Vol. 74 No: 5

Title:
Yield and fruit quality of melon plants grown under saline conditions in relation to phosphate and calcium nutrition

Authors:
J.M. NAVARRO, M.A. BOTELLA and V. MARTINEZ

pp: 573-578

Abstract:
Melon plants were grown hydroponically in a greenhouse to investigate the interaction of phosphorus and Ca²⁺ under saline conditions on vegetative biomass production, yield and fruit quality. Two levels of Ca²⁺ (2 and 8 mM) were combined factorially with two levels of phosphate (0.2 and 1 mM) under two regimens of NaCl salinity (10 and 80 mM). The increase of Ca²⁺ concentration in the nutrient solution under saline conditions improved to the same extent vegetative growth and fruit yield. Parameters of fruit quality were affected by salinity, phosphorus and Ca²⁺ nutrition. Salinity increased fruit quality by increasing firmness, total sugars and total soluble solids (TSS). High Ca²⁺ treatment increased sucrose, fructose and glucose, this effect being greater under low salinity conditions than under high. In the two saline treatments, the highest concentration of sucrose in flesh was found at 0.2 mM of phosphate in the nutrient solution.

Full text: JHSB Subscribers     ISHS members & other users
(PDF 413184 bytes)

Translate:

Go back to previous page