Yield and quality of the Tetsukabuto squash fruits induced with 2,4-D doses under dry conditions

ABSTRACT Squashes and pumpkins are known and grown worldwide, including the Tetsukabuto type, a hybrid of Japanese origin. On this work, we evaluated yield and quality of parthenocarpic fruits of hybrid Tetsukabuto developed with the use of 2,4-D doses, in the climatic conditions of the Brazilian semiarid, in the city of Pombal, state of Paraíba, Brazil. The experiment was carried out from February to May 2013, in complete blocks at random and five replications. Treatments corresponded to five 2,4-D doses (0, 90, 180, 270, and 360 mg/L) applied to female flowers, and a control treatment, where fruits developed out of insect pollinated flowers. We evaluated number of flowers per plant, duration of flowering, number of fruits per plant (used to estimate number of fruits per hectare), fruit set index, fruit mass and transversal and longitudinal diameters, pulp thickness and content of soluble solids, total fruit production and yield. Number of fruits per plant and fruit mass increased 269.5 and 15.4%, respectively, with 212.1 mg/L and 360.0 mg/L of 2,4-D, when compared to the control treatment. Increasing the 2,4-D dose from 0.0 to 241.4 mg/L resulted in 38.2% rise in plant production. Correlations were significant only for number of flowers x number of fruits per plant (NF) and NF x yield, with coefficients of 87.5 and 82.7%, respectively. These results indicate that fruit induction using 2,4-D resulted in higher fruit set, independent of the 2,4-D dose applied.