EFFECT OF MALE FLOWER PRUNING AND DIFFERENT DOSES OF NITROGEN ON GROWTH AND YIELD OF SQUASH (Cucurbita pepo L.)

Abstract

A field experiment was carried out at the Horticulture Farm of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka-1207 to study the effect of male flower pruning and different doses of nitrogen on growth and yield of squash (Cucurbita pepo L.) during the period from December 2019 to March 2020. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. Three male flower pruning treatments viz., P 0 = Control (No pruning), P 1 = Male flower pruning at 25 DAT and P 2 = Male flower pruning at 35 DAT and three nitrogen levels viz., N 0 = Control (No nitrogen), N 1 = 45 kg N ha = 90 kg N ha -1 were considered for the present study. Different male flower pruning treatments and nitrogen doses and also their combinations showed significant influence on growth, yield contributing parameters and yield of squash. Considering pruning treatments, P 2 gave highest number of fruits plant -1 (3.93), single fruit weight (576.70 g), fruit weight plant -1 (2.28 kg) and fruit yield (25.36 t ha -1 ) whereas, the lowest number of fruits plant -1 (3.69), single fruit weight (526.00 g), fruit weight plant (1.96 kg) and fruit yield (21.79 t ha -1 ) were recorded from control treatment P 0 . Similarly, regarding N treatments, the highest number of fruits plant -1 (4.12), single fruit weight (620.70 g), fruit weight plant -1 (2.56 kg) and fruit yield (28.49 t ha -1 -1 ) were recorded from the treatment N 2 whereas, control treatment N 0 showed lowest number of fruits plant -1 (3.46), single fruit weight (474.90 g), fruit weight plant -1 (1.64 kg) and fruit yield (18.26 t ha -1 ). Treatment combination of male flower pruning and nitrogen application, P 2 N 2 gave the highest number of fruits plant -1 (4.26), single fruit weight (648.20 g), fruit weight plant -1 (2.76 kg) and fruit yield (30.70 t ha -1 ) was found from the treatment combination of whereas the lowest number of fruits plant (3.32), single fruit weight (451.60 g), fruit weight plant -1 and N 2 -1 (1.50 kg) and fruit yield (16.68 t ha ) was found from P 0 N 0 . So, it can be concluded that the treatment combination of P 2

(male flower pruning at 35 DAT with 90 kg N ha -1 ) have significant positive effect on growth and yield of squash and this treatment combination can be considered as the best compared to all other treatment combinations.