The purpose of this research was to study the effect of tray type and seedling age in the production of squash, hybrid Atlas. Two tray types (72 and 128 cells) and four seedling ages (19, 24, 29 and 34 days after sowing) were evaluated in randomized blocks design, with six replication and five plants per plot. Fruit yield, average fruit weight and fruit dimensions (total length, neck and seed cavity length and diameter) were evaluated. Besides absence of significant statistical difference in fruit yield, for most of fruit characteristics (average weight, length and diameter) a linear reduction was observed in aging seedling. Therefore, older seedlings with more developed shoots, and which are preferred by some producers due to their compact radicular system and easiness to transplant, may present lower squash quality.
Cucurbita moschata; seedling production; propagation
