The region of Mossoró, RN, Brazil, underwent increasing problems with soil salinity and melon crop yields, mainly in areas with intense evaporation, deficient drainage and inadequate fertilizer use. With this concern, dry mass accumulation in different muskmelon plant organs was evaluated in a trial combining different irrigation water salinity levels and crop growth stages. The experiment was conducted in completely randomized block design with split plot arrangement, having four replications. Five irrigation water salinity levels (0.54, 1.48, 2.02, 3.03 and 3.90 dS m-1) were kept in main plots while the sub plots were assigned to four plant growth stages, represented by sampling during the stages of initial growth, full flowering, full frutification and harvesting stage (15, 30, 45 and 60 days after transplanting, respectively). Growth parameters were all influenced by irrigation water salinity. Water salinity affects the specific leaf area and shoot dry mass varied according to plant growth stage. Variables most affected by irrigation water salinity were leaf area and fruit dry mass, with decrease of 28.9 and 24.6%, respectively. The higher dry mass accumulation of "Pele de Sapo" muskmelon occurred between 30 and 45 days after transplanting.
Cucumis melo L.; dry mass; electrical conductivity
