Jim E. Wyatt

Marshall C. Smith

Emily W. Gatch

West Tennessee Experiment Station, Jackson, TN 38301

A trial to identify pumpkin cultivars adapted to growing conditions in West Tennessee was conducted at Ames Plantation in 2003. ‘Gold Metal’ had about equal numbers of pumpkins of each size. It also had the highest number of large fruit per acre in the study. ‘Pik-A-Pie’ and ‘Mystic Plus’ produced the highest numbers of fruit per acre in the study. Most fruit weighed less than 10 lbs but both produced more than 10,000 fruit per acre. ‘Pik-A-Pie’ produced about 87 percent mature fruit. Several cultivars had only 60-70 percent of their fruit which had matured. No differences were found among cultivars for yield of mature fruit by weight. ‘Big Rock’ was the highest yielding cultivar in the study on the basis of total fruit weight. Most cultivars had acceptable scores for fruit color, fruit handle, fruit shape, fruit ribbing, and foliar disease rating.

Interest in pumpkin production in West Tennessee is increasing. Information on new pumpkin hybrids and cultivars, particularly Jack-‘o-Lantern types, is needed by growers interested in producing pumpkins. This study was undertaken to determine those cultivars which are adapted to growing conditions in West Tennessee and to identify those which will produce the most high quality, marketable fruit.

Fourteen pumpkin cultivars and hybrids (hereinafter called "cultivars") were planted June 12, 2003, in a replicated test at Ames Plantation. Prior to planting, 500 lbs/acre of 15-15-15 was broadcast and incorporated. Plots were 20 ft long and consisted of 5 hills planted 4 ft apart with two pumpkin seedlings per hill. Experimental design was a randomized complete block replicated four times. The planting was sidedressed with 30 lbs/acre of nitrogen from NH₄NO₃ at runner formation. The planting was irrigated as needed; approximately 6.9 inches of supplemental water was applied during the season. Prior to harvest, subjective ratings were made on fruit color, fruit stem size and attachment (the handle), fruit shape, fruit ribbing, and foliar disease incidence and severity (primarily powdery mildew). Fruit were harvested on October and separated into mature (orange) and immature (green) categories. All fruit were graded into size classes of less than 10 lbs, 10 to 14.9 lbs, 15 to 19.9 lbs, and more than 20 lbs. Data were converted to per-acre yields and subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) using appropriate SAS procedures (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, N.C.). Means were separated using Duncan’s multiple range test at P#0.05 where applicable.

There was a wide array of pumpkin types and sizes grown in the 2003 test (Table 1). ‘Gold Metal’ probably had the most uniform distribution of fruit sizes, with approximately equal numbers of pumpkins in each size category. It also had the largest number of fruit >20 lbs and of 15 to 19.9 lbs resulting in a total of about 3100 fruit per acre over 15 lbs.

‘Pik-A-Pie’ and ‘Mystic Plus’ produced the highest numbers of fruit of the 14 cultivars in the study. Many of these fruit were small with more than 75 percent of pumpkins produced by these two cultivars weighing less than 10 lbs. Both produced more than 10,000 fruit per acre.

Table 1. Numbers of pumpkins produced per acre, by size, and total number per acre, Ames Plantation pumpkin trial, 2003.

zMeans followed by the same letter are not significantly different, Duncan’s multiple range test, (P#0.05).

‘Pik-A-Pie’ produced the most mature fruit in the test (Table 2) with almost 10,000 orange fruit which accounted for 87 percent of the total. Several cultivars had only 60-70 percent of their fruit which had matured. If harvest had been delayed, the maturity percentage of all cultivars would have improved.

No differences were found among cultivars for yield of mature fruit by weight. ‘Merlin’ had the most green fruit by weight. ‘Big Rock’ was the highest yielding cultivar in the study on the basis of fruit weight. Only ‘Tom Fox’ and ‘Gold Gem’ were significantly lower in total yield.

Table 2. Yield of mature and immature fruit from Ames Plantation pumpkin trial, 2003.

zMeans followed by the same letter are not significantly different, Duncan’s multiple range test, (P#0.05).

Most cultivars had acceptable scores for the characteristics that were rated (Table 3). Cultivars which were rated significantly lower in each category were:

Color - ‘Mystic Plus’

Handle - ‘Big Rock’

Shape - ‘Autumn King’

Ribbing - ‘Autumn King’ and ‘Gold Bullion’

Disease - ‘Big Rock’, ‘Tom Fox’, ‘Racer’, ‘Autumn King’, ‘Pik-A-Pie’, ‘Gold Metal’, ‘Gold Gem’, ‘Gold Standard’, and ‘Howden’ 

Table 3. Ratings of fruit characteristics and disease incidence and severity, Ames Plantation pumpkin trial, 2003.

zFruit color rating: 1=least red; 5=most red

yHandle rating: 1=poor; 5=excellent

xFruit shape rating: 1=poor; 5=excellent

wFruit ribbing rating: 1=least or no ribs; 5=most ribs

vFoliar disease rating (primarily powdery mildew): 1=heavily infected; 5=no disease

uMeans followed by the same letter are not significantly different, Duncan’s multiple range test, (P#0.05).

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Copyright © 1999 by The University of Tennessee. All rights reserved.

This research represents one season's data and does not constitute recommendations.  After sufficient data is collected over the appropriate number of seasons, final recommendations will be made through research and extension publications.