EFFECT OF TIME OF SALINIZATION ON FLOWERING, YIELD AND FRUIT-QUALITY FACTORS IN MELON, CUCUMIS-MELO L

Emergence, flowering, yield and fruit quality factors were examined in three salinity treatments in melons. They were: (i) fresh water (electrical conductivity EC(w) = 1.2 dS/m) for germination and all growth; (ii) saline water (EC(w) = 6.5 dS/m) for germination and all growth; and (iii) fresh water for germination and initial growth and then saline water for subsequent growth. Three cultivars were examined, Galia, BG3 and BG5. Salinity did not affect the percent emergence or the number of hermaphrodite flowers in any of the cultivars, although the fresh water treatment produced slightly more staminate flowers. Salinity reduced both initial and total vegetative growth in all cultivars. Salinity also reduced mean fruit weight in the three cultivars, although not to the same degree. Salinity did not affect the number of fruit produced. Fruit constituent factors were for the most part unaffected by salinity. After emergence and initial growth, the two salinity treatments did not differ in vegetative growth, yield components or fruit quality. Both salt treatments pooled produced a mean fruit weight of 82% of control in 'Galia' versus 90 and 89% in cvs BG3 and BG5, respectively; thus cvs BG3 and BG5 were more salt tolerant than 'Galia'. From these results, we believe that a melon crop can be successfully grown using saline water throughout the growing period.