Quality seed production nsc on 1.11.2018

1. Quality Seed Production of Pumpkin
(Cucurbita moschata Dutch.)
Dr. Raja Shankar
Senior Scientist
Division of Plant Genetic Resources
ICAR- Indian Institute of Horticultural Research
Lake post, Hesaraghatta
Bengaluru-560089

2.  Originated over 9,000 years ago in Central
and South America.
 C. pepo is native to North America.
 Powerhouse for highly valued omega 3 fatty
acids, high protein, beta-carotene, vitamin E
and minerals.
 India is the 2nd
largest producer of pumpkin
next to China.
 Aarea of 0.69 million ha and produces 1.50
million tones (productivity of 21.86 t/ha )
during 2016-17.
INTRODUCTION

3.  Totally 26 species and 5 are domesticated
 C. pepo which is eaten as an immature fruit.
Species Name Chr. No Origin 2C value
(pg)
C.Pepo Summer squash,
marrow
40 North and Central America 0.864
C.moschata Pumpkin 40 Mexico, South America 0.708
C. maxima Winter squash,
Pumkin
40 South America 0.887
C. mixta syn
C. argyrosperma
Winter squash 40 Mexico, Central America 0.748
C.ficifolia Fig leaf gourd 40 Mexico, South and Central
America
0.933
Sisco et al., 2003
Cucurbita species

4. Traits C. moschata C. pepo C. maxima
Growth type Annual Annual Annual
Leaves Soft, Hairy Prickly Hairy
Growth habit Vine Bushy Vine
Tendril 2-8 fid Branched 2-6 fid
Peduncle Furrowed
5 ridged
Deeply furrowed
8 ridged
Cylindrical
Seed Yellow Whitish yellow White
Botany of Cucurbita

5.  Flower anthesis between 5.00am and 10.am. (C. moschata) 3.30am
(C .pepo)
 Anther dehiscence and stigma receptivity also takes place at the
same time.
 Stigma remains receptive from 6.00am to 2.00pm and pollens remain
viable up to 16 hrs after anthesis.
 Each flower has to be visited by bee at least 15 times for effective fruit
set.
 Placing bee hives in the fields at 3-5 days after the first blossoms
appears or the time about 10-15% of the plants having open female
flowers is advocated.
Floral biology
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Anthesis
Stigma receptive
Pollen vaiable

6. Variation for shape
& color

7.  Early with High fruit yield
 High female to male flower ratio
 Yellow or mottled skin of fruit
 Non-ridged fruit surface
 High antioxidants specially carotenoids.
 Thick fruit flesh and small seed cavity (>5.0cm)
 Round/oblong/flat round fruit shape
 Orange flesh colour, rich in β carotene, the precursor of
vitamin A
 Resistance to powdery mildew, downy mildew, zucchini
yellow mosaic virus, red pumpkin beetle
 Tolerance to low temperature and saline conditions
Breeding objective

8. Variety Main features
Punjab Chappan
Kaddu-1
 Bushy growth,
 Green fruited with disc shaped fruit,
 Small fruit (800g each), 10 fruit/plant,
 Early harvest (60DAS), Yield 20-25t/ha .
 CMV resist
Pattypan  Bushy growth,
 White fruited with disc shaped, each 700 g,
 Yield 20t/ha.
Arka Suryamukhi  Fruits are round with pressed ends.
 Rind color is orange
 Red with white stripes when mature.
 Average fruit weight 1 kg.
 Resistant to fruit fly. Yield 34 t/ha.
Arka Chandan  Fruit round with pressed blossom end.
 Rind color green with white patches at
immature.
 Thick orange flesh, solid cavity.
 Fruit weight 2-3 kg. Yield 33 t/ha.
Varietie

9. Variety Main features
Pusa
Vishwas
 Vigorous growth, Fruits are spherical each 4-5 kg.
 Average Yield 40-42.5 t/ha in 120 days of crop duration.
Pusa Vikas Vines semi-dwarf to dwarf (2.0-2.5 m long)
 Fruits are small ( 2 kg), flattish round, Yield 30 t/ha.
Kasi Harit  Short vines and fruits are green, spherical (2.5-3.0 kg).
 Yield potential of 30-30 t/ha in 65 days of crop duration.
Narendra
Agarim
 Fruits are small, round and stripe less dark green.
 Early maturity (55 days), average yield 30-40t
Australian
green
 Bush type, fruits dark green with longitudinal stripes,
 Fruits are long (25 to 30 cm), 15 to 20 fruits/plant.
 Yield is 150 to 165 q/ha
Early yellow
prolific
Bush type plant, Fruits are tapering,
 Orange-yellow on maturity
CO-2  Fruits are small (1.5 kg), flattish round,
 Light brown skin and yellow flesh. Average yield 23 t/ha.
Pusa Hybrid-
1
 Fruits flattish round, medium size (4.75 kg)
 Flesh golden yellow and yields 52t/ha)

10. Requirement of seed production
 Availability of improved varieties/hybrids
 Demand for improved varieties among the farmers
 Variety should be released and notified for certified seed production
 Free from volunteers and wild species
 Leveled and well drained
 pH 6-7
 Assured irrigation
 Minimum isolation distance from other variety fields
 Soil applied with 2 kg FYM
Land selection

11.  For seed production,1.50 kg seed (female parent )
and 0.50 kg seed (pollen parent).
 Generally 2.5 x 2.0 m spacing is optimum.
For C. pepo 1.5x1.0 m is ideal.
 Direct sown (or) the seedlings raised in plug trays
and transplanted in main field
 About 2 weeks old seedlings in the plug trays is
ideal for transplanted in the main field
Seed rate, spacing & planting

12.  Irrigation at 7 days interval .
 Drip irrigation save 30-40% water.
 Flowering to fruit development is the most
sensitive phase
 More male blossoms under stress.
 Drip irrigation is done at twice a week to retain
the crop healthy.
Fertilizer & Irrigation management
 Apply 50g DAP and 25g MOP as basal 5-7
days before planting
 Apply 50g Urea at 30 days old crop as
top dress
 Proper plant protection measures should
be followed

13. Factors Pumpkin Squash
Maximum permitted (%) Maximum permitted (%)
Foundation
seed
Certified
seed
Foundation
seed
Certified seed
Off type in seed parent 0.01 0.05 0.05 0.05
Off type in pollen parent - 0.05 - 0.05
Male flower shedding pollens on
seed parent
- 0.05 - 0.10
Plants affected by seed bordering - 0.10 0.10 0.50
Field standards

14.  Isolation distance :
 400 m for Certified seed and 800 m for Foundation seed.
 At least 1000 m for breeder seed production.
 Single block system: Seed parent and pollen parent are
sown in 3-6: 1 ratio in the same block.
 The male hills are marked with the painted wooden sticks for
easy identification.
 Double block system: The seed parent and pollen parent are
planted in 75: 25 proportions in separate blocks.
 At the time of anthesis the pollen is collected from the male
block. This method ensures the production of higher genetic
purity hybrid seeds.
Raising of parents (varieties/hybrids)

15. (I) Manual Pollination
 Plant female and male parents at 6:1.
 Remove male buds from the female rows.
 Tie male and female flower to prevent pollinator
 Pollen grains are directly deposited on the fleshy stigmas
the next morning.
 Tie the petals of the female flowers or bag again until
fruits are developed.
 Manual pollinations with fresh pollen is ideal
 Pollen from pre-anthesis flowers that are kept for a few
days at low temperatures and high humidity can also be
used.
Commercial F1-seed production

16.  Nectar and sugar conc. determines the bee visit to flower.
 Both male and female flower have nectar glands
 Male flower has at bottom of filaments, female flowers has at bottom of stigma
 Each flower produce 18-79ul nectar with 40-50% conc.
 Remove male flowers from female parents
 The blossoms open in the morning are pollinated by solitary bees.
 Each flower has to be visited by bee at least 15 times for effective fruit set.
 Place honey bee hives in the fields at 3-5 days after the first blossoms appears or
the time about 10-15% of the plants having open female flowers is advocated.
Insect pollination

17.  In female parent: Suppression of male flower production for 2-3 weeks by
repeated sprays of ethephon at 250 ppm on young plants at the first true-leaf,
third true leaf and fifth true leaf stage ( Robinson et al., 1970).
 The application of 250 ppm of ethephon does not affect the development of
pistillate flowers.
 In male parent: No ethephon spray is done
 Hence, hybrid seed is harvested from female parent using insect / hand
pollination
Chemical method

18.  Before flowering: Remove any plant in female as well as male block showing the
variation for leaf shape, size and colour
 At early flowering: Check trueness to type of developing fruit
 Fruit developing: as for stage-2 stage
 At maturity/harvesting: Well developed, true to type fruits should be selected and the
fruit showing any deformity should be discarded.
 The plant showing the symptoms of the pumpkin mosaic virus or mottle mosaic at
any stage of growth has to be removed and buried.
Rouging

19. Fruit fly
 Collect the damaged fruits and destroy them.
 Low incidence in hot day and peak in rainy season.
 Plough the field to expose the pupae.
 Fish meal trap with 5 g of wet fish meal + 1 ml Dichlorvos in cotton. Totally 50 traps
are required/ha, fish meal + Dichlorvos soaked cotton are to be renewed once in 20
and 7 days respectively.
 Neem oil @ 3.0 % as foliar spray as need based
Powdery mildew
 Powdery mildew can be controlled by spraying Dinocap 1 ml/lit. or Carbendazim 0.5
g/lit.
Downy mildew
 Downy mildew can be controlled by spraying Mancozeb or Chlorothalonil 2 g/lit. twice
at 10 days interval.
Pest & disease management

20.  About 35-40 days more time required to harvest fruits for seed production.
 Harvest golden yellow colored fruits for seed purpose, and green stage for vegetable
purpose,
 Usually attains 50-55 days after the pollination of the female flower for seed .
 About 2-3 harvesting of golden yellow colored fruits are done.
 The single harvesting allow over ripening and desiccation of fruits.
Harvesting
Seed Extraction
 Keep mature fruits for 6-8 days for curing
 Seeds are scooped out of pulp
 Hcl 25-30ml/5kg pulp or Sulphuric acid 8-10ml/5kg pulp for 30 minutes
 Wash the extracted seeds with clean running water
 1 day Shade drying and artificial drying to 380
C to 410
C and reduced to 320
C-35 0
C.
 Continue seed drying until the seed moisture content to 10%, and 6% for vapor proof
storage.

21. Yield
• Fruit yield : 35-50t/ha
• Seed yield/fruit: 40.08g-52.33g/ fruit
• Average seed yield / plant : 83.66 g was realized.
• Seed weight: 134.9g to 148.08g /1000 seed in natural pollination and hand pollination
respectively.
• Seed yield /ha: 300-400kg seeds /ha at natural and 1000kg at hand pollination.
• Fresh seed - 12 months (at 8 % moisture content and treated with captan @ 2g/kg of seeds
and packed in 700 gauge polythene bags.
• Higher viability of stored seeds can be achieved with a storage RH of 75%
• 5g of Calcium oxy-chloride and powdered calcium carbonate mixed in equal ratio
is added and stored
Storage

22.  Seed Type Foundation Certified
 Pure seed 98 98
 Innert matter 2 2
 Other crop seed 0 0
 Weed seeds 0 0
 Germination per cent 60 60
 Moisture content 7.0 7.0
 For vapour proof containers 6.0 6.0
Seed standard