Early Maturity Western Pumpkin Seed Collection Technology
Today's lifestyle tip introduces the early maturity Western pumpkin seed collection technology in the aspect of green plants and flowers. The following editor will provide you with a detailed explanation.
Early Maturity Western Pumpkin Seed Collection Technology
Western pumpkin, also known as chestnut-flavored pumpkin, is a variety of the Indian pumpkin type. Since its introduction to our country, it has been well received by consumers for its attractive appearance, good quality, and unique taste, leading to a rapid expansion of planting areas. There are mainly two types of Western pumpkins in the market: red-skinned and green-skinned. Compared with Chinese pumpkins, Western pumpkins have the advantages of early maturity and cold resistance, but they are less resistant and not tolerant to humidity and heat.
Land Selection and Preparation
Selecting loam or sandy soil with deep soil layer, high organic matter content, and convenient irrigation and drainage as the seed collection site. No other pumpkin or zucchini varieties can be planted within a radius of 1000 meters around the seed field.
Apply 4000-5000 kg of high-quality decomposed organic fertilizer per 667 square meters, and perform deep tillage and harrowing. Before planting, mark the boundary in the male plant area with a width of 70-90 cm. The narrow side frame is 40-60 cm wide and 10 cm high; 1.8 cm wide and 7-10 m long; carry out the construction of drainage channels. 3-4 days before planting, dig trenches at the planting holes, apply 30-40 kg of ternary compound fertilizer (100 kg when organic fertilizer is insufficient) per 667 square meters, then fill the trenches and wait for planting.
Seedling Raising, Germination, and Sowing
The general seedling age of pumpkins is 25-30 days, and the male parent is sown 5-7 days earlier than the female parent. To raise strong seedlings, seedling raising should be done as early as possible under the condition of no frost damage. In the northern part of our country, seedling raising can be carried out from March 15th to 25th.
Firstly, scald the seeds in warm water at 50-55°C, stirring continuously for 15-20 minutes. After natural cooling, soak the seeds for 1-2 hours. To reduce bacteria, soak the seeds in a 1% potassium permanganate solution for 20-30 minutes or in a 10% trisodium phosphate solution for 15 minutes. Dry the seeds and spread them out to dry. Wrap them in gauze or a towel when they are not dry (no clear water on the surface), place them in a clean container, and put them in a temperature of 26-30°C to promote germination. During the germination period, rinse the seeds with warm water once a day. If there is a large amount of germination, turn the seeds over every 12 hours. Once the seeds have germinated, they will not turn. After 2-3 hours, when 70% of the seeds start to germinate (the radicle extends 2-3 mm out of the seed coat), sow the germinated seeds in the seedling tray (bag) or seedbed. Ungerminated seeds can continue to germinate for one day and then be sown.
The seedling tray or seedbed should be placed in a sunlight greenhouse with good insulation conditions. The size of the nursery is medium, 10×8 cm, and the distance between the seedbeds is 10 cm. The proportion of organic fertilizer, garden soil, and peat is 3:4:3. Sowing should be done on a sunny morning, and sufficient water should be poured before sowing. When sowing, place one germinating seed in the center of each pot (square), with the plumule facing down or horizontally. After sowing, cover with a thin layer of dry soil 1-2 cm thick and cover with plastic film or build a small arch shed to keep warm and moist, promoting seedling emergence.
Seedling Management
The bed temperature is 25-30℃, and seedlings will start to emerge after 3-4 days. After emergence, the film should be removed promptly. When the seedlings have grown sufficiently, ventilation should be strengthened to lower the temperature and humidity, preventing excessive seedling growth. When the seedlings have 3-4 true leaves, they can be planted. 7 days before planting, increase the air volume, gradually reduce the coverage at night, and conduct low-temperature training. Remove all covering before planting. For seedbed-raised seedlings, this should be done 3-7 days before sowing. Generally, no watering is needed during the seedling stage. When the ground is dry and cracked,补充 water can be provided by covering with wet soil.
Planting
Female parent: The male parent should be planted 5-7 days earlier than the female parent.
The female parent is planted in double rows on a small raised bed with a plant spacing of 0.5m. To promote root development, No. 6 root powder should be sprayed one day before sowing, applying 0.1g per thousand seedlings.
Select strong seedlings for planting, eliminating weak, diseased, and deformed seedlings. When planting, the soil block should be level with the ground, and the roots and seedlings should not be damaged. After planting, water sufficiently and evenly. Avoid large areas of water accumulation and cover promptly with plastic film to increase temperature and moisture.
Management
1. Water the planting water again 7-10 days after planting, pouring 10 kg of urine per 667 square meters; when the pollinated young pumpkins have a diameter of 6-8 cm and the plants are densely covering the ground, water again and apply 15 kg of urea or 45 kg of ammonium bicarbonate per 667 square meters. Afterwards, water the fruit 1-2 times according to the weather conditions, and keep the soil moist in the later stage.
No watering or fertilizing during the flowering period, and no watering or fertilizing 10 days before harvest.
For intermediate cultivation, shallow tillage and weeding should be done when the soil moisture is suitable after watering the planting water. After the second watering, fine cultivation should be carried out, with shallow sides and deep trenches.
2. Pruning and Pressing Vines The female parent uses single vine pruning, removing all lateral branches and leaving only one main vine. When the vine length is 0.5-0.6m, start pressing the vines, then press every 0.4-0.5m.
3. To increase the seed collection amount, one pumpkin should be retained on each vine of the female parent, usually removing the first or second female flowers. Female flowers with more than 12-15 internodes should be selected for fruit setting, and other female flowers or young fruits should be removed promptly.
4. Despawning and Artificial Pollination Before the female parent flowers, all male buds on the female parent should be removed, and the female flowers should be inspected daily during the pollination period.
During the flowering period, pick the male flowers from the male parent plant every morning from 6-10 am to pollinate the selected female flowers from the female parent plant. Each male flower should pollinate 2-3 female flowers. To increase the seed collection amount, the pollination should be evenly applied. Each female plant has 2 female flowers.
5. When the female parent is about 1.5-1.8 meters long and the true leaves are 20-22, the pollinated young pumpkin starts to swell, leaving only one young pumpkin, with 6-8 leaves in front of the pumpkin, and the growing point should be removed promptly. After pollination, the male parent is promptly removed.
6. Fruit Protection The young pumpkin swells rapidly and takes shape, and then it should be padded with waste tiles or flat stones, etc. If the pumpkin is in a low-lying area, move the pumpkin to a higher place to prevent it from getting too wet and rotting. In the later stage of pumpkin growth, if the light is too strong and the melons are easily sunburned, shade the melons with grass or leaves.
Disease and Pest Control
The main diseases and pests of pumpkins include aphids, American serpentine leafminer, powdery mildew, and viral diseases.
Disease and pest control should combine cultural control with chemical control and must use high-efficiency, low-toxicity, and low-residue pesticides or biological pesticides. Use 50% cotton aphid spray 2000-3000 times or 2.5% Tianwang star wettable powder 2000 times to control aphids and American serpentine leafminer. 40% Fuxing emulsion 8000-10000 times or 62.25% Xiansheng wettable powder 600 times can control powdery mildew. To control viral diseases, spray 20% virus wettable powder 500 times or detoxifier 1250 times.
Harvest
Harvest the watermelons 40-50 days after pollination when they are fully mature. The picking should be done on a sunny day, cutting the pumpkin from the fruit stalk with scissors or a blade, leaving a 1 cm long fruit stalk. During harvesting, handle carefully to avoid damaging the skin. After harvesting, place them in a cool and dry place to mature for 10-15 days.
Seed Collection
In the early morning on a sunny day, dissect the pumpkin seeds, wash them repeatedly with water, and remove the chaff floating on the water surface. Then scoop out the seeds and dry them on straw mats, cushions, or mesh nets.
After the seeds are dry, collect them promptly and write the variety name, seed collection unit or person's name, and seed weight on the inside and outside of the bag, then store them in a cool and dry room.
The above is the green plant and flower experience of early maturity Western pumpkin seed collection technology, hoping to bring help to your life!