Performance, Phenology, and Yield Enhancement of Yellow Zucchini (Cucurbita pepo L.) under Spiritual Blessings (Biofield) Energy Treatment

Abstract

Background and Objective: Sustainable agricultural practices increasingly seek non-invasive, eco-friendly interventions to optimize plant physiological performance, accelerate phenological development, and maximize crop output. This study evaluated the effects of spiritual blessings (biofield energy) treatment on the vegetative growth dynamics, phenological transitions, and yield components of yellow zucchini (Cucurbita pepo L.). Methods: A field experiment was conducted using a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) comparing two primary cohorts: an untreated/control yellow zucchini group (CONYZUG) and a blessing/biofield energy-treated yellow zucchini group (BTYZUG). Uniform agronomic and management practices were maintained across the treatment. Key phenological milestones, morphometric parameters, and yield metrics were systematically recorded and subjected to statistical analysis using unpaired, two-tailed Student’s t-test. Results: Morphometric development showed a substantial significant enhancement of plant height (21.58%, p ≤ 0.001), leaf spread (22.60%, p ≤ 0.001), number of primary branches (41.87%, p = 0.012), number of nodes/plant (34.04%, p ≤ 0.001), leaf length (27.16%, p ≤ 0.001), leaf width (26.61%, p ≤ 0.001), and female flower counts 36.68% (p ≤ 0.001) in the BTYZUG compared to the CONYZUG. Yield components were markedly superior in the treatment group: fruit length (21.22%, p ≤ 0.001), fruit diameter (35.09%, p ≤ 0.001), fruit count per plant (27.16%, p = 0.002), seed count per fruit (24.64%, p ≤ 0.001), seed length (29.73%, p ≤ 0.001), and cumulative marketable fruit yield per hectare were significantly increased by 27.80% compared to the control. Conclusion: Blessing/Biofield energy treatment exerted a favorable biological influence on the growth performance, phenological characters, and overall yields of Cucurbita pepo L.