First detailed morphological characterisation of qualitative traits of extensive naturalized pumpkin germplasm in Kenya

Abstract

Pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata (Lam.) Poir) is emerging as an important fruit-vegetable in Kenya. However, its economic and nutritional benefits remain under-exploited, while its conservation is threatened owing to limited characterization and utilization. The present study sought to enhance conservation and utilization of the invaluable pumpkin germplasm in Kenya. Subsequently, a survey was done in 2012, leading to collection of 155 accessions, comprising 70 from Kakamega and 85 from Nyeri Counties in Kenya. Characterization was done on-farm in a Completely Randomized Design, replicated three times. Green to orange mature fruit rinds, speckled to striped secondary fruit rinds, smooth to warty fruit surfaces, white to yellow internal flesh, and yellow to pink-red inner and outer flesh resulted. The leaves exhibited variegation, broadly ovate central lobes and outlines, soft pubescence and moderate senescence. The flowers were monoecious and mostly male and early. Nine accessions had early female flowers. Most accessions had orange flowers, globular fruits, second fruit cycle, multilateral branching, dark-green stems, superficial ribbing, small blossom-end scars, and easy seed and placenta separation. Seed colour ranged from cream-yellow to white, seeds were elliptical, sharply or bluntly pointed, with intermediate glossiness and tubercular surfaces. All accessions had large veins, dense adaxial and intermediate abaxial pubescence, pentalobate, shallow lobes and cordate leaves, fruit vein tracks, with peduncles detaching when overripe, and unwinged seeds with no pattern. The variation portrayed by fruits and seeds provides more selection criteria. The unique pumpkin accessions should be conserved to serve as resources for breeding and improvement of desired pumpkin varieties.