Net melon performance as affected by the drip irrigation depth and mulching

Abstract

The modern techniques of water supply through irrigation can substantially reduce water waste, which contributes to attend the enlarging water demand. The objective of this work was to study the influence of subsurface drip irrigation and mulching over melon yield and quality characteristics, in a sandy soil (Typic Hapludox). The experimental design was blocks at random, with four replications. Treatments were displayed in a 2 x 3 factorial (with and without mulching x surface and 0.20 and 0.40 depth subsurface drip irrigation). Mulching using double-sided silver/black film increased fruit average mass, plant production, yield, daily growth rate for plant height and crown diameter, fruit distal diameter, and pulp thickness. The subsurface drip irrigation at 0.20 m depth resulted in larger fruit average mass, plant production, and yield than surface and 0.40 m depth drip irrigation.

Vegetative and productive responses of tabasco pepper to fertigation and plastic mulching

“…The SC treatment increased PGR by 21.8 % and 23.8 %, respectively, in sandy loam soil and by 28.2 %, 22.4 %, 5.8 %, 7.5 %, and 4.7 % in loamy soil. In the same cultivation environment, Monteiro et al (2008) observed that plastic mulching increased PGR in melon by at least 42 % compared to plants grown in the soil without mulching. According to Haynes (1987), increases in plant growth from mulching could be attributed to changes in soil and air temperatures, soil water balance, and nutrient availability.…”

“…The beneficial effects of mulching on PGR could be explained by the greater flow of capillary water in the loamy soil in relation to the sandy loam, since capillarity favors greater evaporation of soil water. Monteiro et al (2008), in a similar cultivation trial with a different crop, reported more pronounced effect of mulching on sandy loam and attributed this result to higher saturated hydraulic conductivity of the sandy loam soil compared to the loamy soil.…”

Resposta do meloeiro à fertigação controlada através de íons da solução do solo: desenvolvimento vegetativo

“…Para o nitrogênio, o efeito foi negativo, ou seja, diminuiu até atingir um ponto mínimo, aumentando posteriormente; já para o potássio, o efeito foi positivo, aumentando com as concentrações de potássio na solução do solo até atingir um ponto de máximo. O efeito simultâneo de crescimento para um fator e decrescimento para outro, resulta em um ponto crítico que não é máximo nem mínimo; com isto, os valores dos fatores que tornam máxima a função, é a manutenção de 336 mg L -1 de nitrogê-nio e 18 mg L -1 de potássio na solução do solo, cujo valor é da ordem de 0,91 m. Monteiro et al (2008) estudando a influência do gotejamento subterrâneo e do "mulching" plástico na cultura do melão em ambiente protegido encontraram, para o solo de textura argilosa aos 29 dias após o transplantio, alturas de planta variando de 0,62 a 1,17 m; já Vásquez (2003) testando o efeito da fertigação com diferentes doses de potássio e lâ-minas de irrigação em gotejamento superficial e subsuperficial encontrou, para as doses de potássio estudadas, alturas médias de planta variando de 0,46 a 0,65 m aos 24 dias após o transplantio e de 0,60 a 0,81 m aos 31 dias após o transplantio; por outro lado, Rizzo et al (2000) encontraram altura média das plantas aos 45 dias após o transplantio de 1,59 m.…”

Water and nutrient productivity in melon crop by fertigation under subsurface drip irrigation and mulching in contrasting soils

“…ROCKSTRÖM & BARRON (2007), GEERTS & RAES (2009) considered the concept of water productivity to be important and warned that due to the current development policy adopted in the world, the pressure on water resources for food production will increase, and water consumption will reach 5.600km 3 year -1 in 2050, three times the amount of water used currently for irrigation worldwide. Given this scenario, water use effi ciency is a requirement for irrigators (MONTEIRO et al, 2007;DIAS et al, 2012;MONTEIRO et al, 2008a;MONTEIRO et al, 2008b).…”