Cucurbit: Production Iowa Fresh and Processing Vegetables Acreages practices and techniques Vegetable Fresh and Processing (acres) Sweet corn 4,503 Potatoes 1,763 Pumpkins 1,476 Green Peas 811 Squash 227 Tomato 226 Watermelon 167 Cantaloupe 155 Bell Peppers 116 Snap beans 107 Dr. Ajay Nair Cabbage (head) 90 Department of Horticulture Onions 69 Iowa State University Others xx IA Ag Statistics, 2012 CUCURBITACEAE Melon or squash family = “Cucurbits” Cucurbitaceae: Genera Cucumbers, melons, squash, pumpkin, gourd • Cucurbita genus: – Summer squash – Winter squash and pumpkins • Cucumis genus: – Muskmelons and Honeydew melons – Cucumbers • Citrullus genus – Watermelon 1 Cucurbitaceae Centers of Origin Iowa Cucurbit Acreage Vegetable Total Harvested (acres) Pumpkin 1,175 India Cucurbita ~1300 acres Cucumbers Watermelon 167 Americas Sub-Saharan Africa Onion Pumpkin Cantaloupe 157 Watermelons Cucumis Squash Cucumis ~260 acres Cucurbita Citrullus Squash 227 Cucumber 62 2012 CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE - STATE DATA Common Characteristics Flower types • Warm season • Annual • Insect pollinated • Day-neutral • Moderate N requirements Female Male (pistillate) (staminate) • Moderate water requirements Perfect Monoecious • Insect and Disease Pests Similar (if on same plant) http://extension.missouri.edu/explore/manuals/m00173.htm 2 Flowers and fertilization Pollination Adequate pollination: • 10-12 visits per flower • Monoecious: Separate male Most cucumbers and • More visits, more seeds, and female flowers on same squash (Cucurbita bigger fruit plant; Male flowers form first, species); watermelon • One bee per 100 flowers then female. • 1 strong colony per acre = 6-8 hives • Andromonoecious. Male Most muskmelons flowers first then perfect (Cucumis) (hermaphrodite) flowers. • Gynoecious. All female Some cucumbers flowers (not very common) e.g. ‘Diva’; ‘Olympian’ Inadequately pollinated cucumber Cucurbita pepo Cucurbita pepo (cont’d) Summer squash & zucchini Winter Squash & Pumpkin Zucchini Crook-neck Patty-pan Acorn Spaghetti Jack-o-Lantern Pumpkin Photos: Johnny’s Selected Seed Photos: Johnny’s Selected Seed 3 Cucurbita maxima Winter squash & pumpkin Cucurbita moschata Giant Butternut squash & Dickinson “Pumpkin” Pumpkin Dickinson “Pumpkin” Hubbard Buttercup Kobacha Photo: Johnny’s Selected Seed http://formaggiokitchen.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/libbys- pumpkins.jpg Winter squash (butternut) in Western Michigan Summer squash in SW Michigan 4 Plan it before you plant it ! CULTIVARS • Know your market Slicers • Boa • Cultivar selection • Cobra • Primary market considerations • Dasher II – Earliness • Daytona • Intimidator – Local • Python – Reduced chemicals • Speedway – Storage • Tasty Green – Quality!!!!! • Turbo Recommended cultivars and characteristics Recommended watermelon cultivars and characteristics Cultivar Yield Soluble Comments (lb/A) solids Watermelon Ring color, pattern, and shape Average weight (lb) Honeydew Seedless Honeybrew 53,669 13.8 Should be cut from vine to prevent fruit cracking, Distinction Medium, green with mottled green stripes, 16‐20 great flavor if allowed to mature on vine globe shaped Jade Delight 38,944 14.3 Green to white flesh, needs to be cut from vine Fascination Medium green, oval, with hazy stripes 16‐20 before full slip to reduce fruit cracking Gypsy Light green, round‐globe, and striped 13‐17 Muskmelon Aphrodite 35,516 11.3 Early maturing, large fruit with thick firm flesh, Indiana Round‐oval, Jubilee stripe, dark 13‐15 good quality, standard recommended cultivar background Vagabond Medium, blocky‐oval, dark green hazy 13‐15 Athena 37,636 11.7 Oval shape, firm flesh with high quality, standard stripes recommended cultivar Troubadour Medium, blocky, green background dark 14‐17 Atlantis 42,011 10.9 Oval to oblong, thick firm flesh, uniform size and green stripes appearance Avatar 55,856 10.5 Large fruit, thick walls Seeded Grand Slam 49,633 Concentrated fruit set, firm, uniform size and Denver Green, round‐oval, striped 20‐24 appearance Jamboree Dark green, long blocky, broken light green 23‐27 Majus 32,089 12.1 Oval fruit with green sutures, large cavity, sweet stripes flesh Regency Dark green, blocky oblong, striped 18‐22 Orange sherbet 38,515 10.8 Small round fruit with great flavor Sangria Dark green, blocky oval, striped, long 20‐26 Sugar Cube 21,337 12.8 Small personal size muskmelon with exceptional flavor 5 Should I use transplants ? Special pollinizers and seeded (edible) cultivars for pollination in seedless watermelon production Cultivar Type Crimson sweet Seeded; edible Royal Sweet Seeded; edible Early start; uniform seed germination Sangria Seeded; edible Companion Special pollinizer Cucurbits (cucumbers, pumpkins, squash) Pinnacle Special pollinizer • Do not like their root systems disturbed Sidekick Special pollinizer • Be very careful while handling transplants Hardening off Any problem in these transplants? 6 Site Selection CLIMATIC REQUIREMENTS (warm is the key) • Warm season crop • Sandy to clay loam • Optimum temperature 80-85F • Must be well-drained • Temp. above 92F or below 60F slow down • pH = on the lower end (5.5 – 6.0) growth. Also implicated in bitterness (but not • Ideal = sandy loam: dries out early and warms proven) • Can be grown on wide range of soil (Sandy or up faster in the spring. organic soils) • Slope = to the south. A 20 degree slope • pH 6 to 7 ideal absorbs 6% more heat than level. Land preparation On plastic mulch Cucumber, squash Earliness Weed control High yield and quality Low fertilizer and water use 7 PUMPKIN Summer Squash 2‐3’ between plants 2’ between plants 7‐8’ between rows 7’ between rows 18” between plants 18” between plants 5’ between rows (outside) 3’ between rows (high tunnel) 8 Cucumber CULTURAL PRACTICES 30.0 Price drops by $9 25.0 Fertilization • Cucurbits respond well to fertilizers (75 to 150 lb/A) 20.0 • Amount of fertilizer depend on soil type and fertility • Too much Nitrogen favors vegetative growth 15.0 • Split application of N recommended • 50% close to planting • 50% side dressed in several applications at vining 10.0 • Over 40 lbs/A side dressed once may damage the roots 5.0 Dollars per 1 1/9 bushel cartons bushel per 1 1/9 Dollars 0.0 6/19 6/26 7/3 7/10 7/17 7/24 7/31 8/7 8/14 8/21 8/28 9/4 9/11 9/18 9/25 10/2 10/9 Date Nutrient recommendation Muskmelon and watermelon Sample N fertilization management schedule muskmelon and watermelon production Nutrient concentration(s) from soil test Fertilizer needed (lb/A) Status Total amount of N 100 lb/A Pre‐plant fertilization can be Phosphorus (ppm) Phosphate (P2O5) Less than or equal to 15 Low 150 for the season: done using urea, UAN, 16 - 30 Medium 100 Pre‐plant: 50 lb/A ammonium sulfate, etc. 31 - 50 High 50 Fertigation 50 lb/A Fertigation is commonly done 51 and higher Very High 0 amount: using calcium or potassium Potassium (ppm) Potash (K2O) Number of weeks 8 weeks nitrate. Less than or equal to 80 Low 150 of fertigation: (muskmelon) Fertigation should begin about 81 – 140 Medium 100 12 weeks two weeks after transplanting 141 - 200 High 75 (watermelon) or when vines begin to “run”. 201 and higher Very High 50 Amount of N 6.3 lb/A Organic matter (%) Nitrogen (N) needed per week: (muskmelon) Less than or equal to 3% Low 100 3.1 – 19.0 Medium 80 4.2 lb/A 19.1 and higher High 60 (watermelon) 9 Irrigation Non-marketable Marketable An important cultural factor that determines yield and quality Watermelon may get by without irrigation due to deep tap root system. Muskmelons benefit greatly from supplemental irrigation. Cucumber requires large amounts of water (1-2” per week) Poor pollination Poor irrigation When to irrigate? Moisture sensors Tensiometers: • Watermark •Water in plastic tube with porous ceramic tip. •Vacuum above water column is measured Soil Moisture •As soil dries, greater tension Meter $279 $39 10 Weed Management Organic methods of weed suppression • There are several herbicides that are labeled for use in cucurbit crop production Pre‐emergent broadleaves Halosulfuron (Sandea®) and Imazosulfuron (League®) Pre‐emergent grasses DCPA (Dacthal®) and Bensulide (Prefar®) Pre‐emergent broadleaves s‐metolachlor (Dual II Magnum®), pendimethalin (Prowl H2O®), trifluralin and grasses (Trifluralin®), clomazone (Command® 3ME), and ethafluralin + clomazone (Strategy®) Post emergence grasses Sethoxydim (Poast®) and Clethodim (Select Max®) Major pest and diseases Insects : 1. Cucumber beetle 2. Squash vine borer 3. Squash bug Diseases: 1. Bacterial wilt – Could be devastating; plant is Cucumber infected then no control; spread by cucumber beetles Bacterial wilt beetle damage 2. Downy mildew 4. Anthracnose 5. Powdery mildew 11 Row covers Active ingredient Chemical class Insecticide Imidacloprid Neonicotinoid Admire Pro® Gaucho® Genesis® Thiamethoxam Neonicotinoid Actara® Platinum® Acetamiprid Neonicotinoid Assail® Cyfluthrin Pyrethroid Baythroid XL® Esfenvalerate Pyrethroid Asana XL® Zeta cypermethrin Pyrethroid Mustang Maxx® Permethrin Pyrethroid Ambush® Pounce® Spinosad Spinosyn Entrust® Spintor® Bacillus thuriengiensis Bacterium Dipel®, Javelin® Squash Bug Squash Bug Remove eggs Treat when eggs begin to hatch. Large nymphs and adults are difficult to control. Purdue University Horticulture & LA Most of the same Simple Life Cycle insecticides as for Sucking Mouthparts Cucumber Beetles Slide borrowed from Dr. Donald Lewis, ISU Slide borrowed from Dr. Donald Lewis, ISU 12 Squash Vine Borer Squash Vine Borer Clearwing moth Larvae tunnel in vines Complete life cycle Wilting or death