Kiwano (Cucumis metuliferus E. Meyer Ex. Naudin) response to weed management practice and planting time in Eastern Slavonia

Seed germination, growth, flowering and yields of kiwano (Cucumis metuliferus E. Meyer Ex. Naudin) were examined in eastern Slavonia during 2021 growing season. The objective of this study was to determine agro-morphological diversity within kiwano growing under different weed management practices and sowing time. The experiment was arranged as a 3 x 3 factorial design with three replications. Factors included three weed management options (wheat straw mulch, cultivation and un-weeded control) and three planting dates (early, mid and late May). A typical summer weed community that develops during experiment dominated with bristly foxtail (Setaria verticilata (L.) P. Beauv.) and redroot pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus L.) while the others were with lower relative density and frequency per unit area and with the lower impact on the crop. Weed control was very effective compared to weedy check. However, sowing date appears as a critical factor in kiwano production, influencing not only emergence, growth and flowering, but also fruit number and size. This study concluded that mid sowing time and cultivation as a weed control measure has a highest agronomic potential for a kiwano production following by mid and early sowing time with mulch as a weed control measure.

Abstract licence: CC BY-ND

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