Summary:

The aim of the study was to determine the influence of drip irrigation on the nutritive value of winter squash ‘Rouge vif d'Etampes' fruits analyzed directly after the harvest and after the storage. The plants were grown on the very light soil in the region of decreased rainfall amounts during the vegetation period. The field experiment was conducted in 2007-2008 at Kruszyn Krajeński near Bydgoszcz on the soil of quality class V-VI (very weak and weak-rye-soil-complex). The field water capacity in the soil layer 0-50 cm was 57.5 mm, while the effective useful retention amounted 29.3 mm. The experiment was designed as one-factorial trial in four replications; drip irrigation as the experiment factor was applied. As the control the plots without irrigation were considered. The single plot area was 11.2 m2. The drip irrigation was conducted according to the soil tensiometer indications ( 0.04 MPa). The research material was the eatable parts of fresh fruits that were analyzed directly after the harvest and after the storage for six months at the temperature 10°C and the relative air humidity 75%. The drip irrigation performed during the cultivation of winter squash increased the content of vitamin C, total carotenoids including ß-carotene, as well sugars in the fruits, both after the harvest and after the storage. After six months of the storage the rise of the content of dry matter, total carotenoids including ß-carotene, as well monosaccharides was noted, while the level of vitamin C, total sugar, and saccharose have been reduced.