Biometrics and Productivity of Pumpkins in Different Soil Management

Abstract

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in sustainable agricultural production, aimed at cleaner production, with less soil degradation, with pollution control and greater social responsibility. In this sense, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the biometry and productivity of different cultivars of pumpkins (Cucurbita moschata) cultivated in different soil managements. The experiment was carried out in an area located in the municipality of Acarape, Ceará, where two cultivation systems were used, they were: conventional and in alleys and three pumpkin cultivars, using a completely randomized design with split and subdivided plots. The biometric analyzes contemplated the determination of the stem diameter (ST) and the height of the plants (HP) along the time of cultivation. The dry mass of shoot (DMS), stem (DMST), root (DMR) and leaf area (LA) were also evaluated. In the fruits, the number of seeds (NS), the dry mass of the seeds (DMSS) and the productivity (P) were evaluated. Higher values of root height and dry mass were found in plants cultivated under conventional management. This fact, however, was not observed analyzing the factor cultivars alone. Among the cultivars, Sergipe presented higher values of DMS. The isolated environmental factor did not influence the seed dry mass and productivity variables. However, the interaction between cultivars and soil management was significant for NS, DMSS and P. It was concluded that, for greater productivity, it is recommended to cultivate the pumpkin cultivar moranga in the conventional environment.