Do moderate salinity and harvest stages interfere with gas exchange and quality of yellow melon fruits?

Abstract

Salinity is one of the most limiting factors for agricultural productivity, as it affects both gas exchange and plant metabolism. However, with population growth and the constant search for alternatives to increase productivity, irrigation with water of moderate salinity appears to be feasible to enhance fruit cultivation in Brazil, especially in semi-arid regions, where most waters have high salt concentration and are the only available source for the producer. In this context, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of irrigation water salinity and harvest stages on gas exchange and post-harvest fruit quality of ‘Goldex’ yellow melon (Cucumis melo L.). The treatments consisted of two electrical conductivities of irrigation water (ECw - 0.8 and 4.0 dS m-1) and eight harvest stages (54, 56, 58, 60, 62, 64, 66, and 68 days after transplanting), arranged in a 2 × 8 factorial scheme and a completely randomized design. Under the salinity conditions imposed during the evaluation stages, the ‘Goldex’ yellow melon maintained its basic gas exchanges stable. The mass and number of fruits per plant were reduced by the salinity of the irrigation water, but the fruits continued to be classified as marketable, which makes irrigation with saline water up to 4.0 dS m-1 a viable alternative for the production of yellow melon, especially in regions where there is low availability of good quality water, which can enhance fruit growing in the semi-arid region.