The objective of the present work was to evaluate gas exchange and its influence on productivity and quality of melon cultivars conducted with one and two fruits per plant. The experiment was conducted from September to December, 2013. The experimental design was of randomized blocks in factorial design 3 x 2 with six replications. In the first factor were allocated the melon cultivars, belonging to types canary melon, net melon and frog skin melon; and the second factor was the conduction of plants with one and two fruits per plant. Three melon cultivars were used for each type. The evaluations were performed at 40 and 56 days after transplanting. The characteristics evaluated were: CO2 assimilation rate (A), transpiration (E), stomatic conductance (gs), the internal CO2 concentration (Ci). From these measurements was calculated water use efficiency (EUA). The soluble solids content was determined by direct reading, while the average fruit weight was measured at harvest, estimating productivity. With the results, it can be concluded that differences in gas exchange indexes to cultivars of frog skin melon type have no influence on productivity and soluble solids content. To cultivars of canary melon and net melon types is recommended the Goldex and Louis cultivars respectively. Independent of cultivar is recommended cultivation with two fruits per plant, because its higher productivity and did not change the indices of gas exchange in plants.
Cucumis melo L.; CO2 assimilation rate; transpiration; stomatal conductance; water use efficiency
