Response of ‘Honey Dew’ melon (Cucumis melo L.) to four levels of irrigation at Cachapoal Valley, Region de O’Higgins, Chile

Irrigation treatments consisting on four levels of water applied to melon 'Honey Dew' cropped at Rengo, Region de O'Higgins, Chile. Four drip irrigation treatments were set in a randomized block design with four replications, using compensated drippers mounted on a polyethylene plastic 16 mm irrigation pipe (20 cm spaced) discharging an equivalent to 1.2 L h(-1) (T1), 2.0 L h(-1) (T2), 3.0 L h(-1) (T3) and 4.0 L h(-1) (T4), applying the same time and irrigation frequency to the treatments. The crop was established in beds 100 cm wide, reaching a plant density equivalent to 8930 and 10,416 plants ha(-1), for 2016/2017 and 2017/2018 seasons, respectively, recording soil water humidity and meteorological data. Both crop seasons run between November and February, during summer season of the Southern Hemisphere. Fruits were harvested at commercial maturity, while equatorial fruit diameter and fruit mass were measured, recording the prevalence sunburn in the harvested organ. Pulp pressure and total soluble solids were also recorded in the fruits. Fruit diameter was affected by irrigation treatment for both seasons. The smallest equatorial fruit diameter was reached by plants irrigated at the lowest water level (T1). Treatments T3 and T4 showed similar fruit diameter. For both seasons, plants watered by T1 and T2 yielded fruit with lower average mass showing also higher incidence of fruit sunburn compared to T3 and T4. Finally, fruits of plants receiving excess of irrigation water were not statistically affected in yield nor fruit mass.