Squash Yield Research Articles

EFFECT OF VERMICOMPOST AND BIOFERTILIZATION ON THE AVAILABILITY OF SOME SOIL NUTRIENTS, GROWTH AND YIELD OF SQUASH (Cucurbita pepo L.)

A field experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of four application methods of vermicompost tea (without application, ground application, foliar spray, combination of - ground application + foliar spray) , four types of biofertilization (without application, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Bacillus megaterium, the combination consisting of S. maltophilia + B. megagaterium), and two levels (0, 50%) of the fertilizer recommendation in the availability of some soil nutrients and on the growth and yield of squash using as randomized complete block design with three replications. The results showed that the triple interaction of the combination of application vermicompost tea with the combination of biofertilizer and 50% of mineral fertilizer was effect significantly and gave the highest values for some vegetative growth parameters. Which included the dry weight of the vegetative part, the length and weight of the root, and total yield which amounted 196.35 g plant-1, 65.33 cm, 60.31 g plant-1, 45.14 Mgha-1, respectively. the available of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium in soil at the end of the experiment, which amounted 60.56, 38.20 and 191.38 mg kg-1soil in comparison with the treatment without addition, which gave the lowest rates.

Optimizing Growing Condition And Planting Date For Growth, Yield And Quality Of Squash In Bangladesh

Optimizing Growing Condition And Planting Date For Growth, Yield And Quality Of Squash In Bangladesh

Row covers limit pests and disease and increase profit in organic acorn squash

Organic cucurbit growers face many challenges to production including insect pests, insect-vectored diseases, and non-vectored diseases. While Organic Material Review Institute (OMRI) -listed pesticides underperform at suppressing pests and diseases, some alternative pest management strategies hold promise, but little research exists on their cost-effectiveness. We compared the efficacy of mesotunnel systems (nylon-mesh netting row covers deployed over bent metal hoops) and OMRI-listed pesticides (fungicides and insecticides) on acorn squash across 2 years. During the early part of the season, before row covers were removed for pollination, we found 1.7 (2020) and 0.3 (2021) times more cucumber beetles in the uncovered plots compared to the mesotunnels. Powdery mildew incidence was 36 and 25% lower under the mesotunnels compared to the uncovered plots in 2020 and 2021, respectively. Marketable yield of acorn squash was 46–54% higher in the mesotunnels compared to the uncovered treatments. OMRI-listed pesticide treatments reduced powdery mildew incidence compared to untreated control treatments. However, for pest presence, OMRI-listed pesticide treatments did not differ from untreated control treatments in either year, nor did it differ in marketable yield in 2020. Finally, the mesotunnel-only system was 47% more profitable compared to the OMRI-listed pesticide treatment and 47% more profitable compared to the uncovered plots. These results highlight mesotunnels as an economically viable pest management strategy for organic cucurbit growers in the U.S.

Growth and Yield of Summer Squash (Cucurbita pepo L.) as Influenced by Different Coloured Plastic Mulches in the Tarai Region of Uttarakhand

Summer squash is a short-duration vegetable crop with off-season nature and high economic returns per unit area. However, the early crop growth season encounters a number of abiotic stresses like low temperature and frost, which adversely affect the marketable yield and quality of the fruits. This dependency on natural factors restricts the scope of its profitable cultivation, thereby making it necessary to bring more area under protected cultivation. Coloured plastic mulches are an important component of protected cultivation, which are designed to modify the microclimate at the plant and soil levels so as to increase crop production and productivity, as well as quality of the produce, to meet the demands of the consumers. Keeping these considerations in view, the present field investigation was conducted at the Vegetable Research Centre of G. B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar (Uttarakhand) during the rabi season of 2019-20 to study the effect of different coloured plastic mulches on the growth and yield of summer squash (Cucurbita pepo L.). The experiment comprised nine treatments (bi-coloured plastic mulches) replicated thrice in a randomised block design. Results revealed that use of different coloured plastic films significantly influenced the growth and yield parameters of summer squash. Red coloured plastic mulch (V1) recorded the maximum values for fruit length (30.78 cm), fruit yield plant-1 (1975.8 g), fruit yield plot-1 (39.51 kg) and total marketable fruit yield (365.52 q ha-1), while biodegradable film of silver-black colour (V7) and black plastic mulch (V4) recorded the maximum plant height (cm) and plant spread (cm), respectively. The maximum diameter of the fruit (110.13 mm) was recorded under black coloured plastic mulch. Considering the prevalent climatic conditions of the tarai region of Uttarakhand, red coloured plastic mulch can be recommended for commercial cultivation of summer squash for obtaining higher fruit yields.

Vermifiltration and sustainable agriculture: unveiling the soil health-boosting potential of liquid waste vermicompost

Vermifiltration is a promising technique that can help recover nutrients from wastewater for further use in agriculture. We conducted a field experiment to assess the effectiveness of vermicompost produced from the vermifiltration of liquid waste (manure and food production waste) and how it can affect the soil health and yield of a squash crop. We tested the effect of three rates of vermicompost (low, medium, and high) applied over two consecutive years and measured physical, chemical, and biological soil health indicators, squash yield, and nutritional status. The results showed that the use of vermicompost, especially at a high rate, increased total soil carbon, total nitrogen, potentially mineralizable nitrogen, and particulate organic matter, as well as the activity of C-N-P cycling enzymes, as compared to a control with only inorganic fertilization. The yield of the squash crop remained stable, while the crop nutritional value improved as the levels of boron and copper in the treated squash increased. These findings indicate an improvement in soil health after the use of vermicompost. Overall, results strongly support using this type of vermicompost as a sustainable management approach to recycle nutrients and enhance soil health.

Intercropping Industrial Hemp and Cowpea Enhances the Yield of Squash—A Pollinator-Dependent Crop

Cultural crop-production practices are not only engineered to minimize pest incidence but also improve resource use efficiency and increase the diversity of habitat for beneficial insects that provide pollination services. With the increasing cultivation of industrial hemp and the benefits associated with the cultivation of multiple crops, its integration into a polyculture cropping system remains to be evaluated. We intercropped two pollinator-attractive crops, hemp and cowpea, with squash, a pollinator-dependent crop, to evaluate the impact of pollinator abundance and diversity on crop yield. Intercropping significantly increased the overall abundance of pollinators with 79.1% recorded from the intercropping systems compared to 21.9% in the monocropping systems. Sweat bees and bumble bees were the most abundant bees, and Squash+Cowpea was the most diverse cropping system. Intercropping significantly increased the yield of squash with higher squash yield (155%) in Hemp+Squash and (161%) in Squash+Cowpea than in squash monocrop. Also, intercropping resulted in higher hemp yield (64%) in Hemp+Cowpea and (165%) in Hemp+Squash compared to hemp monocrop. This study demonstrated that agricultural systems such as intercropping that are designed to attract pollinators are much more productive by not only improving crop yield but also growers’ returns on investments.

Effect of Organic Manure and Bio-Fertilizers on Growth and Yield of Summer Squash (Cucurbita pepo L.)

The present investigation was conducted during 2022 at DAV University, Jalandhar, to find out the effect of organic manure and bio-fertilizer on growth and yield of summer squash (Cucurbita pepo L.). The experiment consisted of twelve treatments viz. T1 (FYM @ 20 t/ha), T2 (vermicompost @ 5 t/ha), T3 (Neem cake @ 2.5 t/ha), T4 (Azotobacter @ 4 kg/ha), T5 (Azotobacter @ 2 kg/ha + FYM @ 10 t/ha), T6 (Azotobacter @ 2 kg/ha + vermicompost @2.5 t/ha), T7 (Azotobacter @ 2 kg/ha + neem cake @1.25 t/ha), T8 (PSB @ 4 kg/ha), T9 (PSB @ 4 kg/ha + FYM @ 20 t/ha), T10 (PSB @ 4 kg/ha + vermicompost @ 5 t/ha), T11 (PSB @ 4 kg/ha + Neem cake @ 2.5 t/ha), T12 (Control : RDF 60:125:25 kg NPK) and one variety (Green ball) and laid in RBD with three replications. Observations were recorded on growth parameters like plant height, number of days to male flower appearance, number of days to female flower appearance, number of days to fruit set, number of days to fruit harvest, sex ratio, number of branches, number of fruits per plant per picking, average fruit weight (g), yield parameter like marketable yield (q/ha) and quality parameter like TSS. It was observed that plants which were treated with (T6) Azotobacter @ 2 kg/ha + vermicompost @ 2.5 t/ha resulted better in most of the growth, yield and quality parameters.

Growth and Nutritional Responses of Zucchini Squash to a Novel Consortium of Six Bacillus sp. Strains Used as a Biostimulant

The use of biostimulants consisting of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) has been rapidly expanding in horticulture in recent years. In the current study, a novel mix of six Bacillus sp. strains (B. subtilis, B. pumilus, B. megaterium, B. amyloliquefaciens, B. velezensis, B. licheniformis) was tested as a PGPR biostimulant in two experiments with zucchini squash (Cucurbita pepo L.). The first experiment took place in greenhouse soil in winter, while the second experiment was conducted in an open field during summer. In both experiments, seeds of the local landrace “Kompokolokytho” and the commercial hybrid “ARO-800” were either inoculated or non-inoculated with the PGPR biostimulant. The application of the six Bacillus sp. strains increased both the vegetative growth and the yield of zucchini squash, and these effects were associated with significantly higher shoot phosphorus levels in both experiments and both genotypes. Furthermore, at the end of the cultivation, the colony-forming units of Bacillus sp. were appreciably higher in plants originating from inoculated compared to non-inoculated seeds, indicating that the tested mix of Bacillus sp. can be successfully applied through seed inoculation. “ARO-800” produced more vegetative and fruit biomass than “Κompokolokytho” under greenhouse cropping conditions, while in the open field crop, both genotypes performed equally. Presumably, this response occurred because “ARO-800” did not express its full yield potential in the open field due to stress imposed by the high summer temperatures, while the local landrace, which is traditionally grown in open fields, may be more resilient to stress conditions frequently encountered in open fields.

Effect of Plant Spacing and Mulching on Growth, Yield and Quality of Squash

An experiment was conducted at the Vegetable Research field of Horticulture Research Centre Division, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Gazipur, Bangladesh, during October 2018 to February 2019to find out the effect of plant spacingand mulchon yield and yield attributes of squash. The experiment comprised two sets of treatments viz., (a) Plant spacing:(i) 1 m × 0.8 m (S1); (ii) 1 m × 1 m (S2) and 1m × 1.5 (S3) and (b)Mulch: (i) No mulch (M1); (ii) Straw mulch(M2) and (iii)Polythene mulch (M3) in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The variety BARI squash-1 was used in this experiment. The results showed that 1m × 1.5 plant spacing showed significantly the highest yield attributes and quality parameters but 1m × 1 m plant spacing showed significantly the highest yield ha-1. Polythene mulch showed significantly the highest fruit plant-1, yield plant-1 and yield ha-1. Fruit size, individual fruit weight and quality parameter did not show any significant difference irrespective of mulching. The interaction between plant spacing and mulch was significant for yield and quality parameters. Based on the study results it is concluded that maximum yield (50.20 t ha-1) was achieved through 1m × 1 m plant spacing with polythene much but higher TSS and vitamin C was found through 1m × 1.5 m plant spacing with polythene much. SAARC J. Agric., 21(2): 251-261 (2023)

Productivity of Summer Squash (Cucurbita pepo L.) under Trench Protected Structure in Cold Desert Ladakh, India

Early growing season and later harvest season encounter with low temperatures restricting summer squash cultivation commercially in Ladakh. Summer squash cultivation in Ladakh have generally been restricted to limited pockets due to lack of awareness about technological advancement like cultivars and proper protected structure. Moreover, poor quality planting material is also responsible for low productivity even in protected structures. Hence, varietal trial under trenches was conducted with a view to improve yield and availability period. Results revealed that summer squash var. All Green was highest yielder (1206.875 Q/ha) with highest fruit weight (1.838 kg) and number of marketable fruits (5.75). More than 200 per cent increase in summer squash yield is observed in trenches with variety All Green as compared to variety Australian Green. Therefore, production technology comprising trench and summer squash variety All Green might be up-scaled to similar climatic condition with high wind velocity to enhance farm income of the farmers.

Response of growth performance and yield of butternut squash(Cucurbita moschata Duch Ex Poir) cultivar Waltham under differentdosages of bokashi application

Butternut squash, also known as Cucurbita moschata, is a variety of pumpkin with promising commercial potential. However,most of the soils in the tropics are acidic and lack organic matter.The addition of organic material such as bokashi is essential inimproving the low soil pH and soil quality. Therefore, this study aimed to elucidate the effects of different rates of bokashi application on the growth performance and yield of butternut squash cultivated on tropical acid soil. A planting experiment was carried out from July until October 2022. A total of 36 planting beds were prepared, and each bed was constructed in 100 cm x 400 cm, consisting of 8 plants bed-1. The experiment was arranged in a Randomized Complete Block design. A total of three different rates of bokashi were applied to the soil prior to planting, namely 0 (control), 4,000, and 8,000 kg ha-1. A 12,000 kg ha-1 of commercial peat moss (Holland Free Peat) was also applied to compare bokashi and peat moss (the common planting medium used in most planting activities). The maximum plant height growth and leaf production for butternut squash was around 7-8th week. Application rate of 8,000 kg ha-1 bokashi contributed to significantly highest plant height (352.1 cm), number of leaves (86 leaves), and yield of Waltham butter squash per plant (1.5 kg plant-1). Multiple planting cycles should be carried out further to elucidate the bokashi's residual effect on nutrient supply to butternut squash cultivation.

Yield and fruit chemical constituents of squash as affected by organic, bio-, and N mineral fertilizer

Yield and fruit chemical constituents of squash as affected by organic, bio-, and N mineral fertilizer

Site Factors Related to Dry Farm Vegetable Productivity and Quality in the Willamette Valley of Oregon

Dry farming has been defined as rainfed crop production in a climate with more than 20 inches of annual precipitation, but where most precipitation falls outside the growing season. Dry farming is garnering interest in the western United States because it allows farmers to produce crops despite a lack of access to irrigation or water rights or to eliminate the infrastructure, labor, and energy costs of irrigation systems. Sites have differing suitability for dry farming, and some sites that can be farmed with irrigation will perform poorly when dry-farmed. To determine site factors associated with dry farm yield and fruit quality, trials of ‘Early Girl’ tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and ‘North Georgia Candy Roaster’ winter squash (Cucurbita maxima) were conducted at 17 participant farms in the Willamette Valley in Oregon, USA, in 2018 and 2019. The mean blossom-end rot (BER) incidence was higher in the Willamette Valley than in coastal California; this was probably because of the Willamette Valley’s hotter and drier climate. Increasing the available water-holding capacity of soil, total available water (available water-holding capacity of the soil plus in-season rainfall), native productivity rating, soil pH (0–6 inches and 24–36 inches), soil nutrient concentrations (0–6 inches and 24–36 inches), and in-season rainfall were positively associated with at least one measure of tomato or winter squash yield, fruit number, or average fruit weight. An earlier planting date was positively associated with winter squash total yield and total fruit number in 2019. The water-limited yield potential (the total yield potential if water was the only limiting factor) for 20-ft2/plant plots was estimated to be 2.2 tons/acre per inch for tomato and 2.8 tons/acre per inch for winter squash. In 2019, high-density plantings (20 ft2/plant) had higher tomato and winter squash mean total yields, mean total fruit numbers, and mean tomato unblemished yield than low-density plantings (40 ft2/plant). In 2019, planting tomato at 20 ft2/plant decreased the mean BER incidence by 15.6% when compared with planting tomato at 40 ft2/plant.

Impact of plant growth regulators on growth and yield of summer squash (Cucurbita pepo L.)

Impact of plant growth regulators on growth and yield of summer squash (Cucurbita pepo L.)

Influences of different plant spacing on growth and yield of summer squash (Cucurbita pepo L.)

In summer squash correct spacing is one of the most vital factors in agricultural plant growth because it helps plants to develop to their maximum potential above and below ground. Plant density is another major factor influencing production. Inter-species competition, in general, reduces production at too high populations. However, with very low populations, environmental elements such as light, space, water, and soil are not properly exploited, resulting in an overall decrease in yield. A field experiment was conducted during July - September in 2022, at the farmer’s field at Sorakalnatham, Natrampalli taluk, Tirupattur district, Tamil Nadu. The experimental design used was randomized block layout with three replications and four treatments. In respect of growth parameter wider plant spacing T4 (2m x 1m) i.e., lower plant density produced maximum plant height (69.52 cm), number of branches/plant (3.63), number of leaves/plant (17.85) and number nodes/plant (15.39). The flowering characters was lowest value was recorded in wider plant spacing viz., days to first male flower (28.49), days to first female flower (33.42), and lowest number of male flower/plant (25.46), highest number of female flower plant-1 (7.79). And also yield parameters of fruit length (41.94 cm), fruit girth (33.54 cm), single fruit weight (1.29 kg), number of fruits/plant (5.45) and fruit yield/plant (6.51 kg) was maximum was produced in wider plant spacing except fruit yield/ha (54.15 t/ha) at closer spacing. The above said treatment was found to be on par with the treatment T3 (2m x 0.5m).

Effect of adding vermicompost, ammonium sulfate and fertilizer batches on the absorbed amounts of some nutrients and the yield and quality of summer squash

A field experiment was conducted at one of the research stations of the College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences / University of Baghdad in the Al-Jadiriyah region for the autumn season of 2021, located within latitude 33.27 north and longitude 44.39 east in Silty Loam soil with a split -split plot design with three replicates. To study the effect of adding vermicompost and ammonium sulfate fertilizers and batches on the yield and quality of summer squash, nitrogen fertilizer was added at three levels (100%, 0, 50%) from the fertilizer recommendation (0, 80, 160) kg N ha-1 (N0, N1, N2). ), using ammonium sulfate fertilizer containing (21% N) and organic fertilizer (vermicompost) were added at three levels (0, 5, 10) Mg ha-1 (V0, V1, V2) respectively, fertilizers were added in two batches after (10, 20) days of planting and three batches after (10,20 and 40) days of planting. The first batch was added after 10 days of planting. The concentration (N and P) in the fruits were measured, the amount of the total yield, the percentage of protein, the percentage of total soluble solids (TSS) and fruit hardness. The results showed the significant effect of adding vermicompost and ammonium sulfate fertilizers, the number of batches on the amount of nitrogen and phosphorous absorbed in the fruits, the total yield, the percentage of protein in the fruits, the percentage of total soluble solids (TSS) and the hardness of the fruits. The treatment P2V2N1 excelled and gave the highest amount of nitrogen absorbed in the fruits, which was 1995 kg N ha-1. Phosphorous absorbed in the fruits amounted to 172.10 kg P ha-1 and the highest total yield reached 21.53 Mg ha-1 . The percentage of protein in the fruits amounted to 36.63%, the percentage of total soluble solids TSS amounted to 4.90%, and the hardness of the fruits amounted to 10.27 B. From this, we conclude that by adding nitrogen fertilizer at the first level (N1) (80 kg N ha-1 ) and organic fertilizer (V2) (10 Mg ha-1 ) and in two batches (P2) we got the highest yield and the highest qualitative traits of hardness, protein percentage and TSS. Thus, we conclude that the organic fertilizer improved the qualitative traits, gave the highest yield and compensated for a part of the mineral fertilizer. The organic fertilizer has a role in raising the absorption efficiency of (N and P). Keywords: vermicompost fertilizer, ammonium sulfate fertilizer, summer squash.

Efficacy of five nematicides against root-knot nematode when applied via single and double drip tapes in a Florida sandy soil.

The efficacy of drip-applied nematicides depends on adequate product distribution, which can be difficult in sandy soils. Three new non-fumigant nematicides (fluazaindolizine, fluensulfone, fluopyram), together with two old nematicides, oxamyl and metam potassium, were evaluated when applied via single and double drip tapes to control root-knot nematode in cucumber and squash in Florida between February 2020 and December 2022. Nematicide applications via double drip tapes resulted in lower root gall infection (and tend to have higher yield) as compared to a single tape for fluopyram, but no difference was noted between single and double tapes for oxamyl and fluazaindolizine. Fluensulfone response was somewhere in between and metam potassium had higher squash yield when applied with double tapes. Root-knot infection was higher in cucumber than in squash, and metam potassium had the highest yields and lowest nematode infection compared to other nematicide treatments. The benefit of double versus single drip tapes depended on the type of nematicide that was applied and was evident for nematicides that have poor water solubility like fluopyram. Some benefit was noted for metam potassium, but no or limited benefit was noted for oxamyl, fluazaindolizine and fluensulfone. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Zucchini squash yield response to fertilization with different doses and sources of Potassium

Potassium (K) is essential nutrient to the physiological and biochemical activities of plants, acting in the cation-anion balance, water movement, osmoregulation, and transference of energy. This study aimed to evaluate the yield response of the zucchini squash cultivar 'Caserta' to different doses and sources of potassium. The experiment was carried out under field conditions in a complete randomized block experimental design in a 6 x 2 factorial scheme, with six K2O doses (0, 50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 kg ha-1) and two sources (chloride and potassium sulfate), with four replications. The fruit mass, fruit length, number of fruits per plant, total and marketable fruit yields were evaluated. The results showed that the sulfate and potassium chloride sources promoted the maximum length and number of fruits per plant. K2O fertilization in the form of potassium sulfate promoted higher mass and total fruit yield. The doses of 108.41 and 130.78 kg ha-1 of K2O in the chloride and potassium sulfate sources provided the maximum marketable yield of fruits, with 22.84 and 27.0 t ha-1, respectively. Regardless of the source, potassium fertilization must be provided to increase the production parameters of the zucchini squash 'Caserta' cultivar.

Effects of intercropping marigold, cowpea and an insecticidal soap on whiteflies and aphids in organic squash

AbstractThe silverleaf whitefly MEAM1 (Bemisia tabaci) Gennadius (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), the cowpea aphid (Aphis craccivora Koch), the green peach aphid (Myzus persicae Sulzer) and the melon aphid (Aphis gossypii Glover) Hemiptera: Aphididae are major insect pests of squash (Cucurbita pepo L.), causing significant yield losses of up to 80% in Florida. We hypothesized that intercropping African marigold (Tagetes erecta L.) and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) with zucchini squash will encourage an abundance of beneficial arthropods and increase cultural and biological control against these key insect pests by significantly reducing their populations and consequently improve yields. In a 2‐year field experiment, five treatments were evaluated in a randomized complete block design consisting of four replicates. Three diversified cropping treatments were implemented: (1) intercropping squash with marigold, (2) intercropping squash with cowpea, (3) intercropping squash with marigold and cowpea (mixed). These treatments were compared with an organic grower standard insecticide, (4) M‐Pede (potassium salts of naturally derived fatty acids) sprayed on monocropped squash and (5) monocropped squash with no pest management (control). Results indicated that squash intercropped with marigolds accounted for the highest marketable yields. Squash intercropped with cowpea had marginally high yields but attracted the highest densities of aphids. M‐Pede did not increase squash yields, but reduced aphids, whiteflies and associated squash silverleaf (SSL) disorder ratings and showed no deleterious effect on populations of natural enemies. We conclude that a mixture of marigold and cowpea could be used to suppress pests by increasing beneficial arthropod diversity while enhancing marketable yields of organic squash. M‐Pede could be used as a last resort when experiencing high hemipteran pressure.

Effect of Irrigation with Treated Wastewater on Squash Yields, Soil Chemical and Microbial Properties

n this study, the effects of irrigation with treated wastewater (TWW) on soil chemical, microbiological, and yield of squash were investigated. Squash seedlings (Cucurbita pepo) were irrigated using conventional irrigation water (CIW), treated wastewater (TWW), and blended irrigation water (BIW). The drip irrigation system was used to irrigate Squash with CIW, TWW, and BIW. The concentration of all chemical and microbial irrigation water characteristics was falling within the limits of Jordanian standards (JS893/2021), except for turbidity and boron. Pathogens indicators such as Salmonella, and Helminth eggs were not found in TWW. TWW-irrigated plots had significant differences in electrical conductivity, organic carbon, total nitrogen, and sodium adsorption ratio (SAR). Total coliform and Escherichia coli (E. coli) contents increased significantly within TWW-irrigated plots. Squash’s fresh yield weight irrigated with TWW showed no significant difference compared with CIW. TWW and BIW treatments had a tendency toward lower fruit numbers than CIW. E. coli was not significantly different on the surface of squash fruits, while Total coliform increased significantly for fruits within the TWW-irrigated plots.