NUTRIÇÃO DE CULTIVARES DE MELOEIRO IRRIGADAS COM ÁGUAS DE BAIXA E ALTA SALINIDADE

Abstract

The State of Rio Grande do Norte is the largest exporter of muskmelons in Brazil and producers, in general, use irrigation water of different levels of salinity (ECw). However, in the region there is little information available on the effect of salinity of the water on the absorption of nutrients by the melon crop. Therefore, objective of this research was to study the extraction and accumulation of nutrients to in two varieties of melon (Orange Flesh and Goldex), irrigated with water of low (0.80 dS m-1) and high (3.02 dS m-1) salinity. The study was conducted from October to December, 2003, in Red Latosol of medium texture at the Fazenda Santa Julia (Latitude 5o 02' 0,0" S, Longitude 37o 22" 33,6" WGr.), in the municipality of Mossoró, RN, Brazil. The experimental design adapted was in random blocks with four replications. Largest accumulation of dry matter was found in the fruit in the aerial part after 63 days of sowing, representing 59.17% and 74.53 (Orange Flesh and Goldex) in the condition of low electrical conductivity (0.80 dS m-1) and 70.50 and 67.27% in cultivars Orange Flesh and Goldex, respectively, for high electrical conductivity (3.02 dS m-1). The application of saline water (3.02 dS m-1) reduces the content of potassium in cultivar Goldex by 39%.