Yield and quality parameters of Hokkaido type pumpkins grown in Serbia

Abstract

investigated parameters, and to distinguish those with the most important contribution to the pumpkin variability. The analysis revealed strong correlations among yield per plant, fruit weight and length of the main stem. Carotenoids content and pH also correlated to yield, while the other quality parameters correlated to each other. Defining both first and second principal components, yield per plant and fruit weight were the parameters with the highest contribution to the variability among the assessed pumpkins. Concerning quality parameters, fruit flesh dry weight contributed the most to the variability. Therefore, the strategy for breeding Hokkaido type pumpkins adapted to Serbian environmental conditions should be based on combining irrespectively selected high-yield and high-quality accessions.

Effect of Agroecological Conditions on Biologically Active Compounds and Metabolome in Carrot

“…Our results confirm the observation of Paoletti et al (2012) [ 69 ] who documented that the content of β-carotene can differ by 24% between individual crop years. Similarly, other studies brought evidence on the effect of the crop year on the carotene content of potato tubers and Hokkaido-type pumpkin attributing the effect to the growth temperature [ 70 , 71 ]. The average temperatures during the vegetation period of 2013 were up to 5 °C higher compared to the 30-year average value ( Figures S1 and S2 ), so we can speculate that the growth temperature significantly influenced the β- to α-carotene ratio, perhaps by affecting the activities of phytoene synthase ε-lycopene cyclase in carotene biosynthesis [ 72 , 73 , 74 , 75 ].…”