Oakes Irrigation Research Site
Carrington Research Extension Center * North Dakota State University
P.O. Box 531, Oakes, ND 58474-0531, Voice: (701) 742-2189, FAX: (701) 742-2700, email: rgreenla@ndsuext.nodak.edu

PUMPKIN VARIETY PERFORMANCE TRIAL

Richard Greenland, Leonard Besemann, and Heidi Kerlin

Pumpkins grow well in North Dakota. Early maturing pumpkins are usually best, but later maturing ones do well in some years.

Result summary

Table 24. Pumpkin emergence and yields

Table 25. Fruit characteristics for pumpkins

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MATERIALS AND METHODS

Soil: Hecla sandy loam and Embden sandy loam; pH=7.1; 2.1% organic matter; soil-K was high; soil-P was high; soil-S was low.

Previous crops: 1996 - cabbage; 1995 - tomato and pepper; 1994 - pumpkin.

Seedbed preparation: Disked on May 9. Multiweeded (field cultivated) on June 10 to smooth seedbed.

Planting: Seeds planted 1 ft apart in rows 8 ft apart on June 18. On July 17 thinned to an in-row spacing of one plant every 3 ft.

Plots: Plots were 20 ft long by 8 ft (one row) wide.

Fertilizer: On April 23, broadcast 14 lbs N/acre and 70 lbs P₂O₅/acre as 10-50-0, 16 lbs N/acre and 19 lbs S/acre as 21-0-0-24, and 94 lbs K₂0/acre as 0-0-60. On May 6 broadcast 50 lbs N/acre as 28-0-0. Side dressed 50 lbs N/acre as 28-0-0 through the drip system on July 22.

Irrigation: Surface drip irrigation as needed.

Pest control: Weeds were controlled by a stale seedbed, rototilling and by hand weeding. Sprayed Pounce (6 oz/acre on July 9) and Asana (6 oz/acre on Aug 5) to control cucumber beetles.

Harvest: Hand harvested Oct 1.

RESULTS

Early Autumn had the highest yield but wasn't as nice looking as the other pumpkins. Howden looked the best for a large pumpkin but didn't yield very well. Jack of All Trades looked much better than Early Autumn and had a much higher yield than Howden. Baby Boo did well for a miniature pumpkin. Peek-A-Boo was a nice small pumpkin with good yields.

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Table 24. Pumpkin emergence and yields for the Oakes Irrigation Research Station 1997 pumpkin performance trial.

Name Seed source^† Plants emerged^‡ Marketable Total

number yield number yield

plants/plot fruit/acre tons/acre fruit/acre tons/acre

Baby Boo ST 10.0 15520 a 3.2 d 15930 a 3.2 d

Early Autumn RG 12.0 3080 bc 32.3 a 3300 c 32.9 a

Howden 247H ST 9.8 610 c 9.0 c 1500 c 19.4 b

Jack of All Trades HL 10.0 2590 c 21.7 b 2930 c 24.3 b

Peek-A-Boo RG 12.3 5040 b 10.4 c 7010 b 13.8 c

LSD(0.05) NS § § § §

C.V.(%) 31 28 16 26 18

Name	Seed source^†	Plants emerged^‡	Marketable	Total
number	yield	number	yield
		plants/plot	fruit/acre	tons/acre	fruit/acre	tons/acre
Baby Boo	ST	10.0	15520 a	3.2 d	15930 a	3.2 d
Early Autumn	RG	12.0	3080 bc	32.3 a	3300 c	32.9 a
Howden 247H	ST	9.8	610 c	9.0 c	1500 c	19.4 b
Jack of All Trades	HL	10.0	2590 c	21.7 b	2930 c	24.3 b
Peek-A-Boo	RG	12.3	5040 b	10.4 c	7010 b	13.8 c

LSD(0.05)	NS	§	§	§	§
C.V.(%)	31	28	16	26	18

^†See appendix A for seed source codes.
^‡Number of plants per 17 ft plot. Plants were later thinned to one plant every three feet (if there were enough plants).
^§Values in the same column followed by the same letter are not significantly different at the 0.05 level.

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Table 25. Fruit characteristics for pumpkins in the Oakes Irrigation Research Station 1997 pumpkin performance trial.

Name Seed source^† Fruit size Handle (stem)^‡ Fruit color^§ Fruit shape^¶ Uniformity Overall score

lbs/fruit ------------- 1 to 5 ------------ 1 to 3 1 to 10

Baby Boo ST 0.4 d 5.0 1.0 1.5 2.8 8.0

Early Autumn RG 20.3 b 3.3 3.3 3.4 1.0 4.5

Howden 247H ST 30.1 a 4.0 3.6 4.0 2.0 6.5

Jack of All Trades HL 17.7 b 2.8 3.3 3.0 2.1 6.9

Peek-A-Boo RG 4.2 c 5.0 3.0 3.0 2.6 7.3

LSD(0.05) ^†† 0.7 0.6 0.2 0.5 0.7

C.V.(%) 22 12 9 4 14 7

Name	Seed source^†	Fruit size	Handle (stem)^‡	Fruit color^§	Fruit shape^¶	Uniformity	Overall score
		lbs/fruit	------------- 1 to 5 ------------	1 to 3	1 to 10
Baby Boo	ST	0.4 d	5.0	1.0	1.5	2.8	8.0
Early Autumn	RG	20.3 b	3.3	3.3	3.4	1.0	4.5
Howden 247H	ST	30.1 a	4.0	3.6	4.0	2.0	6.5
Jack of All Trades	HL	17.7 b	2.8	3.3	3.0	2.1	6.9
Peek-A-Boo	RG	4.2 c	5.0	3.0	3.0	2.6	7.3

LSD(0.05)	^††	0.7	0.6	0.2	0.5	0.7
C.V.(%)	22	12	9	4	14	7

^†See appendix A for seed source codes.
^‡Handle (or stem) - 1 to 5; the longer and thicker the handle in relation to the size of the pumpkin, the higher the score.
^§Color - The higher the number the darker the color; 1=white, 3=medium orange, 4=dark orange, 5=red orange.
^¶Shape - 1=short, 2=medium short, 3=round, 4=medium tall, 5=tall.
^††Values in this column followed by the same letter are not significantly different at the 0.05 level.

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Go to Oakes Irrigation Research Site Variety Performance Trials

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Soil:	Hecla sandy loam and Embden sandy loam; pH=7.1; 2.1% organic matter; soil-K was high; soil-P was high; soil-S was low.
Previous crops:	1996 - cabbage; 1995 - tomato and pepper; 1994 - pumpkin.
Seedbed preparation:	Disked on May 9. Multiweeded (field cultivated) on June 10 to smooth seedbed.
Planting:	Seeds planted 1 ft apart in rows 8 ft apart on June 18. On July 17 thinned to an in-row spacing of one plant every 3 ft.
Plots:	Plots were 20 ft long by 8 ft (one row) wide.
Fertilizer:	On April 23, broadcast 14 lbs N/acre and 70 lbs P₂O₅/acre as 10-50-0, 16 lbs N/acre and 19 lbs S/acre as 21-0-0-24, and 94 lbs K₂0/acre as 0-0-60. On May 6 broadcast 50 lbs N/acre as 28-0-0. Side dressed 50 lbs N/acre as 28-0-0 through the drip system on July 22.
Irrigation:	Surface drip irrigation as needed.
Pest control:	Weeds were controlled by a stale seedbed, rototilling and by hand weeding. Sprayed Pounce (6 oz/acre on July 9) and Asana (6 oz/acre on Aug 5) to control cucumber beetles.
Harvest:	Hand harvested Oct 1.