Paper Details

PJB-2025-158

Morpho-physiological and biochemical response of two pumpkin species to soil moisture gradients

Jan Sher, Mohsin Razaq, Waseem Muhammad, Areeba Aslam and Jiao-Lin Zhang
Abstract

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Plants in natural ecosystems face various environmental challenges that adversely affect their morphology and physiology, ultimately reducing the productivity of food and vegetable crops. Among these, drought is one of the most damaging factors, affecting plant growth and crop yields and posing a major challenge for sustainable farming. Although many studies have examined plant responses to drought stress, no study has specifically evaluated how pumpkin species respond to varying soil moisture conditions, reflecting the increasing frequency and intensity of droughts in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region of Pakistan. This study examined the performance of two pumpkin species, Cucurbita maxima and Cucurbita pepo, under different soil moisture gradients. Pot culture experiments were conducted using a completely randomized design (CRD). Morpho-physiological traits, phytochemical contents, and enzyme/antioxidant activities were assessed for both species at the end of the experiment. The findings indicated that both species showed an overall decrease in plant height under low moisture conditions, although root traits including root length, specific root length (SRL), and root mass fraction (RMF) showed the opposite trend. Biomass accumulation and organ mass allocation were significantly greater in C. pepo compared with C. maxima across all treatments. In contrast, C. maxima produced a higher average fruit mass and a greater number of fruits per plant than C. pepo. Physiological traits, including net assimilation rate, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, and specific leaf area (SLA), were also higher in C. pepo under high moisture conditions. Secondary metabolites and total antioxidant activity increased under low moisture conditions and decreased under medium and high moisture conditions. These findings suggest that C. pepo is better adapted to resist drought stress, C. maxima may be more productive in terms of fruit yield under varying moisture regimes. Further research is warranted to investigate both below- and above-ground traits of diverse cultivated species in natural environments. Such studies could improve our understanding of plant responses to drought and help develop strategies to enhance agricultural productivity under water-limited conditions

To Cite this article: Sher, J., M. Razaq, W. Muhammad, A. Aslam and J.L. Zhang. 2026. Morpho-physiological and biochemical response of two pumpkin species to soil moisture gradients. Pak. J. Bot., 58(6): DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.30848/PJB2026-6(1)  
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