BUTTERNUT PRODUCTION

A complete Guide

PROMOTING FARMING EXCELLENCE

By Dahlia Shumba 0717816552
 Butternut Production
Classification Crop Butternut
Family Curcubitaceae
Genus Curcubita
Species Pepo
Soil requirements Soils Organically rich loam soils with good drainage
pH 5.5-6.5
Climatic Temperature 18-29⁰C
requirements
Time of planting All year round in frost free areas
Seed requirement Seeds/gram 10
Seeds/ha 1.5-2kg
Spacing Interrow 120-150cm
Inrow 60-75cm
Plant population Minimum 9000
Maximum 14000
Recommended 10000
Varieties B/nut- Waltham, Walthum plus, Shiba F1, Avalon F1, Ultra F1,
Victory F1, Granite F1, Prism F1
P/kin- Kayla F1, FW Boer, Invicible F1
Fertilisation
Application Fertiliser Rate per plant
Maure Well rotten manure 1.5kg
Basal Compound C 60g
Top dressing Ammonium Nitrate 5g
Potassium nitrate 10g
Well rotten manure and Compound C
 Make a basin of 30cm diameter and 20cm deep
 Apply a heaped shovel of manure (approx. 3kg) and add 120g of compound C, then mix thoroughly with
the soil and irrigate to field capacity before planting
 Place 3 seeds per station, a day after irrigation and continue maintaining moisture level until germination.
Thin to two plants per station
Ammonium nitrate
 Apply 5g (Cup 5) at week 2 after emergence
Potassium nitrate
 Split apply equally (Cup 5) at week 4 and 6

Supplementary fertilisers
 Winstart- spray at week 2 and 3 at 1% solution (10g/l of water)
 Wingrow- spray at week 4 and 5 at 1% solution (10g/l of water)
 Winbloom- spray from week 6 onwards at 1% solution (10g/l of water)
 Calcium nitrate- spray from week 7 onwards at 2g/l of water every 2 weeks
NB: More supplementary fertilisers are available on the market
*Total fertiliser application = Rate/plant * Plant population (Divide by 1000 to convert to kgs)

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Pests and Disease control
Problem Control
Herbicides
Pre-emergence Metolachlor
Post-emergence Propaquizafop, Fluazifop-p-Butyl
Pests
Aphids Imidacloprid, Acetamiprid, Malathion, Dichlorvos, Dimethoate
Leafhopper Methomyl, Imidacloprid, Acetamiprid, Malathion, Dichlorvos Deltamethrin
Whitefly Thiamethoxam, Methomyl, Imidacloprid, Acetamiprid, Dichlorvos
Redspider Amitraz, Dicofol, Abamectin, Diazinon, Profenofos
Pumpkin fly Thiamethoxam, Methomyl, Imidacloprid, Acetamiprid, Dichlorvos, Dimethoate, Malathion,
Thrips Abamectin, Imidacloprid, Acetamiprid, Malathion, Dichlorvos, Deltamethrin
Squash bug Imidacloprid, Acetamiprid, Malathion, Dichlorvos, Dimethoate
Cutworms Chlorpyrifos, Lambda cyhalothrin, Carbaryl, Deltamethrin
Diseases
Damping off Captan, Copper oxychloride, Mancozeb, Thiram, Metalaxyl
Downey mildew Mancozeb, Copper oxychloride, Metalaxyl, Chlorothalonil, Acibenzolar-S-Methyl
Angular leafspot Copper oxychloride, Copper hydroxide, Acibenzolar-S-Methyl
Azoxystrobin, Trifloxystrobin, Difenoconazole, Mancozeb, Copper oxychloride,
Anthracnose Tebuconazole, Chlorothalonil
Powdery mildew Triadimenole, Tebuconazole, Sulphure, Benomyl, Difenoconazole, Chlorothalonil
Azoxystrobin, Trifloxystrobin, Difenoconazole, Mancozeb, Copper oxychloride,
Alternaria leafspot Tebuconazole, Chlorothalonil
Phytophtora crown
and fruit rot Metalaxyl, Mancozeb, Chlorothalonil, Copper oxychloride, Mandipropamid
Bacterial complex Acibenzolar-S-Methyl
**Always read the labels on chemicals for rates and post-harvest intervals
**Chemicals listed in active ingredients, trade names may differ
**Chemical colour codes do not illustrate the effectiveness in pest control, but the toxicity to the operator

Butternut Program
Planting date Variety

Plant pop Area Spacing

Week after Age Date Herbicides/ 16l Fertilisers/plant Pesticides/ 16l Fungicides/ 16l Foliar sprays/
emergence knapsack knapsack 16l knapsack
Planting Metolachlor Compound C 60g
120ml Rotten manure 1.5kg
0 0 Lambda 16ml Copper 80g

1 7 Dichlorvos 16ml Bravo 32ml

2 14 AN(NH₄NO₃) 8g Abamectin 16ml Antracol 32g Winstart 160g

3 21 Malathion 24ml Acomil 50g Winstart 160g

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4 28 Fluazifop 120ml PN(KNO₃) 15g Aceta + Ema 16ml Orius 16ml Wingrow 160g

5 35 Belt 4ml Copper 80g Wingrow 160g

6 42 PN(KNO₃) 15g Dichlorvos 16ml Bravo 32ml CN 160g

7 49 Abamectin 16ml Antracol 32g Winbloom 160g

8 56 Calcium nitrate 2g Malathion 24ml Acomil 50g CN 160g

9 63 Aceta + Ema 16ml Orius 16ml Winbloom 160g

10 70 Belt 4ml Copper 80g CN 160g

11 77 Dichlorvos 16ml Bravo 32ml Winbloom 160g

12 84 Abamectin 16ml Antracol 32g CN 160g

13 91 Malathion 24ml Acomil 50g

14 98 Aceta + Ema 16ml Orius 16ml

15 105 Belt 4ml

16 112

17 119

Promoting Farming Excellence