STIMULATION GROWTH AND PRODUCTIVITY OF Cucurbita moschata UNDER RECLAIMED SALINE SOIL CONDITION BY USING SULPHUR SOIL APPLICATION AND ASCORBIC ACID FOLIAR SPRAY

Abstract

The effects of soil application with sulphur (SAS) at a rate of 200 kg fed–1 and/or foliar application with 0, 1 or 2 mM of ascorbic acid (FAA) on the growth, fruit yield and yield components, the concentrations of potassium (K), sodium (Na), sulphur (S) and ascorbic acid (AsA), and the ratio of K/Na of pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata Duchesne) plants grown on a newly-reclaimed saline soil were investigated. Two field experiments (2012 and 2013) were performed on a newly-reclaimed saline soil using a design of completely randomized blocks with six treatments, each with four replicates. Results indicated that SAS and/or FAA increased growth traits (i.e., stem length, canopy dry weight plant–1, number of leaves plant–1, average leaf area and total leaf area plant–1), fruit yield and yield quality (i.e., fruit length and diameter, flesh thickness, TSS, average fruit weight and fruit yield fed–1), leaf concentrations of N, P, K, S and AsA, and K/Na ratio. In contrast, leaf concentration of Na was reduced as a result of SAS and/or FAA. SAS and FAA, therefore, have the potential to be used as a soil and foliar applications, respectively for pumpkin to overcome the adverse effects of the newly-reclaimed saline soils.