did not change pulp total soluble solids content. These effects were independent from potassium doses, which did not influence the evaluated characteristics.