Morphology of melon grown with fish farming effluent and cattle manure

Abstract

ABSTRACT Water scarcity is a significant challenge faced in semi -arid regions, especially concerning agriculture. Therefore, alternatives for utilizing available water resources of inferior quality and adding organic matter to the soil are fundamental strategies to address this challenge. Considering this, the objective was to investigate the use of fish farming effluent and cattle manure in the production of melon seedlings of the Cantaloupe variety, specifically the Hales Best Jumbo cultivar. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse, using a completely randomized design with a 5 x 5 factorial scheme. The treatments consisted of five proportions of cattle manure (0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%) combined with five dilutions of fish farming effluent (FFE) in public-supply water (PSW): D1 - 0% FFE; D2 - 15% FFE and 85% PSW; D3 - 30% FFE and 70% PSW; D4 - 45% FFE and 55% PSW; D5 - 60% FFE and 40% PSW, with six repetitions, totaling 150 experimental units. The results indicate that using substrate containing 20% cattle manure, irrigated with the D3 dilution (30% fish farming effluent and 70% public-supply water), promoted benefits for morphological variables of melon. The reuse of fish farming effluent, with electrical conductivity up to 1.75 dS m-1, is an alternative for reutilization and favors the growth and biomass production of Cantaloupe melon, Hales Best Jumbo cultivar.