Production and Quality of Mini Watermelon Under Drip Irrigation With Brackish Water

Abstract

Watermelon plays an important role in Brazilian agribusiness. The objective of present study was to evaluate the effect of different irrigation managements and water salinity levels, on the main productive and postharvest characteristics of mini-watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) cv. ‘Sugar Baby’. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse in a completely randomized design, arranged in a 2 x 4 factorial scheme, with four replicates. The treatments consisted of two types of irrigation management (conventional and pulse) and four saline levels of nutrient solution of fertigation (2.5; 4.5; 5.5; 6.5 dS m-1). The control treatment corresponded to the electrical conductivity of the nutrient solution prepared with local supply water. The irrigation depth was calculated by the product of reference evapotranspiration and crop coefficient. The number of pulses were defined and fractionated according to the atmospheric demand. The salinity of the fertigation solution affects some variables of the production, but does not reduce the quality of the mini-fruit cv. ‘Sugar Baby’. The management of pulse irrigation shows better results in low salinity, while conventional drip management is more suitable for high salinity (6.5 dS m-1).

Production and post-harvest quality of mini-watermelon crop under irrigation management strategies and potassium fertilization

“…In addition, salt stress affects the fruit yield of crops because it causes changes in plant physiology in response to factors such as osmotic stress, ionic toxicity and nutritional imbalance (Negrão et al, 2017). Do Ó et al (2020), in a study evaluating the effect of pulse and drip irrigation management and water salinity levels (ECsol ranging from 2.5 to 6.5 dS m -1 ), on the productive and postharvest characteristics of Sugar Baby mini-watermelons, obtained fresh mass of 1,193 g of fruits in the plants cultivated under ECsol of 6.5, that is, a value higher than that used in the present study. It is worth mentioning that Do Ó et al (2020) used as substrate mixture of coconut fiber and bovine manure in the proportion of 3:1 (volume basis), which might have mitigated the action of the matric potential on the availability of water for the plants.…”

“…Several studies carried out with watermelons under conditions of salt stress highlighted the sensitive nature of the crop to the salinity of irrigation water (Sousa et al, 2016;Silva et al, 2020;Lima et al, 2020a). However, the effect of salt stress on plants may vary according to the stages of plant development, as well as fertilization management practices, irrigation and climatic conditions (Lemes et al, 2018).…”

“…However, the effect of salt stress on plants may vary according to the stages of plant development, as well as fertilization management practices, irrigation and climatic conditions (Lemes et al, 2018). Among the strategies that can minimize the deleterious effects of salt stress on plants, the use of saline water only in the tolerant phenological stages stands out (Silva et al, 2020;Lima et al, 2020b).…”