Effects of air quality on foliar injury, growth, yield, and quality of muskmelon

Abstract

An evaluation of the effects of ambient ozone (O 3) on muskmelon was conducted with the use of open-top chambers (OTCs). ‘Superstar’ muskmelons grown in charcoal-filtered (CF) chambers compared to those grown in nonfiltered (NF) chambers showed significant differences in the severity of visible foliar O 3 injury. Furthermore, plants grown in NF conditions had significantly less (21·3%) marketable fruit weight and fewer (20·9%) marketable fruit number than those from CF chambers. No differences were found in early biomass production, leaf area, or number of nodes after 3 weeks of exposure to treatment conditions. Ambient O 3 did not affect soluble solids content of mature fresh fruit nor foliage fresh weight at final harvest. Results indicate that ambient concentrations of O 3 in southwestern Indiana caused significant foliar injury and yield loss to muskmelons.