Optimizing Butternut Squash (Cucurbita moschata) Growth and Yield: The Role of Sowing Time and Nutrients
Israt Jahan Kakoli
Department of Horticulture, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Tahmina Mostarin
Department of Horticulture, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Khaleda Khatun
Department of Horticulture, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Tasnia Thanim Mathin
Department of Management and Finance, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh.
Rabeya Tahshin Moon
Department of Horticulture, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Khadijatul Cobra Karishma
Department of Horticulture, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Ummeh Salma Binte Islam
Department of Horticulture, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Suma Akter Labonno
Department of Horticulture, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Md. Jiad-Ur Rahaman
Department of Horticulture, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Md. Riad Mahmud
Department of Horticulture, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Mithila Farjana
Department of Horticulture, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Afra Nawar
Department of Horticulture, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Md. Abdus Samad
*
Department of Horticulture, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Butternut squash (Cucurbita moschata) is an annual vine plant with large, lobed leaves, trailing branches, and monoecious yellow-orange flowers. It’s a winter squash of the Cucurbitaceae family, a hybrid developed in 1944 by crossing pumpkin and gooseneck squash. Sowing time of butternut squash critically influences crop phenology, growth, and yield by modulating environmental interactions. This study aimed to determine the optimal sowing time, evaluate the effects of nutrient management practices, and investigate their combined influence on maximizing the growth and yield of butternut squash under regional agroclimatic conditions. Optimizing sowing time and nutrient management is critical for improving butternut squash productivity, yet their synergistic effects remain understudied in subtropical climates. A two-year field experiment (November 2022–March 2023) at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Bangladesh, evaluated three sowing dates (T1: 25 November; T2: 10 December; T3: 25 December) and four nutrient regimes (F0: Cowdung 20 t/ha; F1: N₅₀P₂₀K₄₀S₁₀Zn₁.₀ kg/ha; F2: N₇₅P₃₅K₆₀S₂₀Zn₂.₀ kg/ha; F3: N₉₀P₅₀K₈₀S₃₀Zn₃.₀ kg/ha) using a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. Early sowing (T1) significantly enhanced reproductive outcomes, yielding 14.66 female flowers/plant, 5.99 fruits/plant, and 10.33 t/ha, whereas late sowing (T3) reduced these parameters to 9.46 flowers, 3.55 fruits, and 3.78 t/ha. Among nutrient treatments, F2 maximized yield (10.00 t/ha) with 12.05 female flowers and 5.99 fruits/plant, outperforming F1 (10.16 flowers, 3.88 fruits, 5.13 t/ha). Synergistic effects were pronounced: the T1F2 combination (25 November + N₇₅P₃₅K₆₀S₂₀Zn₂.₀ kg/ha) achieved peak productivity (17.83 flowers, 7.16 fruits, 13.35 t/ha), while T3F1 (25 December + N₅₀P₂₀K₄₀S₁₀Zn₁.₀ kg/ha) resulted in minimal yield (7.17 flowers, 3.5 fruits, 2.30 t/ha). These findings demonstrate that early sowing paired with balanced NPKSZn fertilization (F2) optimizes resource allocation and yield in butternut squash, offering a scalable strategy for subtropical agroecosystems.
Keywords: Nutrient management, sowing time, Cucurbita moschata, yield optimization, reproductive phenology, subtropical agriculture