A field study was conducted in Ankara, a semi-arid region of Central Anatolia, Turkey, on clay-loamy soils in the vegetation seasons of 2005 and 2006. | Research Article Turk J Agric For 33 (2009) 243-255 © TÜBİTAK doi: Effects of different irrigation programs on the growth, yield, and fruit quality of drip-irrigated melon Osman YILDIRIM1,*, Nilgün HALLORAN2, Şeyda ÇAVUŞOĞLU2, Neslihan ŞENGÜL1 1 Ankara University, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Farm Structures and Irrigation, 06110 Ankara - TURKEY 2Ankara University, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Horticulture, 06110 Ankara - TURKEY Received: Abstract: A field study was conducted in Ankara, a semi-arid region of Central Anatolia, Turkey, on clay-loamy soils in the vegetation seasons of 2005 and 2006. Kırkağaç melon cultivar (Cucumis melo L. cv. Kırkağaç) was irrigated by the drip method from transplantation to the beginning of the flowering (ISf ), fruit setting (ISfs), ripening (ISr), and harvesting (ISh) periods. Water amounting to 50% (P50), 75% (P75), and 100% (P100) of full irrigation water were applied. Some analyses were carried out regarding the growth, yield, and fruit quality parameters in these irrigation programs. Moreover, the amount of water, the seasonal evapotranspiration, and the water use efficiency having been used were determined for each irrigation program. Carrying on the irrigation during the ripening period furthered shoot growth except P100 application, did not significantly affect fruit yield and the soluble solids content of the fruit flesh. Similar but relatively larger fruit size and heavier weight were found in the treatments of ISr and ISh. Fruit yields in the P75 and P100 applications were found similar, but they were found to be higher than the P50 application. The soluble solids contents and the ratings of sensory characteristics were higher in the P75 application. As a result of this study, with respect to the considerably high yield and fruit quality, it was suggested that irrigation be kept on going until the beginning of fruit setting, not during the ripening period, and the .
