Water stress impacts on the growth and productivity of melon crops in a Mediterranean climate

Food security is an essential component of society and a good society needs quality crop productivity to maintain a better life. Melon is such a crop that feeds a large portion of the global population. In this study, we evaluated two different varieties of melon, Cucumis melo Cv. Misura and Cv. Wifaq to understand the impacts of water stress and traditional water management on melon productivity. Agronomic and physiological parameters were investigated to quantify the dissipation and photosynthetic behavior of plants under 50%, 75%, and 100% irrigation strategies. An area of 0.5 ha was used for each variety, with a plant density of 8333 plants per ha. Each row was spaced at 2 m and the distance between two plants of the same row was 0.6 m. A 1.5 L/h dripper was used for irrigation. Planting was done on 23 May 2021 and the experimental trial ended on 10 September 2021. We hypothesized that water stress impacts the growth, fruit quality and yield of two melon varieties, and each irrigation strategy would differently influence the varieties. The two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed significant relationships treatments and dates at p < 0.01. This indicated temporal changes in energy utilization and dissipation in the photosynthetic process of melon. Overall, a moderate irrigation (75% irrigation) was found to be suitable for greater yield and the optimum time that crops required irrigation. The efficacy in photosynthesis and adaptability to maintain water stress effects by plants determine their fruit quality and sweetness. Cv. Wifaq was superior in managing water stress and sweeter to Cv. Misura indicating Cv. Wifaq could be a good choice for growers in the future. This study provides valuable information to horticulturists, growers, and agricultural stakeholders in adapting appropriate cultivation practices for optimal fruit quality. However, long-term experiments in multiple ecosystems for other melon varieties could improve the outputs of the current investigation.