STUDY OF GROWTH, YIELD AND PHYTOSTEROL OF SQUASH (Cucurbita pepo L. AND MEDICAL PUMPKIN (Cucurbita pepo) AND THEIR HYBRID

Abstract

This study was aimed to investigate,growth,yield and phytosterol of squash (Cucurbita pepo L. , medical pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo subsp.) and thier hybrids.The study included crossing among 15 pure lines of squash and medical pumpkin . pepo var. styriaca during fall season 2013 at  greenhouse during spring 2014 the genotypes of the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Gardening, College of Agriculture, University of Baghdad. The genotypes (medical pumpkin ST + 9 parents of squash, crosses with medical pumpkin + 11 specific hybrid) were planted at the open field. The layout of the experiment was completely randomized block design. The results showed significant differences among genotypes in the studied traits. The parents ST, E1, E3, E6, K3 and K7 showed superiority when compared to other parents in vegetative and flowering growth, earliness of maturity, yield and phytosterol. Hybrids  ST1 × E, H × ST1, K × ST3, K7 × ST, E6 × ST and MR × ST were significantly superiored to other hybrids in the studied characters and had highest positive and significant hybrid vigor.