Plant Density Affects Yield and Quality of Confectionery Pumpkin Seeds

Abstract

The influence of plant density on yield of three confectionery seed pumpkin accessions was investigated under non-irrigated field conditions. Seeds of Golden Delicious (GD), open-pollinated Chinese snow-white seed (CS), and a selection from Austrian hull-less (HL) pumpkin were planted 30, 60, and 90 cm apart in rows that were 127 cm apart with seedlings thinned to one plant per hill. Plants were grown from 23 May to 18 Sept. One fruit per plant was harvested from five plants for each of the three replications. The number of seeds (and dry weight of seed) per fruit were 242 (59 g), 304 (87 g), and 334 (106 g), respectively, at 30, 60, and 90 cm spacing for GD. The number of seeds (and dry weight of seed) per fruit were 219 (108 g), 266 (108 g), and 258 (106 g), respectively, at 30, 60, and 90 cm spacing for CS. The number of seeds (and dry weight of seed) per fruit were 376 (76 g), 404 (94 g), and 304 (82 g), respectively, at 30, 60, and 90 cm spacing for HL. Highest seed yield was at 60 cm plant spacing for CS and HL, whereas GD produced highest seed yield at 90 cm plant spacing. The differences in total seed yield, seed size, and confectionery seed quality, as influenced by plant density and seed source, were also characterized.