A intensa evaporação, deficiência em drenagem e uso inadequado de fertilizantes têm aumentado os problemas com a salinidade, ocasionando prejuízos no rendimento das culturas. Objetivou-se avaliar a produção e qualidade do meloeiro em função do osmocondicionamento da semente e níveis de salinidade da água. O experimento foi realizado no delineamento de blocos casualizados em parcelas subdivididas do tipo 4 x 2, com quatro repetições. A parcela foi composta por quatro níveis de salinidade da água (0,3, 1,0, 1,7 e 2,4 dS m-1) e nas sub parcelas de plantas oriundas de sementes osmocondicionadas (tratadas e não tratadas com solução salina de NaCl). A cultivar utilizada foi a Rangers do grupo Cantaloupe, cultivada no espaçamento de 2,0 x 0,4 m. As características avaliadas foram relacionadas à produção e qualidade dos frutos de melão. O osmocondicionamento das sementes em solução de NaCl afetou os componentes de produção do meloeiro em que a massa do fruto foi maior em plantas advindas de sementes tratadas com NaCl. A massa do fruto contribuiu mais do que o número de frutos por planta na formação da produtividade da cultura e que essa diferença foi significativa apenas em condições de baixa salinidade da água de 0,3 dS m-1. A qualidade do fruto do meloeiro não foi alterada pelo osmocondicionamento da semente com NaCl e plantas irrigadas com água de salinidade de 2,4 dS m-1 reduziram sua produção e qualidade de frutos de melão.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the productivity and quality of a melon crop treated with fruit thinning and main stem pruning under field conditions. Experimental Design: The treatments comprised the amount of fruit thinning in the plant (one, two and without thinning) and the period of main stem pruning (35, 40, 45 and 50 days after transplanting -DAT). The crop was set up in a randomized block design factorial of type 3x4, with five replications. Location and Duration of the Study: The experiment carried out at Methodology: The Hopey King hybrid of the Cantaloupe group was cultivated at a spacing of 2.0 x 0.4 m. Results: The plants without thinning of fruits provided lower values of leaf area and fruits of lower mass. However, due to their higher quantity per hectare, the crop total productivity was high. On the other hand, plants with fewer fruits had the highest values of soluble solids, total and non-reducing soluble sugars. The leaf area, fruit mass, total productivity, and the concentration of reducing and non-reducing soluble sugars were higher when the plants were pruned at 35 DAT. Conclusion: The fruit thinning and main stem pruning affected the production and quality of melon fruits significantly. For more demanding markets, we recommend to treat the plants with one or two fruits and prune at 35 days after transplantation, aiming to enhance the quality variables.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the productivity and quality of melon fruits as a function of the dose and time of application of biostimulant in the conditions of the semi-arid region of Paraíba. The experiment was carried out at the Federal University of Campina Grande, campus of Pombal - PB, Brazil, in a randomized block design in a 4 x 5 split plot scheme, with doses of biostimulant (0; 0.5; 1.0; 1, 5 and 2.0 L ha-1) and in the subset of the biostimulant application times (15; 20; 25 and 30 days before harvest - DAC), in four replications. Characteristics related to fruit production and quality were evaluated. There was no interaction between the factors of dose and application time of the biostimulant in any of the evaluated characteristics. Thus, the highest estimated values of number of fruits per plant, fruit mass and total melon production were obtained with the application of doses ranging from 0.9 to 1.5 L ha-1 and at the time of application it varied from 22,5 to 23.6 DAC. The content of soluble solids increased 5.5% when the biostimulant dose of 2.0 L ha-1 was used and 4.4% when the product was applied 15 days before harvest.