Produção e qualidade de frutos de melão submetido a adubação orgânica e mineral em ambiente protegido

Abstract

Melon (Cucumis melo L.) is of great importance for Brazilian agriculture, but its cultivation is still little studied, especially with regard to fertilization. Melon cultivation in an organic system has been gaining ground in cultivation areas, minimizing expenditure on agricultural inputs through organic inputs. Thus, the influence of organic and mineral fertilization on the production and quality of melon fruits grown in a greenhouse, in the municipality of Porto Grande, State of Amapá, was studied. The experimental design was in randomized blocks, with four treatments: T0 = control; T1 = organic fertilizer (chicken manure); T2 = organic fertilizer + chemical fertilizer and T3 = chemical fertilizer (NPK in the formulation: 10-28-20). The blocks were formed by four lines 5.0 m long by 4 m wide. A spacing of 1.0 m between lines and 0.5 m between plants was used, totaling 10 plants per line and 40 replications per block. Sowing was carried out in 150 ml plastic cups, containing earthworm humus as substrate. Fifteen days after germination, the melon was transplanted into plastic mulching, as a type of soil cover helping to control weeds and soil moisture was maintained using the drip irrigation system. The melon fruits were harvested 60 days after transplanting, analyzing parameters such as: fruit length; fruit diameter; fruit weight and soluble solids content (°Brix). The only treatment that did not differ from the others was the control, the other treatments are the same. Organic fertilization promotes greater production and quality of melon fruits, compared to the control treatment, grown in a protected environment under the plastic mulching system. Organomineral fertilizer has potential for melon production.