The Effects of Different Plant Activators on Fruit and Seed Yield and Properties of Snack Pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L.)

Pumpkin consists of the species of the genus Cucurbita in the Cucurbitaceae family. C. pepo and rarely C. moschata species are using as snack seeds growing in Turkey. This study was carried out to examine the effects of different plant activators on the fruit and seed yield and quality of the snack pumpkin which is observed in Cukurova University Pozanti Agricultural Research and Application Center, during 2015 and 2016 growing years. Crop-set (CR), Effective microorganisms (EM1), Endoroots soluble (ERS), Vitormone-Plus Drip (VIT), Bacillus subtilis OSU 142, Bacillus megatorium M3, Azospirillum sp. SP 245, Spirulina platensis (SIP) were used as plant activators. Ecocompost (ECO), Camli Botanica liquid organic fertilizer (BOT) and Zincon (ZIN) were used as organic fertilizer. Organic fertilizer (OF) and conventional fertilizer application (CONV.) were determined as the control group. In the experiment, the plant activators were applied to the plants alone, in combination with each other and with organic fertilizer. As a result of the study, the best result in fruit and seed yield in the snack pumpkin obtained from the applications in combination with organic fertilizers of plant activators. The highest value, fruits diameter, fruit length, fruit circumference were obtained from CONV. application. Finally, the best results in seed width, seed length and seed length/width ratio were obtained from organic fertilizer and EM1 + OG application. Keywords: Snack pumpkin, plant activators, yield DOI: 10.7176/JSTR/5-10-01