GROWTH AND NUTRIENT ABSORPTION BY MUSKMELON CROP UNDER GREENHOUSE CONDITIONS

Authors:	L. Rincón Sánchez, J. Sáez Sironi, J.A. Pérez Crespo, R. Madrid
Keywords:	Cucumis melo, concentration, accumulation, fertirrigation
Abstract: The vegetative growth and nutrient uptake of muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.) cv. Toledo was studied and quantified under greenhouse conditions with a density of 0.5 plants m^-2. The plants were sampled, fractionated (leaves, stems, petioles and fruits), dried and weighed, and the macronutrient content was analyzed every 20–30 days during the 125 days after transplanting. Total dry matter production was 1.07 kg m^-2 of which 72.5 % belonged to the fruit. The leaf area index was 4.64 at 125 days post transplant, the highest leaf efficiency, expressed as net assimilation rate being observed between day 0 and 34. The amounts of nutrient absorbed by the crop expressed in g m^-2 for a total production of 4.65 kg m^-2 were as follows: 20.24 N, 3.39 P, 41.31 K, 16.26 Ca and 8.27 Mg. The highest amounts of N, P, K and Mg were accumulated in the fruit particulary during the period of maximum fruit production. Ca was principally accumulated in the leaves during the period of the greatest leaf growth.
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