Abstract
Pumpkin (<em>Cucurbita pepo</em> L.) is a medicinal plant recently under common cultivation in Iran. The seeds and its products are used in the treatment of some diseases. Due to the lack of information about the intra-row spacing and nutritional demands of the plant a factorial experiment with Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications was planned in Azarbaijan Shahid Madani University Research Field in 2013. The treatments were 5 levels of Urea fertilizer (0, 50, 100, 150, 200 kg/ha nitrogen), and intra-row spacing in 3 levels (30, 60 and 90 cm). The result showed that interaction effects of intra-row spacing and nitrogen treatment had significant effect on some morphological traits such as plant height, number of auxiliary branches and leaf number per plant. Application of 200 kg/ha nitrogen increased the plant height, the number for auxiliary branches and leaves as well as the leaves dry mass, mainly due to the prolonged vegetative growth period and delayed flowering and fruiting. 150 kg/ha nitrogen combined with 60 cm intra-row spacing hold the highest number of female flowers, fruit number and intact fruit number and fruit fresh weight, and the highest dry weight of the intact seeds. The results for some physiological traits showed that interaction effects of nitrogen and intra-row spacing had significant effects on chlorophyll b at the late stages of flowering period and the contents for chlorophyll a and carotenoids were significant at the end of growing season. The highest oil content was recorded in 150 kg/ha nitrogen and 60 cm intra-row spacing. Based on results obtained, 150 kg/ha nitrogen and 60 cm intra-row spacing were the best regime for the production of this plant.
Highlights
Nowadays, the importance of medicinal plants is thoroughly known to everyone
To study the effect of different levels of nitrogen fertilizer and planting density, after discarding margins, three random samples were selected from each experimental unit and were analyzed for the following characteristics: plant height, number of auxiliary branches, leaves, the number of male and female flowers, intact fruits of each plant, fruits mass, fruit yield, mass of the intact dry seeds, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and carotenoids contents
The interaction effects of nitrogen fertilizer and intra-row spacing on the height of the pumpkin was significant at 1 % level of probability (Table 1)
Summary
The importance of medicinal plants is thoroughly known to everyone. Millions of people worldwide are active in planting, harvesting and processing of medicinal plants (Stepleton et al, 2000). Medicinal pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L.) is an important annual plant that belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family (Ebadi et al, 2008). The seeds of pumpkin contain medicinal raw materials that are used for producing some pharmaceutical products such as people to overcome prostatic hypertrophy and urinary tract irritation (Horvath and Bedo, 1998; Younis and Al-Shihry, 2000). Studies on plant density have shown that this agronomic criterion can influence plant development, growth and the marketable yield (Khasmakhi-Sabet et al, 2009). Plant density is one of the main factors determining seed yield in pumpkin (Ebadi et al, 2008). Plant density is one of the main factors determining seed yield in pumpkin (Ebadi et al, 2008). Abdi et al (2012)
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