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Effects of leaf harvest
and season on the fruit yield of summer squash genotypes in
Madagascar
M. A. Yeboah*, V. Katoch, R. Rakoto-Herimandimby, A.
Rahantanirina and
B. Rakotoarisoa
AVRDC – The World
Vegetable Center, c/o Immeuble FOFIFA, P. O. Box 1690,
Antananarivo, Madagascar.
*Corresponding author.
E-mail:
martin.yeboah@worldveg.org.
Accepted 28 May, 2010. |
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Summer squash (Cucurbita pepo L.) is one of
the most popular vegetables in Madagascar, where it is grown
for both leaves and fruit. Previous breeding efforts
concentrated solely on high fruit yield. In recent years the
demand for varieties that can produce edible fresh leaves
and high fruits yield has increased. Our objective in this
study was to evaluate the effects of leaf harvest and season
on fruit yields of summer squash genotypes in Madagascar to
identify dual-purpose varieties for the hot-dry and rainy
seasons. Two leaf harvest regimes (‘no leaf harvest’ and
‘leaf harvest’), five entries (four summer squash inbred
lines S16, S17, S18 and S19, and one local variety ‘Vang’)
and two seasons (hot-dry and rainy) were tested in a
randomized complete block design with three replications in
Madagascar. The results showed entry effect was significant
on yield and fruit length but not on fruit size.
Interactions of all the three factors (entry, leaf harvest,
and season) were highly significant in all three traits. In
the rainy season, significant differences in mean yield
occurred between S16 and the local check ‘Vang’ when leaves
were harvested. The percentage in fruit yield reductions
between the ‘no leaf harvest’ and ‘leaf harvest’ treatments
were 45% for S18, and 22% for ‘Vang’ in the hot-dry season
trial, and 15 and 2% reduction in the rainy season for S18
and ‘Vang’, respectively. S16 gained 3 and 9% in yield when
leaves were harvested in the hot-dry and rainy seasons,
respectively. Any of the entries will produce good yield in
the hot-dry season, while entries S16 and S19 are
recommended for high yield in the rainy season for leaf
harvests in Madagascar’s subhumid tropics.
Key words:
Summer squash, Madagascar, leaf harvest, fruit yield.
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