Where are the production areas of pumpkin, the anti-cancer food, and how have prices trended recently?

Pumpkin is one of the common vegetables in daily life, rich in nutritional value, with a unique taste, and it has the title of “anti-cancer food”. The way pumpkin is eaten also differs at different stages; for example, tender pumpkin can be stir-fried, while mature pumpkin can be boiled and eaten. So where are the pumpkin production areas? How have prices trended recently? What are the specific cultivation techniques?

1. Where are the pumpkin production areas?

Pumpkin originated in the region from Mexico to Central America and has a cultivation history of 9,000 years. Columbus brought it back to Europe, and it was later introduced by the Portuguese to Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines and other places. China began introducing it during the Ming Dynasty. It is now widely cultivated around the world, with the largest cultivation area in Asia, followed by Europe and South America. It is widely planted across both northern and southern China, with the most extensive planting in the Northeast region, and the most widespread planting in the Heilongjiang area.

2. How have pumpkin prices trended recently?

Recently, pumpkin prices in major markets have fluctuated considerably:

The wholesale price of domestic pumpkin at the Zhebei Fruit and Vegetable Market is 5 yuan/kg, flat with the quote on the 21st.

The wholesale price of domestic pumpkin at Jianqiao Vegetable Wholesale Market is 1.6 yuan/kg, up 0.1 yuan/kg compared with the 20th.

The wholesale price of domestic pumpkin at the Jiaxing Vegetable Market is 4.58 yuan/kg, up 2.77 yuan/kg compared with the 20th.

The wholesale price of domestic pumpkin at Shaoxing Fruit Wholesale Market is 5 yuan/kg, flat with the quote on the 21st.

3. Pumpkin cultivation techniques

1. Transplanting: When there are 3-5 true leaves, select robust, pest- and disease-free seedlings on a sunny afternoon for transplanting, 1 plant per pot, with the planting depth such that the cotyledons are level with the soil surface, and water thoroughly. If direct sowing is used, thin out diseased and weak seedlings, leaving 1 seedling per hole.

2. Fertilizing: About 10 days after transplanting, spray once with dilute organic fertilizer, mainly nitrogen fertilizer. After the plant begins to produce vines, it grows rapidly. When there are 8-10 true leaves, carry out the first topping to encourage more lateral vines to sprout; at this time, supports can be set up in advance. When lateral vines are more than 50 cm long, the tender stem tips and leaf stalks can be harvested for eating; be careful to retain about 5 leaves, and use a somewhat larger clod of soil to press down the remaining stems and vines to encourage aerial roots to sprout. After each harvest, spray once with dilute decomposed organic fertilizer mainly based on nitrogen fertilizer.

3. Trellising: After the vine has circled once around the pot on the soil surface, the stems and vines can be guided to climb the trellis so that the leaves are evenly distributed and the branches do not shade each other.

4. Growth: At a certain stage, the plant enters the flowering period. In the early stage, male flowers predominate. In the morning, when the flowers are about to open but have not yet opened, the male flowers can be picked together with their stalks and used for eating. When female flowers begin to grow, the decomposed organic fertilizer applied as a top dressing should be mainly phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, and the harvesting of tender stem tips should be reduced or stopped. Hand pollination should be carried out when necessary, and must be done before 8 a.m. Usually, it is enough for 3-5 fruits per plant to grow normally (leave 1-2 for large-fruited varieties; mini varieties can be increased appropriately depending on plant growth). Excess young fruits or female flowers should be thinned out, and the stems and vines should be appropriately topped to avoid insufficient nutrient supply. Larger fruits can be hung in a firm place with a mesh bag, and fruits close to the ground can be propped up with foam plastic or wooden boards to isolate them from the soil.