Yield and quality of three types of melon, varying the number of fruits per plant

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of yield and quality of three types of melon, bearing one and two fruits per plant. The experiment was conducted from September to December 2013, in the Greenhouse Sector belonging to Unioeste, Campus Marechal Cândido Rondon - PR. The experimental design wasrandomized blocks in a factorial scheme 3 x 2, with six replications. In the first factor the melon types (canary melon, net melon, frog skin melon) were allocated and in the second factor, the plants with different number of fruits (one and two fruits per plant). The characteristics evaluated were fruit mass, longitudinal and transversal diameters of fruit and locule, thickness of the endocarp, fruit and locule shape index, soluble solids, pH, titratable acidity, fruit firmness, ratio and productivity. The fruits obtained from plants with one and two fruits showed higher fruit fresh mass and increased productivity, respectively. The frog skin melon type had higher fresh fruit mass and productivity. The ratio was influenced by the number of fruits per plant for the canary melon type. The net melon type showed a reduction in acidity compared to the other types, regardless of the number of fruits maintained per plant. The thickened pulp was found in fruits of plants with only one fruit. The fruit and locule shape index were not influenced by the number of fruits per plant. Regardless of the number of fruits and the type of melon, the soluble solids content was higher than the minimum recommended for marketing.

摘要：本研究旨在评估单株挂果1个与2个的3类甜瓜的产量与品质特性。试验于2013年9月至12月在隶属于Unioeste大学的巴拉那州马谢卡尔·坎迪多·隆东校区（Campus Marechal Cândido Rondon - PR）温室试验区开展。试验采用3×2因子组合的随机区组设计，共设置6次重复。第一因子为甜瓜类型（黄皮甜瓜（Canary melon）、网纹甜瓜（Net melon）、蛤蟆皮甜瓜（Frog skin melon）），第二因子为单株挂果数量（单株挂1个果与单株挂2个果）。本次试验测定的性状包括：果实鲜质量、果实与果腔的纵径与横径、内果皮厚度、果实及果腔的形状指数、可溶性固形物（soluble solids）含量、pH值、可滴定酸度（titratable acidity）、果实硬度（fruit firmness）、糖酸比（ratio）及产量。结果表明，单株挂1个果的植株所结果实的鲜质量更高，而单株挂2个果的植株所结果实的产量更高；蛤蟆皮甜瓜的果实鲜质量与产量均为最高。糖酸比仅在黄皮甜瓜品种中受单株挂果数的显著影响。与其余两类甜瓜相比，网纹甜瓜的可滴定酸度更低，且该特性不受单株挂果数的影响。仅单株挂1个果的植株所结果实的果肉厚度更大。单株挂果数对果实及果腔的形状指数无显著影响。无论单株挂果数与甜瓜品种如何，所有处理的可溶性固形物含量均高于商业化销售的最低推荐标准。