Plant Growth, Fruit Yield and Mineral Content of Bottle Gourd (Lagenaria siceraria M) as Affected by Plant Density and Nitrogen Fertilizer

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt.

Abstract

This experiment was carried out during two successive summer seasons of 2012 and 2013 on bottle gourd
landrace El-Arishy (Lagenaria siceraria M) at the Experimental Research Farm of the Faculty of Agriculture, Suez
Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt to study the effect of plant density and nitrogen fertilizer on plant growth, yield and
its components as well as mineral content. The obtained results showed that the low plant population (1750 plant per
fad.) gave the highest shoot fresh weight, shoot dry weight, average fruit weight, average fruit length and nitrogen
content in shoots and fruits. However, the significant highest fruit yield and fruit number per faddan were associated
with the high plant population (3500 plant per faddan). All previous mentioned parameters in addition to shoot and fruit
phosphorus contents significantly improved by application of high nitrogen rate (20g/plant). Shoot and fruit potassium
and phosphorus contents were not affected significantly by plant spacing. Fruit potassium content did not affect
significantly by nitrogen fertilizer. All the above mentioned parameters were significantly higher with the interaction
between low plant population (1750 plant per fad.) was combined with high nitrogen rate (20g/plant), except fruit yield
(ton/fad.) and fruit number which increased by the combination of high plant population with high nitrogen rate.
Potassium content did not affect by the interaction between plant spacing and nitrogen fertilizer.

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