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Abstract
Zucchini (Curcubita pepo L.), known in Brazil as "abóbora de moita", belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family and is among the top ten vegetables produced and of highest economic value in Brazil. The present study aims to evaluate the efficiency of different forms of pollination in zucchini plantations subject to boron fertilization. The experimental design used was randomized blocks in a 4 x 2 factorial arrangement, with four replications. The treatments consisted of a combination of four pollination methods (fruiting induced with 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D); manual pollination; natural pollination by bees and control) and boron fertilization (absent and in the soil at a dose of 2 kg ha-1). The percentage of flowering was evaluated and, of the harvested squashes, the diameter, length and average weight of the commercial fruits (those uniform in terms of shape, size, and color) were recorded. The application of 2,4-D promoted the greatest fruit setting rate, diameter, length and mass in the squash. 2,4-D promoted the development of parthenocarpic fruits and can be used to promote yield gains in zucchini production.
Keywords: Curcubita pepo L., parthenocarpic, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid pollen, absence of bees
Introduction
The zucchini (Curcubita pepo L.), known in Brazil as "abóbora de moita", belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family and is among the top ten vegetables produced and of highest economic value in Brazil (Fernandes et al., 2016). The plants of this species are annual, with a bushy growth habit, allogamous and with monoecious flowering (Kumar et al., 2016). They have solitary yellowish flowers, the female ones being less numerous (Lim, 2015). The fruits are small (3.5-8.0 cm in diameter), light green, elongated, with rounded ends and usually have thin, dark green, longitudinal stripes (Paris, 2016). The plant can be harvested between 40 and 60 days after planting.
According to Lim (2015) pollination and fruit establishment are entomophilic, that is, dependent on insects. Bees of the species Apis mellifera L. are considered the main pollinators of Cucurbitaceae (Vidal et al., 2010; Delgado-Carrillo et al., 2018). However, other species such as Melipona quadrifasciata Lep.; Bombus morio (Swederus, 1787); Trigona hyalinata (Lepeletier, 1836) and Trigona spinipes (Fabr.) also have the ability to efficiently pollinate squash flowers (Serra & Campos, 2010). However, intense changes in the natural environment, such as...