Variability in morphology and yield attributes of pumpkin varieties grown in South India

Abstract

Pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata Duch. ex Poir), an annual, monoecious crop (2n=2x=40) (Whitaker and Robinson 1986) is a crop of Central Mexican origin belonging to the family Cucurbitaceae. Immature and mature fruits, along with leaves and seeds of pumpkin have culinary importance. It is popularly cultivated and valued as a vegetable in South India and is found to be rich in Vitamin A, energy and carbohydrates. Better keeping quality and transportability assists in its popularity (Jahan et al. 2012). Cultivar identification plays crucial role in crop improvement, variety release and seed production system. Establishment of cultivar identity and genetic purity testing is pre-requisite for variety release and seed multiplication programmes.