FOLIAR LEVEL OF PHOSPHORUS AND ITS BIOINDICATORS IN CUCUMIS-MELO GRAFTED PLANTS - A POSSIBLE EFFECT OF ROOTSTOCKS

Cucumis melo var. Arava plants were grafted with three cultivars of Cu curbita maxima: Shintoza, RS-841 and Kamel. Plants were grown under co ntrolled conditions, and submitted to a constant fertilization of macr o and micronutrients. Total, organic and inorganic phosphorus were det ermined in scion parts of all the crosses. On other hand we analyzed t he level of nonstructural carbohydrates (Glucose, Fructose, Sucrose an d Starch) in plant leaves. Our result showed a good relationship betwe en P and sugar contents in all grafted plants, obtaining significative differences within treatments in both compounds. While the concentrat ion of inorganic phosphorus remained constant in all the crosses, inde pendently of the phosphorus nutritional status in these plants.