The effects of nitrogen, boron, molybdenum and zinc applied as fertigation, and cattle manure applied to the soil, were evaluated on the yield and quality of melon (Cucumis melo) in two types of soils of the Submedio São Francisco River Valley, Brazil. Six experiments were carried out in 1998, 1999 and 2000, three being in a red yellow Latosoil in Petrolina, and three in a Vertisoil, in Juazeiro, in a randomized complete block design with four replications and nine treatments, as follows: 1. N1; 2. N2; 3. N3; 4. N1 + C.M.; 5. N2 + C.M.; 6. N2 + B + Mo + Zn; 7. N2 + B + Mo; 8. N2 + B + Zn, and 9. N2 + Mo + Zn, where N1, N2 and N3 represent, respectively, 0 or 30, 80 and 160 kg/ha of N; C.M. was 20 m³ ha-1 of manure; B = 1.1 kg ha-1; Mo = 0.4 kg ha-1, and Zn = 4 kg ha-1. Nitrogen and the micronutrients were applied through irrigation water. Melon yield showed response to nitrogen in the Latosoil in 1998 and in 2000, and in the Vertisoil in 1999. Higher significant yields were obtained with 80 kg ha-1 of N, varying among experiments from 32.0 to 40.2 t ha-1. Cattle manure caused significant increase only in yield in 1998 and in mean fruit weight in 2000 in the Vertisoil. Soluble solid contents in fruits increased with nitrogen application in the Latosoil in 2000. The micronutrients did not have significant effect on yield. In two years, mean fruit weight was higher in Vertisoil than in Latosoil.
Cucumis melo; fertilization; fertigation; yield; fruit quality
