Why do zucchini abort their fruit? Three causes to understand
Recently, many vegetable growers who cultivate zucchini reported that the zucchini grown in their greenhouses is suffering from severe fruit abortion, with low yields. So what causes might lead to fruit abortion in zucchini? In my analysis, there are mainly three causes. First, poor flower bud differentiation or pollination, which prevents the ovary from producing plant growth...
Recently, many vegetable growers who cultivate zucchini reported that the zucchini grown in their greenhouses is suffering from severe fruit abortion, with low yields. So what causes might lead to fruit abortion in zucchini? In my analysis, there are mainly three causes.
First, poor flower bud differentiation or pollination prevents the ovary from producing auxin, which causes the zucchini to abort its fruit. To address this, the technique of smearing the fruit can be used to supplement auxin for the fruit, promote fruit set, and prevent fruit abortion.
Second, excessively high temperatures cause fruit abortion. When the daytime temperature inside the greenhouse exceeds 35°C and the nighttime temperature is above 20°C, the plants become leggy, so vegetative growth flourishes while reproductive growth suffers, resulting in fruit abortion. Therefore, during routine management, growers should keep the daytime temperature inside the greenhouse at 20-23°C and the nighttime temperature at 13-15°C, to prevent the greenhouse temperature from getting too high and the plants from growing excessively and aborting their fruit.
Third, a high planting density causes the plants to become crowded and shaded, leading to fruit abortion. When the planting density is high, the ventilation and light penetration of the plants are poor. Especially after the fruit is pollinated, if it does not receive enough light, the leaves produce insufficient nutrients, which can easily cause zucchini to abort their fruit. Therefore, when transplanting, growers must pay attention to the planting density, and promptly remove old leaves at the base of the plants to increase ventilation and light exposure, preventing fruit abortion.