Pumpkin

A pumpkin is a vernacular term for mature winter squash of species and varieties in the genus '' Cucurbita'' that has culinary and cultural significance but no agreed upon botanical or scientific meaning. The term ''pumpkin'' is sometimes used interchangeably with "squash" or "winter squash", and is commonly used for cultivars of '' Cucurbita argyrosperma'', '' Cucurbita ficifolia'', '' Cucurbita maxima'', '' Cucurbita moschata'', and '' Cucurbita pepo''.

Native to North America (northeastern Mexico and the southern United States), ''C. pepo'' pumpkins are one of the oldest domesticated plants, having been used as early as 7,000 to 5,500 BC. Today, pumpkins of varied species are widely grown for food, as well as for aesthetic and recreational purposes. The pumpkin's thick shell contains edible seeds and pulp. Pumpkin pie, for instance, is a traditional part of Thanksgiving meals in Canada and the United States, and pumpkins are frequently carved as jack-o'-lanterns for decoration around Halloween, although commercially canned pumpkin purée and pumpkin pie fillings are usually made of different pumpkin varieties from those used for jack-o'-lanterns.

Etymology and terminology

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the English word ''pumpkin'' derives from the Ancient Greek word ( romanized ), meaning 'melon'. Under this theory, the term transitioned through the Latin word and the Middle French word to the Early Modern English , which was changed to ''pumpkin'' by 17th-century English colonists, shortly after encountering pumpkins upon their arrival in what is now the northeastern United States.

An alternate derivation for ''pumpkin'' is the Massachusett word , meaning 'grows forth round'. This term would likely have been used by the Wampanoag people (who speak the dialect of Massachusett) when introducing pumpkins to English Pilgrims at Plymouth Colony, located in present-day Massachusetts. The English word '' squash'' is also derived from a Massachusett word, variously transcribed as , , or, in the closely-related Narragansett language, .

Researchers have noted that the term pumpkin and related terms like ayote and calabaza are applied to a range of winter squash with varying size and shape. The term ''tropical pumpkin'' is sometimes used for pumpkin cultivars of the species ''Cucurbita moschata''.

Description

Pumpkin fruits are a type of botanical berry known as a pepo. Characteristics commonly used to define "pumpkin" include smooth and slightly ribbed skin, and deep yellow to orange color. White, green, and other pumpkin colors also exist.

While '' C. pepo'' pumpkins generally weigh between , Giant pumpkins can exceed a tonne in mass. Most are varieties of '' Cucurbita maxima'', and were developed through the efforts of botanical societies and enthusiast farmers. The largest cultivars of the species ''Curcubita maxima'' frequently reach weights of over , with current record weights of over 1,226 kg (2,703 lbs).

History

The oldest evidence of '' Cucurbita pepo'' pumpkin is fragments found in Mexico that are dated between 7,000 and 5,500 BC. Within decades after Europeans began colonizing North America, illustrations of pumpkins similar to the modern cultivars Small Sugar pumpkin and Connecticut Field pumpkin were published in Europe.

Cultivation

Pumpkins are a warm-weather crop that is usually planted by early July in the Northern Hemisphere. Pumpkins require that soil temperatures deep are at least and that the soil holds water well. Pumpkin crops may suffer if there is a lack of water, because of temperatures below , or if grown in soils that become waterlogged. Within these conditions, pumpkins are considered hardy, and even if many leaves and portions of the vine are removed or damaged, the plant can quickly grow secondary vines to replace what was removed.

Pumpkins produce both a male and female flower, with fertilization usually performed by bees. In America, pumpkins have historically been pollinated by the native squash bee, ''Peponapis pruinosa'', but that bee has declined, probably partly due to pesticide ( imidacloprid) sensitivity. Ground-based bees, such as squash bees and the eastern bumblebee, are better suited to manage the larger pollen particles that pumpkins create. One hive per acre (0.4 hectares, or five hives per 2 hectares) is recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. If there are inadequate bees for pollination, gardeners may have to hand pollinate. Inadequately pollinated pumpkins usually start growing but fail to develop.

Production

In 2020, world production of pumpkins (including squash and gourds) was 28 million tonnes, with China accounting for 27% of the total. Ukraine and Russia each produced about one million tonnes.

In the United States

As one of the most popular crops in the United States, in 2017 over of pumpkins were produced. The top pumpkin-producing states include Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and California. Pumpkin is the state squash of Texas.

According to the Illinois Department of Agriculture, 95% of the U.S. crop intended for processing is grown in Illinois. And 41% of the overall pumpkin crop for all uses originates in the state, more than five times the nearest competitor (California, whose pumpkin industry is centered in the San Joaquin Valley), and the majority of that comes from five counties in the central part of the state. Nestlé