The objective of this work was to evaluate the growth and physiological indexes of the melon crop in function of accumulated degree-days and to determine the relationship between the physiological index and yield of the crop in soil covered with plastic film in the colors black, silver, yellow, and brown, and of the uncovered soil as witness. The experiment was conducted at Fazenda Santa Júlia Agrocomercial Exportadora de Frutos Tropicais Ltda, Mossoró, Rio Grande do Norte State (August-October 2003) in Oxissol, using the Torreon melon in a randomized experimental blocks design with four replications. The relative growth rate for the number of leaves and leaf area index were influenced by soil cover and decreased with the development of the plant; the highest productivity of marketable fruits was registered on plastic soil coverage.
Cucumis melo L.; accumulated degree-day; growth analysis