A cultivar e o local de produção influenciam a qualidade do melão "pele de sapo"

Mestrado em Engenharia Agronómica - Instituto Superior de Agronomia

This study sought to assess the influence of cultivar and site quality of “Pele de Sapo” melon types. The cultivars studied where “MP 3177”, “Hidalgo”, “Rabal” and “Ruidera”. For this purpose were conducted three trials in Santarem, in Évora and in Amareleja. After the harvest, the melons were to three types of procedures, to determine the quality of the fruit of the twelve combinations Location x Cultivar, in first place the measurement of soluble solids content and titratable acidity, in second sensory tests, and at last the correlations performed between the first two. One of the conclusions is that the melons with a soluble solids content higher than 13º Brix are well accepted by consumers, it also concluded that to determine the exact date of harvest should be carried out sampling and it is recommended to Harvesting when the SSC is above 13ºBrix. Analysing the data, another conclusion obtained, is that the fruits” ripeness is central to their organoleptic characteristics and their acceptance by the consumer. We can also say that the “Rabal” cultivar is excluded, either by poor performance on consumer due to the weak resistance to fungus, on the other hand the cultivar "Ruidera" proved susceptible to mildew attack leading to low production and fruits of lesser quality. The “Hidalgo” and “MP3177” were the most resistant to powdery mildew. In other varieties it was necessary to harvest only plants not attacked for not affect the quality of melon. It is recommended that the cultivar "Hidalgo" can begin to be planted in early May to begin to be harvested in mid-July, while the "MP3177" can be planted until mid-July, ensuring crops until October