Aiming to evaluate the efficiency of natural phosphates in melon organic cropping under irrigation, two experiments were carried out in Petrolina-PE, one in a Yellow Argisol (PA) and other in a Grey Argisol (PAC). The evaluated treatments were: 1 - without P, 2 - 50 kg ha-1 of P2O5 as triple super phosphate (TS), 3 - 100 kg ha-1 of P2O5 as TS, 4 - 150 kg ha-1 of P2O5 as TS, 5 - 100 kg ha-1 of P2O5 as thermo phosphate, 6 - 100 kg ha-1 of P2O5 as natural phosphate of Gafsa and 7 - 100 kg ha-1 of P2O5 as natural phosphate Fosbahia. The melon crop showed similar responses to the P application in both soils, whose maximum productivities of 26.00 t ha-1 and 25.46 t ha-1 were obtained with 107.6 kg ha-1 and 118.6 kg ha-1 of P2O5 in PA and PAC, respectively. The efficiency of thermo phosphate, phosphate of Gafsa and Fosbahia in relation to TS assumed the sequence of 86.2%, 77.1% and 71.9% in PA and 101.5%, 72.3% and 67.3% in PAC. These results suggest that thermo phosphate is the most appropriated phosphate source to be used in the melon organic cropping. It is necessary 843.12 kg of thermo phosphate to produce 25 t ha-1 of melon fruit that represent 3.4% of the production cost.
Cucumis melo; phosphorus level; phosphate efficiency; fertilization; irrigation; economic analysis
