STUDIES ON MELON GROWN WITH NFT

In order to investigate the uptake of water and macronutrients, fruit yield and quality of melon plants grown with NFT, two experiments were conducted in spring and summer of 1992 in a plastic house located in Pisa, Central Italy.

In each experiment two nutrient solutions differing in nitrogen and/or potassium content were compared. The composition of the nutrient solution influenced macronutrient uptake, but did not affect water requirements or fruit yield. Fruit yield was less than 5 kg.m^-2, due to small size of fruits in spring crop or reduced number of fruits in summer. The sugar content of the marketable fruits was quite low in summer. An imbalance between vegetative and reproductive growth and a shortage of photosynthetic assimilates appeared to be responsible for fruit abortion and poor fruit quality in summer plants.

In spring, the plants were affected by root death, which was not caused by pathogens or by salt precipitation, but appeared to be induced by some (unknown) physiological disorder.