Effect of plant density and ethylene spry on fruit and seed production in Squash (Cucurbita pepo)

Squash is one of medicinal plants that its juice is effective in remedy of cyst illness and increase of body tolerance for disease ingredient. In order to evaluation of distance cultivation effects and ethylene spry on fruit and seed production in squash, an experiment as split plot design on base of randomized complete block design was conducted in the field with 3replications in spring and summer of 2007 and 2008. This research was conducted in agricultural research farm of Islamic Azad University of Shahrekord. The factors were three dose of ethylene (0, 50 and 100 ppm of 2-Chloro-ethylphosphonic acid) and three density of planting (100×50 Cm, 150×50 Cm and 200×50 Cm). Due to prevention of infection between different dose of foliar application of ethylene and convenience of conduction, dose of ethylene was spread in main plots and densities of planting in subplot. Each replication included three main plots (every main plot had three subplots): therefore whole experiment had 27 plots. Evaluated characters in this research were seed yield and yield components including number of fruit per plant, and number of seed per fruit, 100-seed weight. Although the combinations of 100ppm ethylene×100×50cm and 0-ppm ethylene×100×50cm made the most number of fruit in area but the most mean of weight of fruit, mean of weight of fresh seed made by 100ppm ethylene and 200×50cm density. Results showed that 100ppm of ethylene and 200×50Cm density was the best combination, also correlations between weight of fruit, weight of seed, number seed per fruit were positive, and between weight of fruit and number of fruits were negative.