Please click here to access the main AHDB website and other sectors.
- Home
- Knowledge library
- Improving pumpkin storage
Improving pumpkin storage
There’s a growing market for pumpkins in the UK, both for food and for decorative carving. But many pumpkins are lost to rot each year during storage. Find out what causes rot in stored pumpkins and what steps you can take to reduce your losses.
Our research into pumpkin storage losses
In 2014, pumpkin storage losses were estimated at around 15 to 20% of the marketable yield. The reasons for these substantial losses weren’t clear, so we ran a trial (AHDB project FV 439) to find out what causes rot in stored pumpkins and what fungal and nutritional treatments might help to reduce losses.
What causes storage losses in pumpkins?
Our research showed that a fungal plant pathogen called Phoma cucurbitacearum is the main cause of rot in pumpkins in the UK once stored after harvesting.
See our findings on pumpkin rot
How to reduce pumpkin storage losses
We worked with growers on two UK sites to find out whether fungal and nutritional sprays for pumpkin crops could significantly reduce the occurrence of Phoma cucurbitacearum and, therefore, reduce losses.
Read the trial results on pumpkin losses
Useful links
Download the PDF: Crop management strategies to improve pumpkin storage
Read our outdoor cucurbit crop walkers’ guide
If you would like to order a hard copy of the Outdoor cucurbit crop walkers' guide please contact:
Email: publications@ahdb.org.uk
Telephone: 0247 799 0069
This information was written by Debbie Rees, Richard Colgan, Marcin Glowacz – NRI, University of Greenwich Peter Waldock – Growing Earth Consultancy Ltd. Gerard Bishop, Robert Saville, Jennifer Kingsnorth – NIAB EMR.
Topics:
Sectors:
Tags: