🫑 Gourds

Bottle Gourd

• Botanical Name: Lagenaria siceraria
• Family: Cucurbitaceae
• Origin: South Africa
• Known as “lauki”
• Seed rate: 3-6 kg/ha
• Kofta and Petha are most popular preparations from Bottle gourd.
• It is highly sensitive to photoperiod.
• Dry shell is used for preparation of musical instrument.

• Processed product - tooty-fruity.

• Fruit pulp is very good source of fibre free carbohydrates. (Diabetes)
• Germination: 25-30°C, Brownish or whitish brown seeds germinate well.
• High temperature and High N₂ induce maleness in Bottle gourd.
• Heterosis is present through its life cycle in all stages.

Varieties

• Selection
  • Pusa Summer Prolific long
  • Pusa Summer Prolific round
  • Arka Bahar
  • Pusa Naveen
  • Punjab Round
  • Punjab long
  • Samrat: Highest Yield
• Hybrid
  • Punjab Komal
  • Pusa Mangan
  • Pusa Meghdoot: 1st F1 hybrid by public sector.
  • Gutka
  • Harit
  • Varad
  • NDBG-1: Diara
  • PBO G-1: for Northern Plains
  • Pusa sandesh - New variety

Bitter Gourd

• Botanical Name: Momordica charantia
• Family: Cucurbitaceae
• Origin: Indo-Burma
• Bitter principle: Momordicin
• Immature, tender fruits are harvested.
• Bitter gourd fruits are rich in iron.
• If temperature goes above 40°C, induces maleness.
• Sowing Time: Jan-Feb: in North East India.
• Fruits ready in 60-70 DAS.

Varieties

• Selection
  • Pusa-Do-Mausami
  • Coimbatore long
  • Priyanka
  • Harkani
  • Pusa Vishesh
  • Arka Harit
  • Preethi
  • Konkan Tara — Suitable for export
• Hybrid
  • Phule Green Gold: Green long x Delhi local
  • Pusa hybrid-I

Summer Squash

• Botanical Name: Cucurbita pepo
• Family: Cucurbitaceae
• Origin: Mexico
• Harvesting stage: At 1/3rd maturity
• It is also known as bushy cucurbit, ornamental cucurbits.
• Introduced variety:
  • Patty Pan
  • Australian Green
• Selection:
  • Early yellow Prolific
• F1 Hybrid: Pusa Alankar: Chappan x Early yellow prolific

Snake Gourd

• Botanical Name: Trichosanthes anguina
• Family: Cucurbitaceae
• Origin: India
• Bower system of training is best for it.
• Variety:
  • Konkan Shweta
  • Winter Squash - Vilayati Kaddu
  • Arka Suryamukhi, Pink Banana

Pointed Gourd

• Botanical Name: Trichosandhus dioca
• Family: Cucurbitaceae
• Origin: India
• Propagation by vine cutting @ 2000-2500 cuttings/hac.
• Fruits are particularly recommended during convalescence (Regains health after illness).
• 10% male plant is necessary to get high yield.
• Varieties
  • Bihar Sherif
  • Kalyani
  • Shankolia
  • Swarna Rekha
  • Dandli
  • Damodar
  • Swarna Alaukik
  • Chhota Hilli

Ash Gourd

• Botanical Name: Benincasa hispida
• Family: Cucurbitaceae
• Origin: Japan
• Fruits at maturity have white waxy surface.
• Annual hipsid (Rough with bristle like hairs).
• It is also known as Chinese preserving melon.
• Longest storage life, among cucurbits.
• Variety
  • Mudlier
  • Pusa Ujjwal

Chow-Chow

• Botanical Name: Sechium edule
• Family: Cucurbitaceae
• Origin: Mexico
• Single seeded fruit in cucurbits.
• Most nutritious among cucurbits.
• Herbaceous, perennial, monoecious, climbing vine.
• Common name: Chayote, Choco, Askas
• High Calcium content.
• Propagation: By fruits (Vivipary)
• Spine Gourd (Kakrol)
• Dioecious
• Propagation by tuberous roots

Ridge Gourd

• Botanical Name: Luffa acutangula
• Family: Cucurbitaceae
• Origin: Asia
• Commercially trained on kniffin system.
• Used in Bathing Sponge.

Varieties

• Pusa Nasdar: Hermaphrodite variety
• Satputia: Hermaphrodite variety
• Konkan Harita
• Punjab Sadabahar
• Hybrid
  • Surekha
  • Arka Sujat

Sponge Gourd

• Botanical Name: Luffa cylindrica
• Family: Cucurbitaceae
• Origin: Asia
• Sponge Gourd contains higher protein and carotene than ridge gourd.
• Both Luffa spp. contain, a gelatinous compound called – luffien
• Fruits are harvested at tender stage.
• Anthesis: 4-8 am (morning).

Varieties

• Pusa Chikni: Selection and early variety
• Pusa Supriya
• Phule prajakta
• Harita: F1 hybrid

Disease in Cucurbits

• Powdery mildew in cucurbits due to Erysiphe cichoracearum
• Downey mildew in cucurbits due to Pseudoperanospora cubensis
• Yellow vine of cucurbits is due to Serratia marcescens
• Bud necrosis: mostly in water melon, viral, transmitted by Aphids.

  

Insect-pests of cucurbits

• Red pumpkin beetle: Raphidopalpa foeicollis

  

  • Both grub and adult beetle cause damage, the grub damage the plants by boring in to roots and underground stem.
  • But beetle are very destructive to vegetable particularly March-April when creepers are very young.
  • Management:
    • Apply Carbofuran 3 g @ 7.0 kg/ha or Methyl parathion 2% dust @ 20 kg/ha.
    • Spray Malathion 50 EC @ 0.05 %.
• Cucurbits fruit flies: Bactrocera cucurbitae

  

  • Maggots feed pulp and seeds infested fruits may fall prematurely & fruit become soft and rotten.
  • It can be controlled by bait spray containing 50 ml of Malathion 35 EC and 0.5 kg Gur/molasses in 50 liters of water for one ha.
• Cucurbit mite: Tetranychus cucurbitae

  

  • Known as red spider mite
  • Suck cell sap by making webbing on underside of leaves
  • Damage confined to under surface of leaves
  • It controlled by Dicofol/ Ethion 50 EC @ 1.5 ml/liter