Short communication
Irrigation frequency and amount affect yield and quality
of field-grown melon (Cucumis melo L.)
Suat Sensoy
a,
*
, Ahmet Ertek
b
, Ibrahim Gedik
c
, Cenk Kucukyumuk
c
a
Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Horticulture, Yuzuncu Yil University, 65080 Van, Turkey
b
Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Irrigation and Drainage, Suleyman Demirel University, 32260 Isparta, Turkey
c
Department of Irrigation and Drainage, Yuzuncu Yil University, 65080 Van, Turkey
1. Introduction
Melon (Cucumis melo L.) is a fruit of economic importance in
both Turkey and the world (Anonymous, 2005a). From seed
sowing to emergence, excessive soil water can damage melon
and cause fruit quality problems (Anonymous, 2006a). At the
same time, the relatively shallow depth of melon roots require
soil water to be maintained at a minimum of 65% of capacity in
order to avoid water deficit (Anonymous, 2005b). Roots are
mainly located within the top 40–50 cm of soil and develop
rapidly. As the plant grows, evapotranspiration increases
(Allen et al., 1998). Therefore, irrigation must be scheduled to
avoid excessive moisture or water stress that can lead to
reduced yield, lower quality and plant disease.
Pan evaporation is a simple and easily applied method that
is widely used in scheduling irrigation (Elliades, 1988; Allen
et al., 1998). Pan evaporation (Class-A pan) can be utilized in
scheduled irrigation provided that pan coefficients are avail-
able from which plant evapotranspiration can be deduced
(Doorenbos and Pruitt, 1975; Allen et al., 1998).
Different plant species and growth stages require different
irrigation schedules. For cucurbits such as squash, cucumber,
watermelon and melon (subsp. cantalupensis or inodorus),
excessive irrigation immediately after transplantation can
result in long and coarse growth, underdeveloped flower
stalks and premature flower death (Faberio et al., 2002; Ertek
et al., 2004, 2006a; Kirnak et al., 2005; Orgaz et al., 2005). The
objective of this study was to determine how variations in
amount and frequency of irrigation affect melon grown under
field conditions.
2. Materials and methods
This study was conducted in 2001 in a farmer’s field located
3 km from Lake Van in Eastern Turkey. The province of Van is
agricultural water management 88 (2007) 269–274
article info
Article history:
Accepted 13 October 2006
Published on line 28 November 2006
Keywords:
Irrigation
Irrigation scheduling
Melon (Cucumis melo L.)
Pan evaporation
abstract
This study was conducted to determine the most suitable irrigation frequency and quantity
for field-grown melon. Irrigation quantities were determined based on pan evaporation
(E
pan
) from a screened Class-A pan. Four different irrigation treatments employing two
different irrigation intervals (I1: 6 days; I2: 12 days) and two different plant-pan coefficients
(K
cp
1: 0.60; K
cp
2: 0.90) were tested. Total irrigation quantities (I
r
), plant water consumption
(E
t
), and melon yields varied from 405 to 549 mm, 481–637 mm and 18.0–32.4 Mg ha
À1
,
respectively. The highest yield was obtained from the treatment employing the greatest
frequency and quantity of irrigation (I1K
cp
2). Most fruit traits were significantly affected by
differences in irrigation treatment.
# 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
* Corresponding author.
E-mail address: suatsensoy@yyu.edu.tr (S. Sensoy).
available at www.sciencedirect.com
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/agwat
0378-3774/$ – see front matter # 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.agwat.2006.10.015