Iarajane Bezerra do Nascimento

Estimativa da área foliar do meloeiro

The leaf area of the Gold Mine melon was estimated when submitted to irrigation water levels varying from 55% to 130% of the hydric necessity of the crop, utilizing low and high salinity water. One plant per plot was collected at 19; 26; 34; 40 and 50 days after sowing, obtaining data of length, width, total leaf area, number of leaves, and individual leaf areas up to 24 leaves per plant. The results indicated that a partial correlation between the total plant leaf area (AF) and the number of leaves (NF) exists, with r2 = 0.95**, and the regression equation AF = 108NF - 516, with r2 = 0.95. The comparison of the models showed that at least one relation between leaf width (L) and leaf area (AF) differentiated from the others, even though the relation that assumes the whole data set (AF=0,826L1,89; r2 = 0.97) has a high determination coefficient.

Produtividade e qualidade de frutos de melão em resposta à cobertura do solo com plástico preto e ao preparo do solo

The effect of black polyethylene mulch and soil tillage intensity was determined on yield and quality of drip irrigated melon. The field trial was carried out in Mossoro, Brazil. The experimental design was randomized complete block in a factorial scheme with three replications. Two soil tillage methods were evaluated (strip tillage or tillage of the entire area) and tillage depth (20; 30; 40 and 50 cm), with split plots with or without mulch. Fruits were classified in export type, internal market type and rejected, to determine total yield and the yield of each type, number of fruits and fruit mean weight. Pulp firmness, total soluble solids, pulp thickness and fruit shape were determined. Results showed a decrease in pulp firmness with black plastic mulch. Strip tillage did not influence any studied characteristic. Yield of both export type and internal market melons was influenced by tillage depth. While deep tillage increased yield of export type melons, it reduced internal market yield.

Pre-Harvest Application of Plant Biostimulant on the Quality and Shelf-Life of Yellow Melon (Cucumis melo L.)

The purpose this work was to evaluate the influence of pre-harvest application of plant biostimulant on the quality and shelf-life of melon. For this an experiment was established in the “Coopyfrutas”, located in Rio Grande do Norte state/Brazil. The treatments consisted of a combination of factors: melon cultivars (‘Goldex’ and ‘Iracema’) and pre-harvest application of plant biostimulant, Crop Set®, (with and without). At commercial maturity, some fruit of each treatment were sampled and analyzed and the others were stored in a cold chamber at 10±2 oC and 80±2% relative humidity. The experiment was arranged in a completely randomized split-plot design. The plots consisted of cultivars and Crop Set® application and subplots of different storage time (0, 14, 21, 28, and 35 days after harvest) with eight replications. The characteristics evaluated were length, diameter, internal cavity, external and internal appearance, weight loss, fresh firmness, soluble solids, titratable acidity, pH, SS/TA ratio, and total soluble sugars. Applications of plant biostimulant led to an increase in fruit length and diameter. It reduced fresh firmness and increased the pH of ‘Goldex’ fruit. The total soluble sugars reduced at 35 days of storage in the ‘Iracema’ fruit treated with plant biostimulant.