Produção e qualidade do melão Hy-Mark sob doses e épocas de aplicação de bioestimulante à base de citocininas.

Abstract

Fruit vegetables are grown in all regions of Brazil. In the northeast, due to the favorable climatic and soil conditions, the melon presents high yield and fruit quality. The objective of this work was to evaluate the production and quality of the Hy-Mark melon under different times of application of biostimulant based on cytokinins. The experiment was carried out in an area located at the Federal University of Campina Grande (UFCG) of the Center for Agro-Food Science and Technology (CCTA), from december 2015 to february 2016. The treatments were allocated in a randomized complete block design subdivided plots of type 5 x 4, with four replications. In the plot, the biostimulant doses (0,0, 0,5, 1,0, 1,5 and 2,0 l.ha-1) and in the subplot of the application times of the product (15, 20, 25 and 30 days before harvest - DAC). The cultivar used was the Hy-Mark hybrid of the Cantaloupe group cultivated at 2,0 x 0,4 m spacing. The fruit production and quality characteristics were evaluated. The dose of biostimulant application was the only factor that significantly affected the floral biology, production and fruit quality of the melon. The best values for the number of fruits per plant, fresh fruit mass and productivity of 2.5 fruit per plant-1, 1.42 kg.fruit-1 and 42.35 Mg.ha-1 were obtained in the doses of 1,5, 0,9 and 1,4 l.ha-1 of biostimulant. The best yields for fruit number per plant, fresh fruit mass and total crop yield of 2,4 frutos.planta-1, 1,48 kg.fruit-1 and 44,58 Mg.ha-1 were obtained at the application times of 23,6, 22,5 and 23,1 days before harvest. The soluble solids content increased by 5,5% when using the dose of 2,0 l.ha-1 of biostimulant and 4,4% when the product was applied 30 days before harvest.