Impact of nitrogen uptake on field water balance in fertirrigated melon

Agronomic management in Ciudad Real, a province in central Spain, is characteristic of semi-arid cropped areas whose water supplies have high nitrate (NO3−) content due to environmental degradation. This situation is aggravated by the existence of a restrictive subsurface layer of “caliche” or hardpan at a depth of 0.60 m. Under these circumstances, fertirrigation rates, including nitrogen (N) fertilizer schedules, must be carefully calibrated to optimize melon yields while minimizing the N pollution and water supply.