Introduction
Pumpkins have a generic name Curcubita. All the species of pumpkin including C. maxima and C. pepo belong to the family Cucurbitaceae. They have a thick outer cover. Their seeds and pulp are found inside the fruit. The French referred to it as pompon from where the British coined their pampion version from. Later in the years, the American colonialists resorted to the currently used word pumpkin. Curcubita maxima is the largest species of pumpkin weighing 34 kg on average. It originated from the South America. It traces its origin from South American wild species C. maxima ssp. andreana. Pumpkins are monoecious.
They have both male and female flowers. Ovaries are smaller relative to the male ones and are found at the base of the flowers (Board of Agriculture 184). Their color is determined by the orange pigments that they contain. They have abundant lutein, alpha and beta carotene. Growth of pumpkins requires adequate water supply and sufficient energy requirement. This essay will endeavor to illuminate the water and energy requirements for effective growth of pumpkins.
Energy requirements of C. maxima
The pumpkin is widely grown in home gardens. It flourishes when grown on refuse heaps that have abundant organic matter. Others places it can be planted. In urban set up, the pumpkins can be grown together with maize in the backyard gardens. In the open fields pumpkin can be intercropped with maize, sorghum and groundnuts to help in boosting nutrient uptake. For effective nutrient uptake and sustainability, the planting distance should be 2m by 2m especially in sole cropping.
As a matter of fact, farm yard manure should be used as the crops respond well to it. In addition, its performance can be enhanced by applying liquid manure as a side dressing. At the vegetative phase it is recommended that one applies 50-100 kg per hectare of N; 20-40 per hectare of P; and 40-80 kg per hectare of K. The use of the fertilizers should however depend on the degree of the fertility of soil where these pumpkins are grown. Some other minerals can always be used to top dress NPK. This can be 50kg/ha or 20 g for every plant when the fruits begin to develop.
Water requirements of C. maxima
Methods of cultivation pumpkins vary from one region to the other. In the some places they are grown in heated glass houses. They require less heat for their effective growth. They grow at optimum temperatures of 30 degrees Celsius at day and 18 degrees Celsius at night. Humid environments encourage fungal growth which interferes with the pumpkin growth and quality of the fruit. They are so intolerant to water logging. In spite of all these, they generally have high water requirement and as much as 380 ml of water are required for irrigated pumpkins. The plant should be watered by dripper. Water can also be applied directly at the soil level. There should be no splashing of water, misting or spraying of foliage. This should be done at dawn and in the evening to allow for stabilization of humidity around the stems to avert fungal infections (Teuro 2).
Comparison of water and energy requirements of C. maxima with other species of pumpkin
Cucurbita pepo yield is often increased by increasing irrigation water level. Its water use efficiency increases with the applied irrigation water but decreases with high irrigation level. Clay soils affect the yield of this species of pumpkin. Its water range lies between normal to moist. Normal watering is considered for outdoor plants. This implies that the soil should be kept evenly moist. This calls for regular watering.
Water has to be added up to 1 inch during the growing season. Over watering should be avoided. Water is very critical for the plant during the first 2 years of installment. Deep watering should be done once a week. Aged manure and compost act as a reliable source of energy. Organic matter is normally added if the pumpkin is grown on clay soil. Compost and aged manure increase water retention as well as soil fertility (Pumpkin C. pepo 1).
Conclusion
Both the species of pumpkin belong to same family but there water and nutrient requirements slightly differ. C. maxima is largely grown in the north western pacific but C. pepo can even be grown in the dry regions like S. Arabia so long as irrigation can be sustained.
Works Cited
Board of Agriculture. Soil and Water Quality: An Agenda for Agriculture USA. Washington: National Academy Press, 1993. Print.
Pumpkin Cucurbita pepo: Uses. Herbs 2000. Web.
Teuro, Higo. Effective Microorganisms: A New Dimension for Nature Farming. Tokyo: J.U.R.P., 1997. Print.