Production and fruit quality of watermelon hybrids under different plant spacing/Producao e qualidade de frutos de hibridos de melancia em differentes espacamentos de plantio

HIGHLIGHTS: The fruit quality of the hybrids degenerates from the seventh day after harvest. The visual and sensory aspects of watermelon are not affected by plant spacing. Larger watermelon plant spacing improves crop stabilization, physicochemical quality, and fruit yield. Plant spacing management in watermelon alters plant competition for water, light, and nutrients, influencing fruit yield, morphology, and quality. The study aimed to evaluate the spacing management between plants of two watermelon hybrids in terms of morphology and fruit yield and quality. Two watermelon hybrids (NUN 21613 and NUN 21901) and three plant spacings (0.60, 0.80 and 1.0 m with 2,5 m between rows) were studied in a randomized block design arranged in a 2 x 3 factorial scheme with five replications. Fruit firmness, the content of total soluble solids, visual, and sensorial notes at 0, 7 and 14 days after harvest, length of the main branch of the plant, fresh fruit mass, number of fruits per plant and per hectare, and fruit yield were evaluated from August to December 2018. The greater planting spacing provided better vegetative development, higher yield, and increased resistance of the watermelon fruit to deterioration after harvest. The physicochemical and sensory characteristics of the fruits were not affected by the spacing and hybrids of watermelon in this study. Key words: Citrullus lanatus, main branch length, planting density, fruit appearance, sensorial analysis O manejo do espacamento entre plantas na melancia altera a competicao das plantas por agua, luz e nutrientes, pois a populacao de plantas influencia a produtividade da cultura, a morfologia do fruto e a qualidade. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o manejo do espacamento entre plantas de dois hibridos de melancia quanto a morfologia, produtividade e qualidade dos frutos. Hibridos de melancia (NUN 21613 e NUN 21901) e os espacamentos entre plantas (0,60, 0,80 e 1,0 m) e 2,5 m entre linhas de plantio foram estudados, no delineamento de blocos ao acaso em esquema fatorial 2 x 3, com cinco repeticoes. Firmeza do fruto, teor de solidos soluveis totais, notas visuais e sensoriais aos 0, 7 e 14 dias apos a colheita, comprimento do ramo principal da planta, massa fresca do fruto, numero de frutos por planta e hectare e rendimento foram avaliados de agosto a dezembro de 2018. O maior espacamento de plantio proporcionou melhor desenvolvimento vegetativo, maior produtividade e maior resistencia do fruto da melancia a