INFLUENCE OF THE VOLUME AND SALINITY OF IRRIGATION WATER ON WINTER MELON (CUCUMIS MELO INODORUS NAUD) GROWN UNDER PLASTIC TUNNEL

     The use of saline water has depressive effects on many crops and therefore it can be a major problem in those area of the Mediterranean region were vegetables are extensively grown and shortage of good quality water is very common. Plug type transplants of the Sicilian winter melon landrace ‘Cartucciaro’ were set in polyethylene tunnels at Trapani in the Western coast of Sicily. Three volumes of irrigation water (20, 30, 40 litres of water per plant) at four salinity levels (control, 2, 4, 6 ‰ NaCl) were compared. Water was provided by a single application 50 days after transplanting. The vegetative parameters at 60 and 70 days after transplanting were slightly influenced by the treatments tested. At 80 days after transplanting plant length was positively affected by increasing the amount of irrigation water, but was significantly reduced as salinity increased. Plants irrigated with 40 litres of saline water gave higher early and total yields, and fruits of better quality than those irrigated with lower volumes of good quality water.

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