Field grown Cucurbita pepo. L. a:,d C. moschata Poir. plants were sprayed with Ethrel (100-400 ppm) an NAA (10-40) at the first true-leaf stage.
On the control plants of C. pepo (cultivar Zucchini), average male to female flower ratio was 13.9:4.7 on plants treated with NAA 40 ppm 12.7:6.6, on plants treated with Ethrel 400 ppm 1.3:9.5. On the controls the female flowers started appearing at average node number 12.3, en plants treated with NAA 40 ppm at 8.4, on plants treated with Ethrel 200 ppm at 3.8. Early and total yield were significantly increased by the treatments; on plants treated with NAA 10 ppm total yield (number of harvested squashes) was 18% more than that of the controls, on plants treated with Ethrel, 32-52% more.
On the control plants of C. moschata (cultivar $quot;Seoul madi$quot;) the average male to female flower ratio was 2.3:1.9, on plants treated with NAA 20 ppm 1.8:2.0, on plants treated with Ethrel 100 ppm 0.1:5.3. On the controls the female flowers started appearing at average node number 9.9, on plants treated with Ethrel 100 ppm at 2.8. Early yield was significantly increased by the treatment with Ethrel but there way no significant increase in total yield.
In both species, Ethrel or NAA accelerated female flowers to appear 6-15 days earlier than maleflowers.
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