Abstract

"Abstract Galia melon seeds were primed with 8 g L-1 of N as NH4NO3, KNO3 or NH4NO3+KNO3 or non-primed (Control). During germina-tion, three solutions of differing water quality were used; one from ""Almería"" (SARadj 2.0), and two to reproduce the water quality in ""Pintados"" in Atacama, northern Chile (SARadj 10.4 and 14.3). Nutritive conditioning of seedling in the nursery was evaluated for increasingly saline waters. A base fertigation solution of 7.5 meq L-1 NO3-, 0.63 meq L-1 H2PO4-, 1.26 meq L-1 SO4 =, 3.5 meq L-1 K+, 4.14 meq L-1 Ca2+, 1.26 meq L-1 Mg2+ and 0.5 meq L-1 NH4 + was prepared with each water and alternated daily with a 7 mM solution of NH4NO3, KNO3 or NH4NO3+KNO3 fertilizers. Seedlings were grown in perlite plugs in a passive greenhouse. Physical and chemical parameters, proline content and nitrate reductase activity were evaluated transplants and whose seed had been primed with the same N-forms. Seedlings fertigated with NH4NO3 presented the highest plant size, number of leaves, leaf area, fresh and dry biomass, and the lowest water content both in leaf and whole transplant. Proline synthesis and nitrate reductase activity were not directly affected by water quality or by N-form conditioning. Proline synthesis decreased with seedling age, and the lowest values were obtained 34 days after sowing. Nevertheless, Nitrate Reductase activity was similar in all nursery stages."