BUTTERNUT PRODUCTION

Butternut (Cucurbita moschata)

Butternut is a squash in the Cucurbitaceae family. It is an emerging economic crop with ready market and high nutritional value. It is an excellent source of vitamin A and C also contains manganese, magnesium, potassium and fibre. The fruit colour is cream to light brown and fruit size is about 0.7 to 1.5 Kg.

Butternut is a hardy crop, which is able to tolerate moderately harsh environmental conditions, resistant to many pests of the cucurbits. It can be grown well in small plots of land and yield relatively good returns with minimal farm inputs.  

The fruit can be roasted and toasted and also be puréed or mashed into soups.

Marketing

Butternut is mainly sold in the local market and exported to a with limited extent..

Ecological requirement

Altitude

Butternut grows well up to altitude of 1700m above sea level

Rainfall

It requires minimum rainfall of 500 mm per annum. Moisture is crucial during early stages of growth, flowering and fruiting.

Soils

Soils should be well drained and rich in organic matter. It requires a pH of 5.5 to 7.5

Temperature

It is a warm climate crop that can do well relatively in warm temperatures. The optimal temperatures are between 21⁰C to 28⁰C.

Varieties

The common varieties grown are:

·                Early butternut F1

·                Waltham

·                Sunset HB

Planning production

Ø  Select a suitable planting site as per ecological requirement

Ø  Select the variety as per market demand

Ø  Plan well for the market targeting before planting

Land preparation

Land should be prepared early in the season; deep soil cultivation of about 20-30 cm is recommended. The soil should be of a medium tilth. Apply compost or organic manure, before planting.

Planting

·         Butternut is planted directly in the main field. Well rotten manure should be incorporated into the field before planting.

·         Seeds should be planted 2.5 cm deep, with a spacing of 90 cm from one row to another and 45cm from plant to plant.

·         Watering should be done moderately, soon after sowing then, once in every two to three days until the seeds germinate.

·         Seed germination takes place after 7-10 days

Fertilizer

• DAP or NPK 20.20.0 or TSP is applied during planting at the rate of 10 grams per hole.
• Top dress with nitrogenous fertilizers (C.A.N) 3 weeks after planting and repeated 6 weeks later with foliar fertilizer during flowering and fruiting.

Pollination

The crop produces both the male and female flowers hence they require cross pollination. In order to ensure that bees visit the squash farm regularly, it is recommended that farmers may adopt bee keeping near the crop.

Pests

Insect pests-Thrips, White fly, Leaf miner, Aphids, Melon fly, Cucumber beetles - Use of recommended insecticides; Timely control of weeds.

Diseases

·         Bacterial wilt - Crop rotation of at least two years

·         Fungal disease-Powdery mildew, Downy mildew

Ø  Use of suitable fungicides

Ø  Burn and destroy infected plant materials.

Ø  Use proper spacing.

Viral Diseases are the most limiting factor to squash production. Spread by insect e.g. aphids, white flies.

Control insects pests effectively.

Weeding

Timely weed control is important to insure maximum yields

Harvesting

·         Butternut squash maturity period is between 75 and 120 days after germination depending on the variety and the prevailing temperatures. Mature butternut squash are beige to light tan colour with shrivelling drying stems and extremely hard skin.

·         The fruit colour should be uniform.  

·         Butternut squash with green colour still on it is not yet mature.

·          Straw or dry grass is placed underneath the fruit to protect against direct contact with soil and discolouration.

·         Harvest ripe fruits by cutting the stems about 2.5 cm up from the fruit.

·         Butternut Squash has a long storage life of up to 3 months and they should be mature and free from injury and decay when stored.

·         They should be kept dry and provided with good air circulation.

Note-After the final harvest, remove and destroy all plant debris to prevent insect or disease infestations

Yield

The yield is 10-15 ton/ha depending on level of management and variety.

Challenges

Oversupply in production leading to low prices.

Advice to potential growers

Ø  A sound cucumber production program includes well planned marketing.

Ø  The prospective grower needs to have a good understanding of annual market trends consumer needs, potential buyers.

Ø  Quality crop is also an advantage in marketing.