An experiment was carried out at the Bebedouro Experimental Station in Petrolina, state of Pernambuco, from January 1999 to December 2001, on a sandy Yellow Eutrophic Argisol, with the objective of evaluating the effect of green fertilizers associated with liming and mineral and organic fertilization on the soil chemical attributes and the yield and quality of irrigated melon (Cucumis melo). A randomized complete block design with split-plots and four replications was used. The treatments assigned to the main plots were the green fertilizers: (1) corn (Zea mays), with removal of crop residues, as control (MI); (2) black mucuna (Mucuna aterrima) (MP); (3) corn + cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) (MC) and (4) different green fertilizers every year: two successive cultivations of crotalaria (Crotalaria juncea) in the first year; pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) + cowpea in toe second year, and crotalaria + cowpea in the third year (RA). In the subplots the treatments were the following: a) full lime dose plus mineral and organic fertilization, according to soil analysis (DC) and b) half of the treatment of "a" (MD). The green fertilizers were grown in the first semester, followed by melon in the second. All green fertilizers increased Ca+2 levels and CEC in the 0-10 cm and 10 - 20 cm soil layers compared to the control (MI), with exception of MP regarding CEC at 0-10 cm. At this depth, there was also an increase in the levels of soil K and organic matter, with exception of the K levels in MC. In the year that melon yield was the highest it was observed that fruit yield in the RA treatment was than those of MP or the control. Likewise, higher yields were obtained with DC than with MD. In the same year, the levels of total soluble solids in the fruits were higher in the treatment with MP than in the control.
Cucumis melo; soil management; organic matter; cover crops; weeds
