Abstract

In order to evaluate the effect of water stress on fruit quality and quantity of some Iranian melons, the experiment was set out in a split plot design with three replicates in research filed of University of Zanjan in 2014. Treatments consisted arrangement of three Irrigation levels (starting irrigation at 100, 66 and 33 ETc) and 11 genotypes of Iranian melons (ʼKhatouniʻ, ʼKaliʻ, ʼOrshangʻ, ʼMouriʻ, ʼMoziʻ, ʼZarde-Paeizeʻ, ʼShiraziʻ, ʼShiardarʻ, ʼEzmirʻ, ʼEyvan-e-keyʻ and ʼSuski-e-Sabzʻ). Results showed that irrigation had a significant effect on flesh firmness, fruit length and width, thickness of skin, pH, total soluble solids (TSS) content, fruit weight and yield ratio. The water stress significantly increased TSS and reduced flesh firmness. The lowest values of yield (13761 kg/ha), fruit weight (1363.7 gr), fruit width (12.97 cm), and the highest skin thickness (4.63 mm) and pH (6.28) was obtained in the sever water stress (start point of 33 ETc). Melon accessions showed significant differences in studied traits. The highest values of fruit length (31.6 cm),  flesh firmness (2.9 kg/cm-2), yield (49698 kg/ha) and fruit weight (3223 gr) was obtained under 100 ETc irrigation in ʼKhatouniʻ , ʼZard-e- Paeizehʻ and ʼEyvan-e-keyʻ, respectively. Also, the highest TSS was obtained in ʼShiraziʻ under 33 ETc irrigation. According to the results, ʼEyvan-e-keyʻ and ʼMoziʻ, respectively were sensitive and tolerance accession to the water stress with highest (72.27 Percent) and lowest (43.4 Percent) reduction of yield under 33 percent ETc irrigation compared normal irrigation.