The experiment was carried out inside a greenhouse at UFSM, from August to January 2005, using the hybrid Magelan. Planting was made in polyethylene bags with 4.5dm3 of the commercial substrate Plantmax PXT®, in a plant density of 3.3 plants m-2. Plants were vertically trained with two fruits per plant and the main stem was cut at 2m height. Treatments were N concentrations of 8 (T1), 11 (T2), 14 (T3), 17 (T4) and 20 (T5) mmol L-1 in the nutrient solution. The other nutrients were supplied at standard concentrations of, in mmol L-1, 0.9 H2PO4-; 2.25 SO4--; 10.0 Ca++; 6.0 K+ and 5.0 Mg++, and, in mg L-1, 0.42 Mn; 0.26 Zn; 0.05 Cu; 0.50 B; 0.04 Mo, and 4.82 of quelated Fe. The nutrient solution was delivered to plants several times a day, in order to replace volumes lost by transpiration, with a daily drainage coefficient higher than 30%. A randomized experimental design was used, with five treatments and four replications. Linear effect of treatments was observed for vegetative and fruit dry mass, leaf area, number and fruit yield. Fruit titratable acidity decreased by effect of treatments and no significant effects were observed for other fruit quality variables. The nitrogen concentration till 20mmol L-1 in the nutrient solution could be used in the fertigation of this crop grown in substrate.
Cucumis melo; fertigation; substrate; soilless culture
