Effect of Irrigation Intervals, Black Plastic Mulch and Biofertilizers on Quantitative and Qualitative Characteristics of Pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L.)

پژوهشهای زراعی ایران

Article 7, Volume 15, Issue 2 - Serial Number 46, July 2017, Pages 399-412   

Document Type: Research Article

DOI: 10.22067/gsc.v15i2.51667

Authors

H Abbasi¹; M AghaAlikhani^{* 1}; J Hamzei²

¹Tarbiat Modarres University

²Bu-Ali Sina University

Abstract

Introduction Pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo var. Styriaca) is one of the medicinal plants belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family. It is valuable in terms of seed oil and its fatty acids. The seed oil of this crop is widely used in the pharmaceutical industry. Reduction of agrochemicals (herbicides and fertilizers) is considered as research priority in medicinal plants production. Therefore, the selected practices and inputs should be environmentally sound, cost-effective and lead to high yield. Because of large inter-row space in pumpkin field, there is vast area of the bare soil which leads to weed establishment and loss of soil moisture. It seems that black plastic mulch protects soil moisture and controls weeds, thus increases seed yield. Also, biofertilizers due to available micronutrients, solubility of phosphorus, biological nitrogen fixation and phyto-hormones production increase the yield and improve the quality characteristics such as the seed oil and seed protein content. Therefore, in this research, the effect of black plastic mulch and biofertilizer on yield and quality of pumpkin under different irrigation intervals were studied.
Materials and Methods This experiment was carried out as split plot factorial based on randomized complete block design with three replications at Agricultural Research Station, Bu-Ali Sina University of Hamedan during 2013 growing season. Treatments were included two irrigation intervals (I1: 7 days and I2: 12 days interval), black plastic mulch in two levels (M1: mulch and M2: no mulch), and four fertilizer regimes (F1: Supply 25% of nitrogen and phosphorus requirements of plants from chemical sources (urea + triple super phosphate) + biofertilizers (nitroxin+bio-phosphate), F2: Supply 50% of nitrogen and phosphorus requirements of plants from chemical sources + biofertilizers, F3: Supply 75% of nitrogen and phosphorus requirements of plants from chemical sources + biofertilizers and F4: Supply 100% of nitrogen and phosphorus requirements of plants from chemical sources). , Biological yield, fruit yield, seed yield, harvest index, seed oil percent and oil yield, seed protein percent and protein yield and fatty acid profile were measured in the end of growing season. Harvest index was calculated by dividing the seed yield to biological yield. The seed oil was extracted by using the Soxhlet method and seed protein content was measured by Kjeldahl method. Fatty acids profile were also determined using gas chromatography device (GC) based on Metcalf et al. method. Data were analyzed by using the statistical analysis system (SAS, Ver. 9.2) and means were compared with LSD test at the 5% level of probability.
Results and Discussion Results indicated that more traits of pumpkin were affected by three way interaction. The highest biological yield, seed and oil yield were obtained in the I1M1F3, I2M1F3 and I2M1F3 treatments, respectively. 12 day irrigation interval, using of black plastic mulch and 75% chemical fertilizers + biofertilizers application had the highest protein yield (364.05 kg per hectare). Using of biofertilizers with supply 75% of the nitrogen and phosphorus requirements of plants from chemical sources, provided proper nutritional conditions for plant growth and increased fruit and seed yields. Also, using of black plastic mulch with 12 days irrigation interval increased yield due to the maintenance of soil moisture and weeds control. The major fatty acids in seed oil were unsaturated. The amount of unsaturated fatty acids such as linolenic acid (0.1 to 0.25 %), linoleic acid (36.5 to 57.44 %), oleic acid (21.5 to 39.5 %), and saturated fatty acids including palmitic acid (8.5 to 14.5%) and stearic acid (5 to 7%) were variable. Other fatty acids in seed oil of pumpkin were including arachidonic, myristic, and palmitoleic acid.
Conclusions The results of this study indicated that I2M1F3 treatment could be introduced as the superior because in the circumstance of this treatment, chemical fertilizer decreased by 25%, weeds were controlled non-chemically and maximum fruit, seed and oil yield with 59554, 1559 and 731 kg per hectare, respectively, were obtained with less water amount. Seed oil of this treatment had 33.89% oleic acid and 44.9% linoleic acid in its fatty acid profile, which could be considered as a high quality oil. Therefore with correct management of inputs such as the replacement of chemical fertilizers by the biofertilizers, reducing water consumption and non-chemical weed control using mulch, acceptable yield will be achieved and our agroecosystem would be closer to sustainable production and development.

Keywords

Biophosphate; Fatty acid; Harvest index; Mulch

References

1. Abdel-Fattah, M. A., and Sorial, M. E. 2000. Sex expression and productivity responses of summer squash to bio-fertilizer application under different nitrogen level. Zagzig Journal of Agricultural Research 27:255-281.

2. Aghaei Okhchelar, R., and Hasanzadeh Ghurt Tappeh, A. 2013. Effect of bio-fertilizers on yield, yield components, oil and protein content of naked-seeds pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo var. Styriaca). Agronomy Journal (Pazhuhesh va Sazandegi) 99: 99-111. (in Persian with English abstract).

3. Alikhani, H., and Saleh Rastin, N. 2001. The Necessity of production of biological fertilizers (PGPR) in order to achieve sustainable agriculture. Nashre Azmoon Press, Karaj. (in Persian).

4. Aroiee, H., and Omidbaigi, R. 2004. Effects of nitrogen fertilizer on productivity of medicinal pumpkin. Acta Horticulturae 629: 415-419.

5. Bennet, O. L., Ahley D. A., and Doss, B. D. 2006. Cotton response to black plastic mulch. Agronomy Journal 58: 57-60.

6. Clarkson, V. A. 1960. Effect of black polyethylene mulch on soil and microclimate temperature and nutrient level. Agronomy Journal 52(6): 307-309.

7. Danaei, M. 2007. Effect of nitrogen fertilizer treatments on yield and oil components in naked-seed pumpkin. Ph.D. Thesis in Agronomy. Islamic Azad University of Roodehen. (in Persian with English abstract).

8. Easson, D. L., and Fearnehough, W. 2000. Effects of plastic mulch, sowing date and cultivar on the yield and maturity of forage maize grown under marginal climatic conditions in Northern Ireland. Grass and Forage Science 55 (3): 221-231.

9. Ebadi, A., Gholipoor, A., and Nik Khah, R. 2008. Effect of pruning and interplant space on yield and yield components of naked-seed pumpkin. Agronomy Journal (Pazhuhesh va Sazandegi) 78: 43-47. (in Persian with English abstract).

10. Eydi Zadeh, Kh., Mahdavi Damghani, A. A., Sabbahi, H., and Soufizadeh, S. 2010. Effects of biological and chemical fertilizers on corn growth in Shoushtar region. Journal of Agroecology 2 (2): 292-301. (in Persian with English abstract).

11. Fruhwirth, G. O., and Hermetter, A. 2008. Production technology and characteristics of Styrian pumpkin seed oil. European Journal of Lipid Science and Technology 110: 637-644.

12. Habibi, A., Heydari, G. H., Sohrabi, Y., Badakhshan, H., and Mohammadi, K. H. 2011. Influence of bio, organic and chemical fertilizers on medicinal pumpkin traits. Journal of Medicinal Plants Research 5: 5590-5597. (in Persian with English abstract).

13. Harvath, S., and Bedo, Z. 1988. Another possibility in treatment of hyperlipidemia with peponen of natural active substance. Mediflora 89: 7-8.

14. Jaafari, P., Mollahoseini, H., and Seilsepoor, M. 2005. Investigation of planting pattern of melon in traditional method and cultivation using plastic mulch. Journal of Research in Agricultural Sciences 2 (2): 61-71. (in Persian).

15. Jahan, M., Nasiri Mahallati, M., Salari, M. D., and Ghorbani, R. 2009. Effects of manure time of application and different kinds of bio-fertilizers on qualitative and quantitative characteristics of naked-seeds pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo var. Styriaca). Iranian Journal of Field Crops Research 8 (4):726-737. (in Persian with English abstract).

16. Karthikeyan, K., Abdul Jaleel, C., and Azooz, M. M. 2009. Individual and combined effects of Azospirillum brasilense and Pseudomonas fluorescens on biomass yield and ajmalicine Production in Catharanthus roseus. Academic Journal of Plant Sciences 2 (2): 69-73.

17. Kasem, M. M., and Mesilby, M. A. 1992. Effect of application treatment of nitrogen fertilizer on sunflower (Heliuntus annus) growth characters. Annals of Agricultural Science 30: 653-663.

18. Kasirajan, S., and Ngouajio, M. 2012. Polyethylene and biodegradable mulches for agricultural applications: a review. Agronomy for sustainable development 32: 501-529.

19. Lamont, W. J. 2005. Plastics: modifying the microclimate for the production of vegetable crops. Horticultural Technology 15: 477-481.

20. Maleki Khezerlou, S., Tahmasebi Sarvestani, Z., and Modarres Sanavi, S.A.M. 2015. Assessment of quantitative and qualitative traits in the pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L.) under water deficit stress induction and nitrogen fertilizer. Iranian Journal of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants 31(5): 853-863. (in Persian with English abstract).

21. McDonald, G. K. 1992. Effect of nitrogen fertilizer on the growth, grain yield and grain protein concentration of wheat. Crop Science 17: 791-793.

22. Mehdipour Afra R., Amiri R. and IranNezhad H. 2014. The effect of polyethylene and organic mulches under irrigation intervals on oil content and fatty acids types of sunflower. Journal of Water Research in Agriculture 28 (1): 129-136. (in Persian).

23. Mehdipour Afra, R., Amiri, R. and IranNezhad, H. 2012. The effect of polyethylene and organic mulches under irrigation intervals on morphological characteristics and seed yield of sunflower. Journal of Agroecology 4 (3): 246-254. (in Persian).

24. Metcalf, L. D., Schmitz, A. A., and Pelka, J. K. 1966. Rapid preparation of fatty acid esters from lipids for gas chromatography analysis. Analytical Chemistry 38: 514-515.

25. Moazzen, Sh., Daneshian J., Valad Abadi S. A., and Baghdadi, H., 2006. Study of plant density and phosphorous rate on some agronomic characters, seed and fruit yield of naked-seed pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L.). Iranian Journal of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants 22 (4): 397-409. (in Persian with English abstract).

26. Najjari, S. 2012. Effect of mycorrhiza, phosphate solubilizing biofertilizer and mineral phosphorus on growth, yield and some seed quality characteristics of naked-seed pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L.). M.Sc. Thesis in Agronomy. Bu Ali Sina University, Hamedan. (in Persian with English abstract).

27. Narula N., Kumar V., Bel R. K., Deubel A., Gransee A., and Merbach W. 2000. Effect of P-solubilizing Azotobacter chroococcum on N, P and K uptake in P-responsive wheat genotypes grown under greenhouse conditions. Journal of Plant Nutrition 163: 393-398.

28. Nastari Nasrabadi, H., Nemmati, S. H., Sobhani, A., and Aroiee, H. 2008. Effect of mulch and irrigation interval on yield and fruit quality of two melon cultivars in Khorasan Razavi province. Journal of Horticultural Science 26 (3): 327-333. (in Persian).

29. Omidbaigi, R. 2011. Processing of Medicinal Plants. Astan Quds Razavi Press. Mashhad. (in Persian).

30. Rahimi, M. M., Noor Mohammadi, Gh., and Ayene Band, A. 2009. The effect of sowing date and nitrogen on yield, yield components and active substances of flaxseed. Seed and Plant Production Journal 25 (2): 79-91. (in Persian).

31. Rahmani, N., ValadAbadi, S. R., Daneshian, J. and Bigdeli, M. 2008. The effects of water deficit stress and nitrogen on oil yield of Calendula officinalis. Iranian Journal of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants 24 (1):101-108. (in Persian with English abstract).

32. Sheikh Mohammadi, M. 2012. Effect of colored plastic mulches on yield and quality of sweet corn and weed competitive ability. M.Sc. Thesis in Agronomy. Islamic Azad University of Varamin. (in Persian).

33. Venkatachalam, M., and Sathe, S. K. 2006. Chemical composition of selected edible nut seeds. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 13: 4705-4714.