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

WINTER SQUASH VARIETY PERFORMANCE TRIAL, 2000

Richard Greenland, Leonard Besemann, and Heidi Eslinger


Results summary

Table 35. Yields, numbers, and fruit characteristics


Winter squash grow well in North Dakota. A small, but steady, market is available within the state. There are also markets outside the state, especially if squash is stored, then shipped during the winter.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Soil: Egeland loam; pH=7.3; 2.1% organic matter; soil-P and soil-K were very high; soil-S was medium.
Previous crops: 1999 - edible bean; 1998 - onion; 1997 - carrot.
Seedbed preparation: Disked on 29 October 1999. Multiweeded (field cultivated) three times; once April 5 and twice May 16 to incorporate fertilizer and smooth seedbed.
Planting: Seeds planted 1 ft apart in rows 7.5 ft apart on May 17. Thinned on June 19 to an in-row spacing of one plant every 3 ft.
Fertilizer: On April 4, broadcast 18 lbs N/acre and 20 lbs S/acre as 21-0-0-24. Applied 40 lbs N/acre as 28-0-0 on May 16. Fertigated 50 lbs N/acre as 28-0-0 on July 13.
Pest control: Controlled weeds with rototilling and hand weeding. Sprayed Asana (8 oz/acre on June 22, June 30, July 6, July 14, July 20, and July 27), Pounce (4 oz/acre on Aug 2), and Sevin (1 qt/acre on Aug 9) to control cucumber beetles.
Plots: Plots were 20 ft long by 6 ft (one row) wide.
Irrigation: Overhead sprinkler irrigation as needed.
Harvest: Hand harvested September 26 and 27.

RESULTS

The butternut type squash did much better this year than normal. Usually they have trouble maturing before frost. RWS 4572 and RWS 4586 were the best. RWS 4572 was a medium sized squash with a thick neck. RWS 4586 was a very large squash with a thick neck. Many looked like large cylinders with rounded ends. Bugle was a small butternut that had many splits and other problems that caused more than 50% of the fruit to be unmarketable. Heart of Gold and Tay Belle again did well for acorn squash. Sweet Mama was the best Kabocha type squash.

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Table 35. Yields, numbers, and fruit characteristics for the Oakes Irrigation Research Site 2000 winter squash performance trial.
Variety Seed source1 Squash type Outside color Inside color Early2 stand Fruit size Number of fruit Yield
US # 1 total US # 1 total
lbs/fruit 1000s/acre tons/acre
Butterboy SW butternut cream orange 10.5 bc3 3.0 d 6.3 bc 11.1 b 9.5 b 14.6 c
Heart of Gold NV acorn white/green lt. orange 11.0 bc 1.8 e 13.1 a 19.2 a 11.5 ab 15.9 bc
Hokkori AT kabocha green/white orange 12.3 ab 4.0 c 3.4 d 5.7 c 6.8 b 10.0 d
RWS 4572 NV butternut cream orange 6.3 d 3.5 cd 8.4 b 11.0 b 15.0 a 18.7 ab
RWS 4586 NV butternut cream orange 9.3 c 7.4 a 4.1 cd 5.8 c 14.7 a 19.6 a
Sweet Mama AT kabocha green/white orange 14.5 a 5.0 b 4.2 cd 6.4 c 10.5 ab 15.9 bc
C.V. (%) 17 10 28 14 29 14
Probability 0.0003 0.0001 0.0001 0.0001 0.023 0.0004
Squash planted in border rows4
Tay Belle PM AS acorn green lt. orange 11.6 2.2 10.9 15.2 12.0 16.3
Tay Belle AS acorn green lt. orange 11.5 2.3 11.2 16.1 13.0 17.6
Bugle AS butternut cream orange 4.2 1.8 3.6 8.9 3.3 6.7

1See Appendix A for seed source codes.

2Stand counts taken on June 9. The value is the average number of squash plants per plot (17 feet). Maximum possible was 17. Squash were later thinned to six squash per plot or about one plant every 3 ft.

3Values in the same column followed by the same letter are not significantly different at the 0.05 level.

4These squash arrived too late to be included in the plot randomization and are not included in the statistical analysis.

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