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The response of two cultivars of melon (Cucumis melo L.) (Galia and Amarillo Oro) to irrigation with saline water at different stages of development has been studied under field conditions. Two levels of salinity (1.3 and 6.1 dS m(-1)) were used for irrigation water. Four treatments, differing with respect to the time of application of saline water, were used. These treatments were: control water (1.3 dS m(-1)) throughout the experiment, saline water (6.1 dS m(-1)) from transplanting to harvest, control water until flowering and then saline water until harvest, and control water from transplanting to fruiting and then saline water until harvest. Salinity had similar effects on vegetative growth in both cultivars. However, Galia exhibited higher salt tolerance than Amarillo Oro on the basis of fruit yield since marketable yield was reduced by 12% and 39%, respectively, when salinity was applied throughout the experiment. Salinity reduced flower number of Amarillo Oro and delayed flowering in Galia. Application of saline water from fruiting onward did not reduce marketable fruit yield (28.8 and 20.6 t ha(-1) for Galia and Amarillo Oro, respectively) and increased fruit quality (TSS and maturity index) in both cultivars. Melon plants accumulated Na+ and Cl- in the stem, avoiding high concentrations of these ions in the leaves. (c) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.