Yield and fruit chemical constituents of squash as affected by organic, bio-, and N mineral fertilizer

Abstract

A field experiment was carried out during the two successive winter seasons of 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 at the experimental farm of the Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Aswan University, Egypt, to study the effect of organic, bio-and mineral fertilizers on yield and fruit quality of summer squash Cucurbita pepo L" cultivar "Eskandrany". Four nitrogen fertilizer levels were used (0, 30, 45, 60 kg N/fed.) in the form of liquefied ammonium nitrate. Three types of organic fertilizer were used (control without organic manure, chicken manure at 9.5 tons/fed. and compost manure at a rate of 7.5 tons/fed). Microben and Halex are used as a source of bio-fertilizers. The data showed that the combined effects of organic manure, bio-fertilizers and chemical nitrogen rates had a significant impact on early yield, total yield per plant and per feddan in both seasons. Among these interactions, the highest values of early yield per plant (g) were obtained from application of chicken manure + Microbien + 60 kg N/fed., for the first and second seasons, respectively. While the highest value of total yield per plant and per feddan (ton), were occur from plants treated with chicken manure + Microbien + 45 kg/N fed.