Use of plastic films on the soil for the cultivation of irrigated melon

Abstract

The aim of this study was the development of two cultivars of melon using different drip irrigation depths, in the absence or presence of plastic films buried at three soil depths. The experiment was conducted in an area with sandy soil using “10-00” and “Goldmine” cultivars. The experiment followed a split-split plot design, in randomized blocks, with three replicates. The treatments consisted of a combination of three irrigation levels (70; 85 and 100% of evapotranspiration) with the use of plastic films buried at depths of 0.2; 0.3 and 0.4 m, besides the treatment without the use of plastic film. It was found that the applied water depths did not significantly influence crop development and the use of plastics promoted no increase in the growth, gas exchange, productivity and fruit quality of the “10-00” and “Goldmine”.