{"id":61,"date":"2010-02-12T12:13:03","date_gmt":"2010-02-12T17:13:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/highmoor\/?page_id=61"},"modified":"2024-08-16T11:55:56","modified_gmt":"2024-08-16T15:55:56","slug":"performance-small-fruited-pumpkin-cultivars","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/highmoor\/resources-by-crop\/pumpkin\/performance-small-fruited-pumpkin-cultivars\/","title":{"rendered":"Performance of Small-Fruited Pumpkin Cultivars in Maine"},"content":{"rendered":"

University of Maine Highmoor Farm
\n52 U.S. Route 202
\nMonmouth, Maine\u00a004259-0179<\/strong><\/p>\n

David T. Handley (david.handley@maine.edu<\/a>), Mark G. Hutton and Gregory J. Koller, University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Maine Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

Abstract<\/strong><\/h3>\n

A small-fruited (2-4 lb.) or \u201cpie\u201d type pumpkin variety trial was established in the spring of 2009 at Highmoor Farm in Monmouth, ME. Three replications of seven varieties were direct-seeded on 18 June through black plastic mulch. Plots were 18 feet long with three feet between plants and six feet between rows. All fertilizer was applied according to soil test recommendations and incorporated prior to mulch application and seeding.\u00a0 Fruit was harvested on 18 September. Top performing varieties in terms of yield per plot included \u2018Chucky\u2019, \u2018Small Sugar\u2019, and \u2018Field Trip\u2019.\u00a0 \u2018Fall Splendor\u2019 produced the largest fruit in the trial, followed by \u2018Winter Luxury\u2019 and \u2018Mystic Plus\u2019.\u00a0 \u2018Field Trip\u2019 and \u2018Fall Splendor\u2019 had the highest stem quality in the trial and \u2018Field Trip\u2019, \u2018Mystic Plus\u2019 and \u2018Fall Splendor\u2019 were rated highest for exterior color and ribbing.\u00a0 The results of this trial suggest that \u2018Field Trip\u2019, \u2018Mystic Plus\u2019 and \u2018Fall Splendor\u2019 offer very high-quality fruit with acceptable yields for pie-type pumpkins, while \u2018Chucky\u2019 offers acceptable fruit quality and very high yields.<\/p>\n

Introduction <\/strong><\/h3>\n

Pumpkins are an important crop to small and diversified farmers in New England, providing substantial profit potential for the fall and Halloween markets.\u00a0 Although large (10-30 lb.) Jack O\u2019Lantern types tend to dominate the market, there is also strong demand for smaller (2-5 lb.) \u201cpie\u201d type fruit, both for their more compact size and for their perceived flesh quality for pie filling. \u00a0This demand appears to be increasing as interest in locally produced food increases.\u00a0 Several new small-fruited pumpkin varieties have recently been introduced, and there has been an\u00a0interest in re-evaluating heirloom varieties to increase the diversity of pumpkins available to consumers.<\/p>\n

Materials and Methods<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The trial was established at Highmoor Farm, part of the Maine Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, in Monmouth, Maine.\u00a0 The site has a silt loam soil, which was amended with 10-10-10 fertilizer at a rate of 500 lb.\/acre and incorporated prior to planting and application of black plastic mulch.\u00a0 Three replications of seven pumpkin varieties were direct-seeded in a randomized complete block design on June 18.\u00a0 Plots were 18 feet long with three feet between plants (six plants\/plot) and six feet between rows. The treatments included: 1. Small Sugar; 2. Baby Pam; 3. Mystic Plus; 4. Field Trip; 5. Chucky; 6. Fall Splendor; 7. Winter Luxury.\u00a0 Fruit were harvested on September 18.\u00a0 Data was subjected to Analysis of Variance and mean separation using the test for Least Significant Difference.<\/p>\n

Results and Discussion<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The variety \u2018Chucky\u2019 produced significantly more fruit than any other variety in the trial, with the exception of \u2018Small Sugar\u2019 (Table 1).\u00a0 There were no significant differences in fruit number per plot among the other varieties, although the range was considerable.\u00a0 \u2018Fall Splendor\u2019 and \u2018Winter Luxury\u2019 produced the largest fruit in the trial by weight, followed by \u2018Mystic Plus\u2019 and \u2018Field Trip\u2019.\u00a0 \u2018Chucky\u2019 and \u2018Baby Pam\u2019 produced the smallest fruit.\u00a0 Fruit height and diameter data indicate that \u2018Field Trip\u2019 was the widest variety, with the most flattened-shape, typically associated with pie-type pumpkins.\u00a0 \u2018Baby Pam\u2019 and \u2018Mystic Plus\u2019 also had more flattened shapes, while \u2018Winter Luxury\u2019 and \u2018Fall Splendor\u2019 tended to be more rounded.\u00a0 Long stems are considered an important quality attribute for pumpkins, despite the fact that they tend to break and can injure fruit during transport and storage.\u00a0 \u2018Field Trip\u2019 and \u2018Fall Splendor\u2019 had the longest stems in the trial, with \u2018Small Sugar\u2019, \u2018Baby Pam\u2019 and \u2018Chucky\u2019 having the shortest stems, although the latter was not significantly different from \u2018Winter Luxury\u2019 and \u2018Mystic Plus\u2019.<\/p>\n

Fruit quality parameters were rated on a 1 to 5 scale with 5 being the darkest, deepest and\/or generally the most desirable.\u00a0 \u2018Mystic Plus\u2019, \u2018Field Trip\u2019, and \u2018Fall Splendor\u2019 were rated highest for exterior color, maturing to a uniform, deep orange.\u00a0 \u2018Baby Pam\u2019 and \u2018Winter Luxury\u2019 were the lightest colored varieties in the trial.\u00a0 \u2018Winter Luxury\u2019, an heirloom variety, had a whitish russeting covering much of the fruit.\u00a0 \u2018Field Trip\u2019 and \u2018Fall Splendor\u2019 were rated highest for ribbing, i.e. they had the deepest sutures on the fruit, which we considered to be a desirable trait.\u00a0 \u2018Winter Luxury\u2019 had the least noticeable ribbing.\u00a0 Taking all visual parameters into account, the overall highest rated varieties were \u2018Field Trip\u2019, \u2018Mystic Plus\u2019, and \u2018Fall Splendor\u2019.\u00a0 \u2018Chucky\u2019 and \u2018Baby Pam\u2019 also rated well overall, while \u2018Small Sugar\u2019 and \u2018Winter Luxury\u2019 were given the lowest overall visual ratings.\u00a0 Processed (cooked) interior flesh color was also evaluated (Figure 2, data not shown).\u00a0 The darkest color tended to be the most preferred, leading to \u2018Winter Luxury\u2019, \u2018Baby Pam\u2019 and \u2018Mystic Plus\u2019 receiving higher interior color ratings than other varieties.<\/p>\n

The results of this trial suggest that the varieties \u2018Field Trip\u2019, \u2018Mystic Plus\u2019 and \u2018Fall Splendor\u2019 offer very high-quality fruit with acceptable yields for small-fruited pumpkins.\u00a0 \u2018Chucky\u2019 offers very high yields of smaller fruit with acceptable fruit quality.\u00a0 \u2018Baby Pam\u201d and \u2018Winter Luxury\u2019 rated relatively low for yield and visual appeal in this trial, but appear to have good qualities for processing.<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Table 1.<\/strong> Small-fruited pumpkin cultivar yield performance in Monmouth, Maine, 2009.<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Cultivar<\/strong><\/th>\nNo. fruit\/plot<\/strong><\/th>\nAvg. fruit wt (kg)<\/strong><\/th>\nDiameter (cm)<\/strong><\/th>\nHeight (cm)<\/strong><\/th>\nStem Length (cm)<\/strong><\/th>\nColor1<\/sup><\/strong><\/th>\nRibbing1<\/sup><\/strong><\/th>\nOverall Rating1<\/sup><\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Chucky<\/td>\n40<\/td>\n1.57<\/td>\n49.3<\/td>\n14.3<\/td>\n9.6<\/td>\n3.7<\/td>\n3.0<\/td>\n3.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Small Sugar<\/td>\n29<\/td>\n1.97<\/td>\n53.7<\/td>\n15.6<\/td>\n9.3<\/td>\n2.5<\/td>\n2.7<\/td>\n2.8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Field Trip<\/td>\n26<\/td>\n2.38<\/td>\n62.6<\/td>\n15.6<\/td>\n16.4<\/td>\n4.2<\/td>\n3.8<\/td>\n4.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mystic Plus<\/td>\n22<\/td>\n2.60<\/td>\n60.0<\/td>\n16.9<\/td>\n10.1<\/td>\n4.2<\/td>\n3.0<\/td>\n4.2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Fall Splendor<\/td>\n18<\/td>\n3.15<\/td>\n61.7<\/td>\n19.4<\/td>\n14.5<\/td>\n4.0<\/td>\n3.8<\/td>\n4.0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Baby Pam<\/td>\n17<\/td>\n1.71<\/td>\n50.6<\/td>\n13.7<\/td>\n9.3<\/td>\n3.2<\/td>\n2.8<\/td>\n3.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Winter Luxury<\/td>\n16<\/td>\n2.90<\/td>\n59.6<\/td>\n17.5<\/td>\n11.2<\/td>\n2.0<\/td>\n2.0<\/td>\n2.2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
LSD 0.05<\/td>\n14<\/td>\n0.26<\/td>\n3.0<\/td>\n1.2<\/td>\n3.1<\/td>\n0.8<\/td>\n0.5<\/td>\n1.1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

1Ratings were made on a visual scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the darkest color, deepest ribbing or highest overall quality.<\/p>\n

Figure 1<\/strong>. Fruit characteristics of seven small-fruited pumpkin cultivars in Monmouth, Maine.<\/p>\n\n\t\t