Estudo do manejo da cultura do melão submetida à diferentes frequências de irrigação e fertirrigação com N e P

Abstract

The melon is the main vegetable crop exported by the Brazilian state of Ceará, and also an important income (and job) generator for the reg ion. On the other hand, the Ceará melon producers, not only lack government incentives, they also face unfair competition from international producers, mainly Spanish and Turkish, which receive (from their respective governments) large financial and tax i ncentives. Therefore, local producers need information on tools (or techniques) to promote the efficient use of production inputs, increasing their competitiveness. A good example of this class of demanded information is information on how to improve irrigation management and fertigation. Considering this, our study was aimed at evaluating the effects of different irrigation frequencies and the effects of nitrogen and phosphorus fertigation on the physical and production characteristics of yellow melon. The experiment was conducted at the Paraguay farm, at the Cruz municipality, Ceará (02 ° 54'24, 55'' S, 40 ° 24'20, 51'' W, 19 m), from October 10th to December 15th, 2010. The culture used in the experiments was the hybrid Canarian Kobayashi melon. The ir rigation system used in the experiment was of the localized, drip irrigator type, with drip hoses presenting integrated emitters spaced 0.40 m apart. On experiment I , six irrigation frequencies were evaluated: daily (50% in the morning and 50% on the afternoon – 1DMA), daily (100% on the morning - 1DM), daily (100% on the afternoon – 1DA), every two days by morning (2DM), every three days in the morning (3DM) and every four days in the morning (4DM). On experiment II, six nitrogen fertigation frequenci es were evaluated: two (2F), four (4F), eight (8F); sixteen (16F): thirty - two (32F) and sixty - four (64F) fertigations during the culture cycle. On experiment III, six phosphorus fertigation frequencies were evaluated: two (2F), four (4F), eight (8F); sixt een (16F): thirty - two (32F) and sixty - four (64F) fertigations during the culture cycle. Delineation was randomized block design with four replications. A simplified economic analysis was also performed, for all three experiments. In the experiment with irr igation frequencies, the variables fruit weight, marketable yield, polar diameter, equatorial diameter and pulp thickness were influenced by the irrigation frequency. Conducting a study with only the irrigation periods, it was found that the variables aver age fruit weight, marketable yield, polar diameter, equatorial diameter, pulp thickness and peel thickness were influenced by treatments, and only those who had daily irrigation recorded net positive revenue. In the experiment with nitrogen fertigation fr equencies, the variables marketable yield, polar diameter, equatorial diameter, total soluble solids, pulp thickness and firmness were influenced by treatments, and only the 32F and 64F treatments had positive net income. In the experiment with the phosph orus fertigation frequencies, no analyzed variable was influenced by the treatments, and they all had net positive income. According to the results, it is concluded that the phosphorus fertigation frequency may be carried out according to its availability to the producer. As to the case of the nitrogen fertigation, the 64F treatment was the most appropriate, and the daily irrigation frequency showed the best results.