Information about the plant nutritional status and the nutrient exportation of a crop can help the decision-making process of fertilization programs, and improve the quality and yield of pumpkin. This work aimed to evaluate the nutritional state of fruit yield, quality and seed extraction of two Tetsukabuto hybrid cultivars fertilized with swine biofertilizer. The experiment was carried out from March to August 2008. The experimental design was randomized blocks in factorial scheme 2 x 5, including two hybrids (Kobayashi and Jabras) and five doses of biofertilizer (0, 5, 10, 20 and 40 m³ ha-1),with four replications. The highest fruit yield was reached at the dose of 35.34 m³ ha-1 of swine biofertilizer. Fresh mass and the internal cavity of the fruit increased with the increase of the biofertilizer doses. The content of total soluble solids in the fruit pulp was greater in the control treatment. Except for P and S, the foliar nutrient contents were within the adequate range for the crop. The maximum amount of macronutrients exported by the pumpkin fruit dry mass occurred in a decreasing order: K>N>P>Mg>Ca>S. The swine biofertilizer can be used as a source of nutrients for hybrid pumpkin cultivation, but the combination with sources of P is recommended to complement the low availability of this nutrient.
Cucurbita máxima; Cucurbita moschata; hybrids; swine culture residual water; nutrient content; organic fertilization
