Biennial Results for Evaluation of Squash (Cucurbita Pepo) Seed and Fruit Influenced by Planting Patterns and Exogenous Ethylene Application

M. Yadegari* and Rahim Barzegar

Islamic Azad University Shahrekord Branch, Shahrekord Iran.

ABSTRACT: Squash is important horticultural crops worldwide, but there has been relatively little research to systematically describe yield components and improve productivity in this plant. This research outlines some of the basic growth-analysis techniques for describing different aspects of productivity and attempts to summarize investigations on physiological and morphological aspects of productivity. In order to evaluate the distance cultivation effects and ethylene spray on fruit and seed production in squash, field experiments were conduct in spring and summer, 2007 and 2008. The factors were three dose of ethylene (0, 50 and 100 ppm of 2-Chloro-ethylphosphonic acid) and three density of planting (100*50 Cm, 150*50 Cm and 200*50 Cm). Evaluated characters in this research were Number Fruit per Area (NFA), Fresh Seed Yield (FSY), Dry Seed Yield (DSY), Number of Seed per Fruit (NSF), 100-Seed Weight (100SW) and Weight of Fruit (WF). Although the combinations of 100ppm ethylene*100*50cm made the most number of fruit in area but the most of the weight of fruit, weight of fresh seed made by 100ppm ethylene and 200*50cm density. Results in two years showed that 100 ppm of ethylene and 200*50Cm density was the best combination. Correlations between weight of fruit and weight of seed and number seed per fruit were positive and between fruits weight and fruits number was negative.

KEYWORDS: Squash (Cucurbita pepo); planting density; Ethylene (2-Chloro-ethylphosphonic acid)

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