Vol. 11, Issue 9 (2022)

Author(s):
RD Sawale, DR Bhanderi, RV Tank, VK Parmar, KD Desai and YA Garde

Abstract:
An experiment, "Effect of sowing time and spacing on growth, yield and quality of winter squash (Cucurbita maxima D.) cv. Arka Suryamukhi under South Gujarat condition" was conducted during winter 2020-2021 and 2021- 2022 at Vegetable Research Farm, RHRS, ASPEE College of Horticulture and Forestry, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari, Gujarat, India. The experiment comprised of four sowing time viz., P1: 1st fortnight of December, P2: 2^nd fortnight of December, P3: 1st fortnight of January and P4: 2nd fortnight of January and three spacings viz., S1: 2.0 m x 0.5 m, S2: 2.0 m x 0.75 m and S3: 2.0 m x 1.0 m and laid out in Split Plot Design with four replications. Impact of sowing time and spacing was studied on growth and yield parameters and recorded that sowing at first fortnight of December produced significantly higher number of primary branches vine^-1, vine length, number of nodes on main vine, minimum internodal length, early number of nodes on first male flower appearance, early number of nodes on first female flower appearance, days required for first male flower appearance and days required for first female flower appearance. In case of spacing, significantly higher number of primary branches vine^-1, vine length, minimum days required for first male flower appearance, days required for first female flower appearance. Whereas, shorter internodal, early appearance of node number on first male flower, early appearance of node number on first female flower and higher number of nodes on main vine noticed in spacing 2.0 m x 0.5 m. In case of yield the results showed that, higher fruit yield (20.88, 21.91 and 21.39 t ha^-1) was recorded sowing at 1st fortnight of December. Whereas, spacing 2.0 m x 0.5 m (S1) observed higher fruit yield (17.28, 18.61 and 17.95 t ha^-1). Whereas, the interaction effect of sowing at 1st fortnight of December with spacing 2.0 m x 0.5 m recorded the significantly highest fruit yield (24.41 t/ha).