An experiment was carried out at Embrapa Hortaliças in Brasília, Brazil, from April to August 2001 to evaluate calcium application methods on muskmelon (Cucumis melo var. reticulatus), hybrid Galileo, Galia type, on greenhouse cultivation. The experimental design was of randomized blocks, with six treatments and four replications. There were five calcium applications: liming and 30; 80; 130; 180 kg ha-1 Ca rates in fertigation with calcium nitrate and a control treatment with no Ca. The calcium application increased the marketable yield by 35% and the number of fruits by 27% compared to control. These results suggest that even for soils with relatively high Ca content, there is a need for calcium application either in pre-plant or in fertigation. The fertigation treatments average (4.7 kg m-2) did not differ (p>0,05) from liming (4.2 kg m-2). Therefore, the application of calcium in fertigation was as efficient as in liming. The maximum yield of 5.1 kg m-2 was obtained at 115 kg ha-1 Ca rate. Calcium fertigation with 80 and 130 kg ha-1 of Ca presented the highest profitability. No effects were observed on the average fruit weight and nutrient concentration in leaves.
Cucumis melo L. var. reticulatus; drip irrigation; liming; fertigation
