The Effect of Plastic Mulch and Low Tunnels on Early Production of Squash (Cucurbitapepo L.)

The research was conducted on hybrid Squash (Nancy F1) at Tishreen University in the growing season of spring 2013 in order to study the effect of ground covering and low tunnels on the early production of squash. The study consisted of four experimental treatments: the control (without covering) and three covering treatments (ground covering using black mulch, ground covering with a low plastic tunnel, and a low plastic tunnel without ground covering). The completely randomized design was used with three replications per treatment and ten plants per replication. The results showed that the covering with a low plastic tunnel was superior to other treatments, resulting in a clear increase in female flowers, the ratio of female flowers to the total flowers, fruit number, and plant production. The results also showed a strong positive correlation between the plant production and the number of female flowers (r=0.999), the number of fruit per plant (r=0.999), the ratio of female flowers to the total flowers (r=0.990) and the total number of flowers (0.995). The correlation with male flowers was however negative (r=-0.954).

التأثير الأليلوباثي لبقايا محصول الخيار Cucumis sativus L والكوسا Cucurbita pepo L في نمو بعض الأعشاب الضارة

التأثير الأليلوباثي لبقايا محصول الخيار Cucumis sativus L والكوسا Cucurbita pepo L في نمو بعض الأعشاب الضارة

Heterosis Study of Some Quantity Characters of Squash Cucurbita pepo, L

This study was conducted at Research Altyba station where belongs GCSAR during 2007-2008. by using nine parental lines and their 36 F1 hybrids, were obtained from 9x9 half diallel design. The study included stem, earliness and yield component characters, in order to estimate of hetrerosis compare to the mid parents, the better parent and to the standard hybrid, and determine the superior hybrids advantage to invest in agricultural production and benefit from as well as in breeding program development yield of squash. Heterosis over mid parent was evident in all yield components, The hybrid (IL3XIL6) exhibited (16.89 ، 57.57%) respectively for the ratio pistilate flower % and fruit number per plant, negative heterobeltiosis (-13.71%) was recorded by the hybrid (IL3XIL8)for the number of nodes to first flower, While the hybrid (IL3XIL5) showed maximum positive and significant heterobeltiosis (13.06 %) for ratio pistilate flower%, and the hybrid (IL3XIL6) for fruit number per plant (59.47 %) Whereas the results showed that, four hybrids had positive and high significant standard heterosis for plant yield, the hybrid (IL6xIL7) and (IL3XIL6) had maximum value (32.38, 28.68% ) respectively

Study of the Most Important Morphological and Productivity Characters of the Inbreed Lines of Squash Cucurbita Pepo L.

In this research, nine inbreed lines of squash (Cucurbita pepo, L) have been studied during 2007-2008 seasons. The study contains plant phonological phases, and the most important morphological and productivity characteristics related to fruit yield to evaluate the characteristics of every line and identify the economical lines to use it in the breeding programs. The study showed genetic variation between the groups for some important economic characteristics as (the number of fruits per plant, percentage of female flowers, yield per plant, stem long and number of nodes till the first female flower). The study also showed that the inbreed lines of squash is a rich source of variation and can be use in a breeding program to product squash hybrid. The results appeared also the positive correlation between the productivity and some important economic characteristics, such as percentage of female flowers (r=0.871**), the number of fruits per plant (r=0.976**). Whereas negative correlation with the nodes till he first female flower (r=- 0.494) and internodes long (r=- 0.447). Using cluster analysis, the inbreed lines were classified into 2 distinct classes A and B, Class A contained seven inbreed wreathe class B contained Tow inbreed lines.

The effect of squash flower pollination by honeybees on the increase of yield and quality improvement

This study was conducted in the spring of 2001 in the apiary field at Faculty of Agriculture, Damascus University - Syria, for the purpose of studying the effect of flower pollination by honeybees on fruit-set and consequently on the crop productivity of two varieties of squash, named : Berneel and Mabrukeh . The rate of set fruits resulting from the visits of honeybees was calculated and compared with the control, which was isolated to prevent bees reaching it. The result in Berneel variety was 93.84% of setting flowers in the experiment against 9.91% in the control. The results were in Mabrukeh variety 94.07% in the experiment, against 14.79% in the control. The study has assured the importance of the density of bees in squash fields. When the average of visits of honeybees to each flower was 7 visits per hour, the flower-set rate was 100%. However, when the average of visits of honeybees has declined to only 2 visits per flower per hour, the rate of set has also declined to 60%.