Planting density on growth, yield and quality of bushy growth habit hull-less seed pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo var. Styriaca)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Horticultural Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran

2 Department of Horticultural Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural Science, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran.

3 Department of Horticultural Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Guilan

4 Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran

Abstract

The seeds and oil obtained from Styrian pumpkin contain valuable compounds that can be used in the treatment of various diseases. An experiment was conducted using a split design in the form of a randomized block with three replications to determine the optimal planting distance for achieving maximum seed and oil yield, as well as efficient resource utilization. The study involved four Styrian pumpkin hybrids (23×8, 2×23, 23×11, 7×14) and two planting densities: 20,000 and 10,000 plants·ha-1. The research took place during the spring and summer of 2023 at the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Guilan. Several plant characteristics were evaluated, including initial and final plant length, number of leaves, number of side branches, leaf area, 1000 seed weight, vegetative biomass, fruit yield, seed yield, oil yield, and the amount of some fatty acids, total sterol, and beta sterol content. The results indicated significant differences between genotypes and planting densities. The highest yield per plant observed at the 10,000 plants·ha-1. However, the yield per hectare was greater at the 20,000 plants·ha-1. In high-density planting, plants exhibited more vegetative growth, fewer leaves, and fewer side branches, but the overall yield increased due to the greater number of plants compensating for the reduction in individual plant yield. High planting densities effectively utilized environmental resources, as dense vegetation cover maximized leaf area index and photosynthetically active radiation absorption. Consequently, the rate of dry matter accumulation and plant growth increased. Based on the results, a planting density of 20,000 plants·ha-1 is recommended for the all of investigated hybrids. Future research should explore the feasibility of further increasing this density.

Keywords


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