Response of Squash Plants (Cucurbita pepo L.) to Foliar Spray with Methylotrophic Bacteria, Methanol and their Combination under Protected Cultivation

Abstract

Two field experiments were carried out during the two successive seasons of 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 at the experimental Farm at Kaha Vegetable Research Farm, El-Kaluobia Governorate Horticulture Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center (ARC), Egypt, under greenhouse. The study aimed to investigate the response of squash to foliar spray with methylotrophic bacteria (10 cm3/l), methanol (20%) and the combination between the them addition to the control treatment on vegetative growth, productivity and chemical composition of Pera squash cultivar. A complete randomized block design with three replicates was used. The foliar spray treatments were carried out six times during the growing seasons. The first spray was followed after 20 days after transplanting, then others were applied each two weeks. The obtained results indicated that, foliar spraying of the plants with methylotrophic bacteria plus methanol reflected the greatest values of vegetative growth, fruit yield and its components as well as the physical fruit quality.