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 ...
The study of drip fertigation of winter squash ‘Gomez' was conducted on the very light soil on the experimental field in Kruszyn Krajeński near Bydgoszcz in the years 2007 and 2008. The research was established as one-factorial, using the method of drawn blocks, in four replications. Drip fertigation (DF) as the liquid fertilization supplied nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus to the plants three times during growing season. As the control (DP), the drip irrigation combined with broadcast application was used. The potassium and phosphorus fertilization of control plots was applied before seed sawing. The nitrogen fertilization of control plots was provided in three single doses during vegetation. The liquid and powder fertilizations were performed at the same time. The complex fertilizer 'Universol Blue' (N:P:K = 18:11:18) was used. The dose of fertilizer was 3:2:3 (187.5:125:187.5 kg of NPK per ha). The irrigation was conducted using the drip line 'T-Tape'. The liquid fertilizer was mixed by the 'Dosatron' dispenser. The irrigation started when the soil water pressure, measured with the tensiometers, was near -0.04 MPa. In comparison to the control (powder fertilization), the drip fertigation (liquid fertilization) significantly increased marketable fruit yield, single fruit weight and fruit number. Most of the tested ...
