QUALIDADE DE MUDAS DE MELÃO PRODUZIDAS EM DIFERENTES SUBSTRATOS

Abstract

The aim of this paper was to evaluate the development of melon seedlings grown in different substrates. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse covered with 25% screen, at the Department of Technology and Social Sciences -DTCS of the University of the State of Bahia / UNEB, Juazeiro-BA, from July to August 2005. It was used a completely randomized experimental design with six treatments and four replications, each one consisted of 50 seedlings. The treatments composed of the substrates: Plantmax HT©; soil; sterilized soil; sugarcane residue; sugarcane residue + soil (1:1) and sugarcane residue + urea. Polystyrene trays of 200 cells were used as containers, where seeds of the AF882 melon cultivar. We sowed at 1 cm depth, using one seed per cell. The emergence percentage, average emergence time and average emergence velocity were determined. Fourteen days after sowing were evaluated seedling height, shoot and toot fresh and dry masses leaf area and chlorophyll content. The results allow one to conclude that the commercial substrate Plantmax HT© and the sterilized soil were those that provided the best melon seedlings formation.