Courgette

Useful information on Courgette

Advice for the protection of your harvest

It is the synergy between innovation and know-how that represents the cornerstone of Syngenta's strategy. This enables us to help growers to optimise harvests, respecting good agricultural practices, guaranteeing safe products to consumers and encouraging sustainable agriculture. Correct selection of varieties and appropriate management are still critical factors for professional growers.

Growers should follow the principles of Integrated Crop Management. This document aims to provide some useful guidelines, although they cannot determine the end result. Fertiliser and pesticide applications should only be made following advice from a suitably trained individual (BASIS and FACTS).

Physiology of the plant

Courgette varieties for temperate-warm climate require sufficient light, warmth and good soil moisture. Temperatures under 10° C rapidly block the physiological activity of the plant, including processes such as germination, pollen production and flowering. On average, germination in open fields takes about a week with air and soil temperatures of around 15° C. Temperatures under 4-5° C inflict severe cold damage and can even kill off the plant. Pollination is mainly performed by insects (bumble bees and honey bees); however, the genetic capacity to induce partial parthenocarpy can reduce the need for pollinators during the cooler months.

Together with temperature, the photoperiod affects vegetative growth and sexual differentiation, increasing the tendency towards branching and bunching, elongation of the internodes and development of male flowers. The branching of the plant, with the formation of large numbers of sprouts, is influenced by climatic conditions and by excessively fertile soil.

Courgettes adapt well to various types of soil, which should preferably be deep, of medium texture, rich in organic substances and drain well. Courgettes tolerate high levels of salinity compared with other fruit-producing plants, but they are not suited to alkaline soil with pH levels higher than 7.

Due to the plant's characteristics and root structure, courgette can be heavily damaged by wind: different varieties behave differently in terms of their wind resistance, depending on their habit, vigour and tissue elasticity.

Cultivation Management

Rotation is always advisable. Direct sowing and transplanting (generally with seedlings with 2-3 real leaves) are equally common, according to the cycle and type of cultivation. Planting density is 10,000 to 12 000 plants per hectare. The use of plastic mulch increases the soil temperature, forces cultivation, helps to control weeds and leads to a more compact habit, making harvesting phases easier and reducing the soiling of the fruit. Reflective mulch also tends to repel insects.

Adding manure or organic substances is very useful in sustaining the plant and yield, but exaggerated amounts lead to excessive and undesired luxuriant vegetative growth and branching. Nitrogen is fundamental in all phases to ground the plant and guarantee continued productivity, but it needs to be balanced by phosphorus and potassium in order to avoid an imbalance in favour of leaves that reduces the yield.

The temporary use of NWF covering can be useful as protection in low temperatures to achieve an early harvest and create an obstacle for aphids and insects.

Further information can be found by following the link below.

http://www.assuredproduce.co.uk/resources/000/255/629/Courgettes_Marrows_Squash_and_Pumpkins1.pdf

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SYNGENTA COURGETTE SELECTION

Variety	Colour	Diameter	Resistances	possible Viral pressure	recommanded	possible
alister			-	Very Low	Spring tunnel	Open field
cronos			ZYMV / WMV / Ec-Sf	Low	Open field, fleece	Spring tunnel
syros			CMV / ZYMV/ WMV / Ec-Sf	High/V. High	Early open field	Late open field
brice	Bright green	round	CMV / ZYMV/ WMV / Ec-Sf	Low / High	open field	Tunnel field, fleece
golden delight	Yellow		ZYMV / WMV	Medium - High	Open field	Tunnel Field
quine			CMV /ZYMV / WMV / Ec-Sf	Medium - High	Open field	Late tunnel in Spring and Autumn
mikonos			CMV / ZYMV/ WMV /  Ec-Sf	High	Open field	Autumn tunnel
naxos			CMV / ZYMV/ WMV /  Ec-Sf	High - V.High	Open field	Autumn tunnel
arlesa		-	-	Very low	Open Field

 

Key

Lenght/ Diameter :		short		long
Colour :		light		dark