YIELD, QUALITY AND NITROGEN USE EFFICIENCY OF FERTIGATED WATERMELON

Trials on a watermelon crop were carried out in 2000, 2002 and 2003 in a sub-humid area on fertile soils (Po Valley, Italy). The crop was plastic mulched and protected by a small tunnel during the early growth stage.
The experimental design consisted of split plots with 4 replications: a Not Irrigated-Not Fertilised Control (NINF); a Irrigated-Not Fertilised Control (INF), and both “Static” and “Dynamic” fertigation.
Static and Dynamic fertigation increased commercial yield by 33.7% and 57.7% respectively compared with the NINF treatment.
The INF control increased the 1st class yield by 5.8%. There were no differences in 2nd class yield, waste yield and soluble solids in the fruit between treatments.
Fruit K and Mg contents were not affected by fertigation, whereas Ca content increased by about ten times.
Relative to NINF, the gross margin of the INF treatment increased by 6.6%, and the profit from the Static and Dynamic treatments were greater by 2798 and 4674 Euro ha^-1 y^-1 respectively.
Dry matter accumulation and partitioning and root zone volume algorithms were developed.

International Symposium Towards Ecologically Sound Fertilisation Strategies for Field Vegetable Production

A. Battilani, D. Solimando

dynamic fertigation, root zone, dry matter accumulation, gross margin

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2006.700.10