Comparative Analysis on the Growth and Yield of Summer Squash (Cucurbita pepo) Varieties in the Southern Climate of Nepal
Comparative Analysis on the Growth and Yield of Summer Squash (Cucurbita pepo) Varieties in the Southern Climate of Nepal
Sanjita Gurau1,2 and Ram L Ray1*
ABSTRACT
Summer Squash (Cucurbita pepo L.) is a globally cultivated horticultural crop. This experiment aimed to assess the growth and yield of five different varieties of summer squash in the southern region of Nepal, characterized by a subtropical climate. The field experiment was conducted from January 2022- June 2022 in Kawasoti, Nawalparasi-East, Nepal. The experiment was conducted in a single factor randomized complete block design with four replications and five treatments: 1: Anna 303, 2: Anna 202, 3: Sunny House, 4: Shlesha, 5: Grey zucchini. The results showed significantly higher plant spreading in Sunny House. The highest number of male flowers plant-1 (29.56) and female flowers plant-1 (13.81) were recorded in Shlesha 1214, while the lowest number of male and female flowers were recorded in grey zucchini, i.e., 24.43 and 11.68, respectively. Similarly, a higher number of days to 50% female flowering (29.56), higher number of pickings plant-1 (5.50), higher average fruit weight plant-1 (915.73g), higher fruit yield plant-1 (5063.062g), higher productivity (81.009Mt/ha) was recorded in Sunny House. Productivity was nearly double in Sunny House than Anna 303, Shlesha 1214, Grey Zucchini, and Anna 202. Among these genotypes, Sunny House demonstrates superiority and exhibits high productivity. In contrast, Shlesha 1214 has the advantage of yielding earlier compared to any other varieties in the study. The results of this experiment thus clearly suggest the benefits of using the Sunny House variety in the southern climate of Nepal. This experiment can benefit several farmers in southern Nepal and elsewhere with similar climates and landscapes globally.
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