BACKGROUND: At harvest time, melon quality is related to internal and external parameters, which are very important for consumer attractiveness and marketable yield too. Several agronomic factors can affect the quality of melon fruits and among them mineral availability may play a significant role. Therefore the aim of the work is to investigate the effect of phosphorus fertigation on melon fruit (Cucumis melo L.) qualitative characteristics, as fruit size and yield, pulp color and firmness, aroma and taste, as well as the accumulation of bioactive antioxidant compounds, namely phenols and carotenoids, and their antiradical properties. RESULTS: Results allowed to extrapolate the optimal P doses to be used for melon fertigation, to achieve high yield and fruit quality characteristics. From modelling the optimal P dose which allowed to maximize yield resulted around 257 kg P2O5 ha-1, even if the quality indices related to the carotenoids content, texture and color of the flesh melon were not significantly different between samples fertigated with the two highest levels tested. CONCLUSION: It can be assumed that the level of 200 kg P2O5 ha-1 would be a good compromise between optimization of the agronomic performance and the melon fruit quality.
Influence of phosphorus management on melon (Cucumis melo L.) fruit quality
MARTUSCELLI, MARIA
;DI MATTIA, CARLA DANIELA;STAGNARI, FABIO;SPECA, STEFANO;PISANTE, MICHELE;MASTROCOLA, Dino
2016-01-01
Abstract
BACKGROUND: At harvest time, melon quality is related to internal and external parameters, which are very important for consumer attractiveness and marketable yield too. Several agronomic factors can affect the quality of melon fruits and among them mineral availability may play a significant role. Therefore the aim of the work is to investigate the effect of phosphorus fertigation on melon fruit (Cucumis melo L.) qualitative characteristics, as fruit size and yield, pulp color and firmness, aroma and taste, as well as the accumulation of bioactive antioxidant compounds, namely phenols and carotenoids, and their antiradical properties. RESULTS: Results allowed to extrapolate the optimal P doses to be used for melon fertigation, to achieve high yield and fruit quality characteristics. From modelling the optimal P dose which allowed to maximize yield resulted around 257 kg P2O5 ha-1, even if the quality indices related to the carotenoids content, texture and color of the flesh melon were not significantly different between samples fertigated with the two highest levels tested. CONCLUSION: It can be assumed that the level of 200 kg P2O5 ha-1 would be a good compromise between optimization of the agronomic performance and the melon fruit quality.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
