Effect of Ethephon Spray Stage on Sex Expression and Yield of Summer Squash

Squash ‘Kloudina’ (Cucurbita pepo L.) was sprayed with 500 ppm ethephon at the stages: water only (T0), 1-true leaf (T1), 3-true leaf (T2), 1&3-true leaf (T3), 5-true leaf (T4), 3 & 5-true leaf (T5), 1, 3 & 5-true leaf (T6) 7-true leaf (T7), 5 & 7-true leaf (T8) and 3, 5 & 7-true (T9). Results revealed that ethephon sprayings significantly lowered first node to open female flowers in T1 and T6 as well as T3; significantly increased number of female flowers where T6, T9 and T5 produced the highest number; significantly increased number of total flowers in T8 and T7; significantly increased females flowers% where T5 and T6 showed the highest percentage; significantly decreased sex ratio (male / female) where T5, T6 Aand T9 had the lowest ratio. Ethephon was also increased number of fruits plant-1 where T1, T6, T9 and T5 produced the highest number and significantly increased the average of fruit weight in T6, T9 and T5 while significantly decreased the weight in T7 and T8. It could be recommended to spray with 500 ppm ethephon on squash ‘Kloudina’ seedlings of 3 true leaves and again on plants of 5 true leaves, for its potential economic returns.

کلیدواژه ها:

ethephon ، female ، fruit ، node ، sex expression ، squash