Effects of pomsc enriched bris soil on the fruit characteristics and proximate analyses of pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima L.)

Abstract

Pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima L.) is from the family of Cucurbitaceae and the fruits are globular in shape with strong flavoured yellow orange flesh. The plants grow by absorbing nutrients from the soil and their ability to do this depends on the nature of the soil. BRIS soil with addition of palm oil mill sludge cake (POMSC) helps to improve water holding capacity, increase poor cation exchange capacity (CEC), increase inherent soil status, increase drainage and decrease moisture stress in BRIS soil. This study was conducted to investigate the physical characteristics and nutritional compositions of pumpkin cultivated on different types of soil treatments involving POMSC. The physical characteristics studied were fruit weight, size, pulp and skin colour and pulp texture. Meanwhile, the nutritional compositions involved quantitative measurements of all the proximate analyses (water, protein, fat, ash, fibre and carbohydrate). The preliminary studies done on the soil NPK analyses showed that POMSC contained higher, N, P and K values. Therefore, BRIS soil with more addition of POMSC contained higher NPK. The analyses done on the pumpkins showed that those cultivated on BRIS soil with 34 t/ha POMSC had significantly higher nutritional contents mainly protein and fibre but lower fat and carbohydrates compared to pumpkins cultivated on BRIS soil with 22t/ha POMSC and BRIS soil control. However, the fruits from BRIS soil with 34t/ha POMSC were slightly smaller in the size due to higher number of fruits per plants compared to the other soil treatments. The high content of NPK in POMSC might explained the higher nutritional content obtained in the pumpkins cultivated on BRIS soil with 34t/ha POMSC.