Abstract

MONGE-PEREZ, José Eladio  and  LORIA-COTO, Michelle. Effect of the supplementary foliar application of calcium on melon (Cucumis melo L.) production. Tecnología en Marcha [online]. 2020, vol.33, n.4, pp.89-102. ISSN 0379-3982.  http://dx.doi.org/10.18845/tm.v33i4.4556.

The effect of supplementary foliar application of calcium on production of Amarillo type melon cv. Natal F-1, was evaluated in Lepanto, Puntarenas. Evaluated treatments were: JMX-Ca (4,22 kg CaO/ha), JMX-Ca (2,41 kg CaO/ha), Manvert-Ca (4,22 kg CaO/ha), and control (water). The harvest started 58 days after transplant (dat) for all treatments. Data show an important variability among treatments with respect to number of exportable fruits per linear meter (1,79 - 2,06), exportable yield (13638 - 16126 kg/ha), exportable production (1318 - 1556 boxes/ha), mean fruit weight (1364,3 - 1433,0 g), percentage of total soluble solids (10,90 - 11,88 °Brix), fruit flesh firmness (26,94 - 28,38 N), maximum downy mildew (Pseudoperonospora cubensis) severity at 50 dat (3,83 - 4,17; 1-5 scale), and plant collapse incidence at 58 dat (0 - 1,85 %). Differences between treatments were significant only for the percentage of total soluble solids; JMX-Ca at 4,22 kg CaO/ha rendered the highest value for this characteristic (11,88 °Brix) compared to JMX-Ca at 2,41 kg CaO/ha and Manvert-Ca at 4,22 kg CaO/ha (10,90 and 11,15 °Brix). But the difference was not significant compared to the control treatment (11,45 °Brix). In conclusion, there is no economical justification for the supplementary foliar application of calcium under the growing conditions of the trial.

Keywords : Cucumis melo; melon; fruit weight; °Brix; fruit flesh firmness; yield; quality; Pseudoperonospora cubensis.

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