A Detailed Explanation of the Causes of Fruit Cracking in Zucchini and the Solutions

Fruit cracking often occurs during zucchini cultivation, damaging fruit quality. It not only affects appearance but also causes reduced yield, and such zucchini simply cannot be sold at all. This problem often leaves vegetable farmers overwhelmed. So how should zucchini fruit cracking be prevented and controlled? Come learn about it with the editor.

1. Symptoms

Fruit cracking commonly occurs in zucchini, baby zucchini and golden zucchini, and it happens on both young fruits and mature fruits. The common cracked fruits have three types of cracking: longitudinal, transverse and diagonal. The depth and width of the cracks vary; in mild cases only a small slit appears, while in severe cases the crack can go deep into the flesh and expose the seeds. The injured surface of the crack gradually becomes suberized. Many zucchini crack while still young fruits, and by maturity the cracking is severe.

2. Calcium deficiency

The main cause of zucchini fruit cracking is calcium deficiency in the zucchini. During the swelling stage, zucchini has an extremely high demand for calcium. Once calcium cannot be supplied adequately, cracks appear on the fruit surface, and in some severe cases the fruit splits open into a slit. This leads to poor appearance of the harvested product, making it hard to sell.

Solution: Actually, the solution is relatively simple. When applying base fertilizer, just add some calcium fertilizer to it, or apply some calcium fertilizer during the fruiting stage. This can prevent zucchini from cracking due to calcium deficiency.

3. Water deficiency

Water deficiency is a common cause of zucchini cracking. Many vegetable farmers do not water in time during the zucchini fruiting stage, causing the soil to become too dry. Because the plant cannot absorb enough water, it struggles to supply the swelling fruit, which causes the skin of the young zucchini fruit to become aged. Once a day of this occurs, the flesh of the zucchini swells rapidly due to quick water absorption, but the aged skin cannot expand normally in sync, so fruit cracking occurs.

Solution: Therefore, during the fruiting stage, do not control water excessively; pay attention to proper watering to prevent the soil from becoming too dry. In addition, drain water promptly after rain to avoid the fruit swelling too quickly.

4. Damage to the fruit body

This situation is also relatively common, but it usually only causes individual zucchini to crack and does not appear on a large scale. It mainly occurs during the young fruit growth stage, when farmers accidentally bump the young fruit while carrying out farming operations, causing physical damage to the surface. Moreover, young fruits are very tender, and even a light touch can cause damage.

Solution: Therefore, it is recommended that farmers be very careful when managing the fruiting stage to avoid damage to the fruit body. For fruit bodies that have already cracked open, it is recommended to remove them in time to avoid unnecessary consumption of nutrients, and at the same time to prevent pests and diseases from taking advantage of the opening.

The above is an introduction to the causes of zucchini fruit cracking and the solutions. We hope it can help you. If you want to learn more related knowledge, please stay tuned to us.