Effects of Fruit Thinning and Main Stem Pruning in Melon Crops

Objective: This study aimed to assess the productivity and quality of a melon crop treated with fruit thinning and main stem pruning under field conditions.

Experimental Design: The treatments comprised the amount of fruit thinning in the plant (one, two and without thinning) and the period of main stem pruning (35, 40, 45 and 50 days after transplanting - DAT). The crop was set up in a randomized block design factorial of type 3x4, with five replications.

Location and Duration of the Study: The experiment carried out at the Center for Agrifood Science and Technology (CCTA) of the Federal University of Campina Grande (UFCG), Campus Pombal - PB, Brazil, from December 2016 to February 2017.

Methodology: The Hopey King hybrid of the Cantaloupe group was cultivated at a spacing of 2.0 x 0.4 m.

Results: The plants without thinning of fruits provided lower values ​​of leaf area and fruits of lower mass. However, due to their higher quantity per hectare, the crop total productivity was high. On the other hand, plants with fewer fruits had the highest values ​​of soluble solids, total and non-reducing soluble sugars. The leaf area, fruit mass, total productivity, and the concentration of reducing and non-reducing soluble sugars were higher when the plants were pruned at 35 DAT.

Conclusion: The fruit thinning and main stem pruning affected the production and quality of melon fruits significantly. For more demanding markets, we recommend to treat the plants with one or two fruits and prune at 35 days after transplantation, aiming to enhance the quality variables.