🎃 Pumpkin

• Botanical Name: Cucurbita moschaia
• Family: Cucurbitaceae
• Origin: Mexico
• Amphidiploid (2n = 40) in nature
• Orissa - 85% Area and 90% production.
• Cucurbita ficifolia: Fig leaf Gourd or Malabar Gourd.
• Yerusseri: Prepared from immature fruits. (Famous in Kerala)

• ‘Channel and hill’ system of cultivation is most useful for higher yield.
• Chief pollinator - Honey bees.
• Male and Female parent can be grown in a 1 : 3 ratio.
• Flowers of Pumpkin are more nutritive than fruits.
• Pumpkin reaches maturity 75-180 days after sowing.

Varieties

• Arka Chandan: Pleasant Aroma
• Pusa Viswas
• Pusa Vikas
• Arka Surya Mukhi: Resistant to fruit fly
• Ambili