Influence of Limited Water Stress on Yield and Fruit Quality of Melon under Soil-Borne Pathogens

Abstract

This study was carried out to determine crop response to limited water under biotic stress that was soil-borne pathogens caused of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. melonis and Macrophomina phaseoli. The experiment was established in a naturally infected field as in a randomized block design with four replications at Cumra in the Konya Plain, Turkey. Irrigation treatments were consisted of four levels: Water amount applied to replenish the water deficit of 0-90 cm soil depth to field capacity (I1), water supply reductions of 0.25 and 50 percent were applied for the other treatments. The highest yield (2.42 and 3.14 t da-1) was obtained from I1 treatment in both years. Other fruit quality parameters were significantly affected by the treatments. The total irrigation water amount and water consumptive use of the same application were 260 and 470 mm in 2011, respectively. In the second year, the total irrigation water amount and water consumptive use of the same treatment were 334 and 501 mm, respectively. The higher disease incidence (50.0-54.7 %) was observed in the plants subjected to drought in two-year.