PRODUCTIVE AND PROFITABILITY ANALYSIS OF MELON USING KAOLIN AND AGROTEXTILE GROWN IN THE AMAZON MATOGROSSENSE
Cucumis melo L.; protected cultivation; TNT; productivity; fruit quality.
The objective of the study was to evaluate the impact of protection systems on the productivity, profitability and quality of yellow melon hybrids cultivated in Juara, Mato Grosso, within the Amazon Biome, with the aim of identifying a high quality and viable hybrid for the region . The experiment was conducted in the UNEMAT experimental area, in Juara-MT, starting in May 2023 and with a cultivation cycle from July to September of the same year. A randomized block experimental design was used, with a 6 x 2 factorial arrangement and four replications. The treatments were composed of the combination of two factors: protection (agrotextile and sunscreen) and two yellow melon hybrids, Goldmine and Soleares F1. Three parameters were evaluated: productivity, including mass of commercial fruits per plant, number of commercial fruits and total and commercial productivity; quality, measuring the fruit formation index, average fruit mass and soluble solids content; and cost assessment, including gross revenue, operating profit, profitability index and leveling point. The results indicated that the application of agrotextile and sunscreen, both on the plant and on the fruit, did not significantly influence commercial production and fruit quality.