Assessing Cucurbita Moschata Plant Growth And Fruit Quality At Different Planting Distances

This study specifically examined Cucurbita moschata cultivation and the optimal planting distances for this crop in Malaysia’s climate. An experiment was conducted to identify the optimal planting distances required in Malaysia for cultivating C. moschata, commonly known as butternut squash, on a commercial basis that would minimize land wastage and maximize land use efficiency. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of three distinct planting distances, specifically 20 cm, 40 cm, and 60 cm, on C. moschata. The variables recorded were leaf surface area and fruit quality. This study was carried out at Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Jeli Campus (5° 44′ 51′′ N, 101° 52′ 08′′ E). A total of 75 C. moschata plants planted across 23 beds. Each bed consists of three different planting distances, 20 cm, 40 cm, and 60 cm where each planting distances for each bed were set randomly. The results indicated that there were no statistically significant variations in leaf surface area among the planting distances of 20 cm, 40 cm, and 60 cm (p=1.000). Similarly, there were no significant differences in fruit weight (p 0.579), fruit length (p 0.208), and fruit width (p 0.583) among the different planting distances. Nevertheless, the fruit size of planting at 60 cm is larger compared to other planting distances. However, the fruit weight across the planting distances experimented with failed to achieve the desired fruit weight as specified in the Fresh Pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata) Specification – Malaysia Standard 2403:2011.