Physiological Response of Growth, Yield and its Quality of Squash (Cucurbita pepo L.) to Foliar Application of Some Nutrients

A field experiment was conducted during the two successive seasons of 2006 and 2007 at the experimental station of National Research Centre at Shalakan (Kalubia Governorate) to study the response of squash plant to the foliar spraying (two and three times) of some nutrients (N + Ca, N + K, N + Zn and N only plus control treatments). The three times of foliar application with macro and/or microelements gained the vigour plant growth of squash expressed by length of plant, average vines and/or leaves per plant, whole fresh and dry weights of plants and their different organs. Also, the total and early fruits yield as well as its physical properties and chemical nutritional values gained when 3 times of foliar application of nutritional fertilizer were applied. The obtained results reveal that the best plant growth measurements of squash were recorded when nitrogen (urea 1.5 %) + potassium (potassium thio sulphate, 36.5 K2O) and/or nitrogen + calcium (Calborate, 14 % Ca) were applied as a foliar application. Whereas, the differences within these two treatments were no great to be significant. Also, the total and early fruits yield of squash and its physical properties (fruit length, diameter and weight) as well as the nutritional values of fruits (protein, N, P, K, Fe, Zn Cu and Mn). All of these measurements recorded their highest values when plants were sprayed by nitrogen + potassium and/or nitrogen + calcium.