COOPERATORS: Thom Harker, Research Assistant, OSU Extension Enterprise Center

Mandy Wilson, and Dwayne Taylor Summer Staff

ABSTRACT:

Pumpkin growers throughout Ohio face problems of 1) adequate weed control 2) cleanliness of pumpkins as the fruit lays on the soil when harvested 3) for Pick- Your- Own operations customers having to walk in muddy fields under some harvest conditions and 4) moisture retention in dry soils under certain drought conditions experienced throughout Ohio in recent years.

The objective of this 1997 trial was to evaluate the potential of direct seeding pumpkins into spring, and fall cover crops using no till techniques for benefits of weed control, moisture retention and fruit cleanliness and the effects upon fruit yield and quality.

The outcomes of this project should provide information to growers, researchers, crop specialists and Extension Agents in determining if no till planting of pumpkins into a particular cover crop may benefit Ohio producers.

METHODS:

Planting Date: July 3, 1997

Variety: Howden

Spacing: Raised beds 10 feet apart, seeded within the bed at 3 feet.

Soil Type: Haubstadt Silt Loam

Weed Control: 12oz/acre Roundup preplant, and cultivated and hand hoed as necessary.

Pest Management: .5lb./acre Benlate 8/7, 8/14, 8/20, 8/27, 9/4, 9/15, 9/22 , 10/7, 10/14

1.3qt./acre Thiodan 8/7, 8/14, 8/20, 8/27, 9/4, 9/15, 9/22 , 10/7, 10/14 2lb./acre Bravo Ultrex 8/7, 8/14, 8/20, 8/27, 9/4, 9/15, 9/22, 10/7, 10/14

 Irrigation: None

RESULTS:

Potential benefits from No Till planting techniques of a pumpkin crop into a cover crop include:

1) Fruit Cleanliness - pumpkins grown in cover crops are cleaner at harvest compared to pumpkins grown without a cover crop. The cover crop provides a buffer between the pumpkin and the ground, allowing the pumpkin to stay clean all season long.

2) Customer Satisfaction- for growers who have U pick operations where customers walk into the field to pick their pumpkin, customers will not come out of the field with muddy shoes and dirty clothes.

3) Satisfactory weed control- weed control for this trial in the 1997 season was poor, although some growers experienced very poor weed control using this growing technique throughout Ohio in 1997. Certain cover crops inhibit germination of annual weed seeds by preventing light from reaching them and probably through allelopathic effects. However perennial weeds should be cleaned up before trying a no till cover crop planting.

4)Reduced herbicide and fungicide applications. Cover crops may allow for a decreased use of herbicides for weed control. Fungicides use for ground rots of pumpkin fruit may also be reduced since the cover crop prevents direct contact of the soil with the pumpkin fruit, reducing the possibly of soil born fungi attacking the fruit.

Problems to consider from using cover crops and no till planting techniques for pumpkin production include:

1) Under wet spring planting conditions spring seeded cover crops may not be able to be planted early enough to get adequate mulch cover and / or cover crop mulches have a tendency to hold moisture and prevents soil from drying out. Under a dry planting season this may be beneficial to seed germination but under wet spring conditions, planting dates can become delayed due to unworkable field conditions.

2) Cover crop mulches have a tendency to keep soil temperatures slightly cooler, therefore planting dates may need to be adjusted accordingly for an early fall pumpkin harvest.

3) The different mulches in 1997 harbored mice and voles which caused extensive damage to the seed and fruit resulting in many low quality pumpkins and a reduced plant stand. Growers throughout Ohio have also experienced increased mice damage under cover crop mulch conditions.

4) Seed emergence and plant stands were reduced under the no tillage treatments due to a crusting of the soil in 1997. Under dry field conditions irrigation may be necessary for proper seed emergence. Seeding rates may need to be increased under these production practices.

5)Four cover crop treatments, fall seeded Bluegrass, fall seeded Wheat, spring seeded Wheat, fall seeded Annual Rye, spring seeded Annual Rye, and spring seeded Oats. A reduced cover crop stand resulted in increased weed pressures in 1997. Weed pressure was greatest in our spring seeded oats treatment.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:

A Special Thanks to the Ohio Vegetable and Small Fruit Research and Development Program for a Grant to accomplish this 3 year trial.

SUMMARY:

No till planting of a pumpkin crop into cover crops are an option for many Ohio pumpkin producers. It won't necessarily work for all growers every season. 1997 was a season where it DID NOT work very good in our trials in Hillsboro. Trials similar to this one will need to be conducted on other farms to give average results over several growing seasons. Benefits of no till have been shown to be effective planting techniques for some vegetable crops and agronomic crops and has potential for pumpkin crops .

Table 1. 1997 No Till Pumpkins into Cover Crops. Harvest Date 10/28/97

Table 2. Seeding Rates for Cover Crops.

Table 3. Weather data from the 1997 growing season.