The study aimed to evaluate the effect of leaf number and fruit setting position in the plant on the production of biomass and fruit quality of melon Cantaloupe. The experiment consisted of four treatments, in a completely randomized design with 15 replications. The treatments were: 1) 14 leaves per plant, with the fruit set in the middle portion of the plant; 2) 14 leaves per plant, with fruit set in the top of the plant; 3) 14 leaves per plant until the fruit set on the top of the plant when seven leaves were immediately removed below the fruit and 4) 14 leaves per plant until the fruit set on top of the plant when seven leaves were removed from the plant base. The following traits were evaluated: leaf area; specific leaf area; leaf area ratio; days to harvest; cultural cycle; diameter, length, fresh matter, pulp thickness, cavity diameter and soluble solids content of the fruit; leaves, stem, petiole and fruit dry weight. The management of plants with higher leaf number (treatments 1 and 2) showed higher leaf area, dry weight of leaves, fresh matter, dry weight, pericarp thickness and soluble solids content of the fruit, compared with other treatments. Larger leaf area/fruit provides fruits with greater mass, pericarp and soluble solids content. The fixing of the fruit in the middle portion, compared with setting at the top of the plant, has the advantage of the shorter cultural cycle. Melon plants adjust the mass production of organs matter to the leaf area available in the plant.
Cucumis melo; pruning; sink-source; specific leaf area; yield
