pointedgourd-210917071134.pptx

Pointed gourd production technology

1. UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURAL AND HORTICULTURAL SCIENCES, SHIVAMOGGA COLLEGE OF HORTICULTURE, MUDIGERE

2. PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY OF POINTED GOURD Submitted to: Dr. V. Srinivasa Professor and Head Department of vegetable science College of Horticulture, Mudigere Submitted By: SHARATH M N MH2TBZ278 M.Sc ( Hort ) Veg. Sci Dept COH, Mudigere

3. POINTED GOURD

4. Introduction Botanical name: Trichosanthes dioica Family: Cucurbitaceae Chromosome number: 2n=22 Common Name: Hindi and Punjab- Parwal Among the indigenous cucurbits, pointed gourd occupies an important place. Its immature fruits are used as a vegetable. They are also pickled and used in confectionery. Pointed gourd possesses several medicinal properties and it is recommended as food for convalescents. The vegetable is easily digestible and have diuretic and laxative properties. Ethanol extracts of plant cause significant lowering of blood sugar (Chandrasekhar et al., 1989).

5. During the maturity of fruits, soluble solids increase and total mineral contents ranges between 1.20 and 2.05 percent. Total sugar content ranges from 168.50 to 288.56 mg per 100 g, which increases during maturity. The crude fibre and ascorbic acid contents range from 2.73 to 3.06 per cent and from 29.50 to 33.35 mg per 100 g, respectively. During fruit maturity, the content of structural carbohydrate increases, while water and crude protein contents decrease. The total free amino acid content ranges from 3.99 to 4.09 per cent (Singh et al., 2001).

6. Pointed gourd is known as the ‘king of gourds’ because of having higher nutrient contents than other cucurbits. Protein content of pointed gourd is 10 times that of bottle gourd and 4 times that of snake gourd, ridge gourd and wax gourd. Similarly, pro-vitamin A and vitamin C content is higher than many other cucurbits. The protein, mineral, fibre and calcium contents of pointed gourd leaves are highest. (5.4 g, 3 g, 4.2 g and 531 mg per 100 g of edible portion, respectively) among all the cucurbits, and it also provides high energy of about 55 kilocalories (Sheshadri, 1986).

7. Origin and distribution Pointed gourd is a native of India. It is found in natural state in the plains of North India from Punjab to Assam. It is extensively cultivated all over the Bihar, West Bengal and Assam. Bengal-Assam region is considered as primary centre of origin of pointed gourd.

8. Botanical description Pointed gourd belongs to the genus Trichosanthes and species dioica. It is a dioecious plant. The somatic chromosome number is 2n=22. It is perennial plant with well-developed roots, vine 2-3 m long, well branched; leaves cordate or ovate along, stomata are present in both the leaf surfaces but the frequency is much higher in the lower surface. Flowers dioecious , male flowers peduncle paired, both 1- flowered; female solitary, fruits globose, oblong, smooth, 5-12 cm x 2.6 cm striped, strips light green on the young fruit and red on the ripe ones; seeds globose.

9. Climate and soil The pointed gourd prefers warm and humid climate . Frost or severe cold, especially below 5 ⁰C, are unfavourable for the plant growth and development. During the winter season, crop remains dormant and vigorous growth starts only with the onset of spring. For raising the good crop of pointed gourd, a well-drained sandy to sandy loam soil is the best, as the plant does not withstand water logging. In the North Bihar, the areas usually flooded by overflowing riverbeds in the rainy season are utilized for cultivation during summer season. In West Bengal, it is commonly grown in dry river beds.

10. Propagation The pointed gourd is commercially propagated by vegetative means through vine cuttings and root suckers. Seed propagation is avoided due to poor germination (50 per cent plants may be male); besides, the crop may be homogenous and homozygous (Singh, 1989). Mukhopadhyay and Chattopadhyay (1976) reported that seed treatment with 0.005 per cent GA or 0.5 per cent thiourea for 24 h before sowing enhanced the germination percentage and speed of germination.

11. Vine cuttings The defoliated vines are used for making cuttings to check the transpiration. The following methods are in vogue to plant the cuttings: Lunda or Lachhi method : In this method, the mature vines about 1-1.5 m long with 8-9 nodes per cutting are taken and folded into a figure of 8 commonly known as ‘ lunda ' or 'lachhi'. The lachhi should be placed flat in the pit and pressed 3-5 cm deep in the middle in the soil. Fresh cow dung may be applied over the central part of the pit to enhance the sprouting Moist lump method : In this method, the vine 60-90 cm long is circled over a lump of moist soil leaving both ends 15 cm free. Such soil lumps are buried 10 cm deep into well prepared pits leaving the ends of vine above the ground. The under-soil part sticks to the root and exposed ends sprout.

12. Ring method : The vine cutting is coiled into a spinal or ring shape and planted directly on the mound, covering one and half to two-thirds of the ring underground. Small rooted cuttings : In the case of scarcity of planting material or popularizing the most desired type clone at a time, small cuttings with 3-4 nodes are prepared. These cuttings are treated with 100 ppm IBA and are planted in polythene bags filled with 1:1:1 in ratio of soil: sand: FYM to strike roots. These cuttings are then planted in Eastern Uttar Pradesh in month of February March. Pandey and Ram (2000) reported 61.13 per cent success of the rooted cuttings with the treatment of IBA @ 100 ppm. Straight vine methods : In this system, vines cuttings are planted end to end horizontally 15 cm deep into fur rows. These furrows are spaced at 2 m apart are opened and filled in with a mixture of farmyard manure and soil.

13. Root suckers Pointed gourd possesses tuberous roots which are uprooted and planted on the mounds. The propagation through this method is easier and faster and gives assured success. Tripathy et al. (1994) obtained best planting roots in terms of highest fresh weight (58.53 g) and tuber size with the application of NPK @ 60:60:60 kg per hectare. They observed that female plants were more vigorous than male plants but there was no difference in tuber fresh weight between two sexes.

14. Varieties Not much systematic research work has been done to develop the improved varieties in pointed gourd. However, some improved strains are developed through selection from local germplasm in India which are grown in various states. These are as follows: Madhya Pradesh: Green Oval, Green Long Striped and White Oval. (In this state generally Pale-White Oval Cultivars Are Popular). West Bengal: Kazil, Bombay and Damodar. Uttar Pradesh: Dandli, Kalyani, Guli, Bihar Shariff, FP 5, FP 4, FP 1 and FP 3.

15. Swarna Rekha : Elongated green fruits with stripes and soft seeds. Yield 15-20 t/ha. Matures in 220-240 days. Swarna Alaukik : Fruits are elongated and light green. Yield 20-25 t/ha. Matures in 220-240 days. Suitable for sweet preparations. Rajendra parwal 1 : Fruits are green with stripes, long and tapering at both the ends. Average fruit weight is 40 g. Yield is 17.5 t/ha. Rajendra parwal 2 : Fruits are drum shaped whitish green with light stripes. Average fruit weight is 30 g. Yield is 16 t/ha. Konkan Haritha : Fruits are dark green, 30-35 cm long tapering at both the ends. Yields 10-12 fruits per vine.

16. Kashi Amulya (VRPG-89): This variety is released by IIVR, Varanasi. Less seeded attractive light green fruit with sparsely distributed white stripes. Yield 20-22 t/ha. Recommended for cultivation in Uttar Pradesh. Suitable for confectionary purpose.

17. Kashi Suphal (VRPG-2): Attractive light green with mild stripes, fleshy fruit with soft seed. Yield 18-20 t/ha. Recommended for cultivation in Uttar Pradesh.

18. Kashi Alankar : It is a high yielding variety developed through clonal selection at IIVR. Fruits are light green in colour and devoid of any white stripes. Average yield 18-19 t/ha. Recommended for cultivation in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand. Arka Neelachal Kirti : This high-yielding variety of pointed gourd has been identified by IIHR for release. Fruits are spindle shaped, dark green in colour with 3-4 fragmented stripes of cream colour and medium sized (10.45 x 3.5 cm) weighing around 40-45g with solid core.  It has a yield potential of 15t/ha.

19. Manures & fertilizers Apply FYM @ 20-25 tones per hectare before planting of the cuttings. Singh (1989) recommended 90 kg N, 60 kg P 2 O 5 , and 40 kg K2 0 per hectare for the maximum return. Half of the nitrogen and full dose of phosphorus and potassium are applied at the time of planting and remaining half dose of nitrogen is side dressed at the time of flowering. In Sabour (Bihar) Kumar et al. (1990) recorded highest number of fruits per vine with the application of N and P @ 60 kg per hectare. Under the conditions of West Bengal, maximum and early yield were obtained by application of N and P2O5, @ 90 kg and 60 kg per hectare, respectively (Das et al., 1987). For a ratoon crop, the NPK mixture with well rotten farm yard manure is applied by loosening the soil around the mound towards the end of winter, or before the start of fruiting very year.

20. Irrigation During hot weather conditions, sprouting takes place within 8-10 days after planting. For better establishment and excellent initial growth 10-15 per cent moisture above the wilting stage must be maintained. Drip irrigation at 100% PE resulted in 181 per cent higher yield. Fertilizer use efficiency was highest (13. 83 kg fruits/kg fertilizers) at the lowest fertilizer rates (Singandhupe et al., 2003). In pointed gourd 4, 5 and 6th leaves from the top of the plant possess maximum leaf area. The ratio of DM: leaf area of bottom leaves shows higher values than the upper leaves. The net photosynthesis rate and stomata conductance indicated decreasing rates towards the bottom leaf.

21. I ntercultural operations At the early stage of plant establishment, weeds should be removed to prevent damage to tender vines and flower buds. Mulching with straw, sugarcane trash or black polythene helps in suppression of weeds (Dwivedi et al., 1999). In chemical weed control, application of Grammaxone @ 1 litre or Femoxone @ 1.0 litre/ha has been found effective (Chattopadhyay et al., 1997)

22. Training and pruning During winter season plant rests in dormant and the growth of meristematic tissue is retarded to a great extent. Therefore, the vine should be pruned 15 cm from the ground before the winter (October-November) sets in. Giving support to spreading vines on trellis or bowers improves plant growth and yield. Prasad and Singh (1987) observed the best plant growth and highest yield by training the vine on 1 m supports.

23. A technique for artificial-pollination in pointed gourd has been followed by an Odisha farmer. Male plants were planted in separate beds. Artificial pollination was done by plucking male flowers, removing petals, collecting pollens by hammering with a wooden stick in to a glass, diluted it with water, sieved it using a net and pollinated the female flowers by putting a drop of solution using a dropper. In rainy season, plucking of male flower buds was done in the afternoon, and they were kept overnight in water and plants were pollinated in the morning when the weather was favourable. Yield was 2.5 times higher when artificial pollination was practiced. Fruit setting was better, size was good and weight of the fruit was more.

24. Crop rotation and intercropping The crop of pointed gourd is raised in various cropping sequences, viz. potato-pointed gourd, and radish-pointed gourd, Pea-pointed gourd. It is also grown as an intercrop with betel vine in some areas of UP and W. Bengal (Maity et al, 1995: Anwar et al., 2003; Singh, 1989)

25. Flowering and fruit set In pointed gourd staminate and pistillate flowers appear on separate plant (dioecious) and buds take 11-16 days and 7-12 days, respectively to develop and open fully. Anthesis commences at 20.10 h and 20.30 h, respectively in pistillate and staminate buds with a peak from 21.00-21.30 h in both. Anther dehiscence occurs from 17.50-19.10 h. The stigma remains receptive 6 h before anthesis with a peak in receptivity at 12 after anthesis (Sachan et al., 1989). At anthesis pollen germination was 66 per cent which dropped to 1 per cent 42 hour after anthesis. Stigma was receptive 4 h before flower opening. Red brown beetle ( Corpophillus dimidiatus ) is main pollinating agent in pointed gourd. Poor fruit setting during summer season as compared to rainy season is mainly due to low pollination by beetle in the summer (Sachan et al., 1989).

26. Use of PGR Dubey and Nair (1972) recorded maximum fruit set (80%) with the application of NAA @ 200-300 ppm. NAA at 100-500 ppm also induced parthenocarpy in cv. White Oval. Application of GA 3 , @40 ppm increased the number of female flowers by 20 per cent resulting in increased fruit set by 18.7 per cent ( Basu et al., 1999). Hoque et al. (2002) were able to induce the hermaphrodite flower with the spray of 1000 ppm silver nitrate. Silver nitrate application also induced parthenocarpy.

27. Harvesting, yield and storage Harvesting is done from 5-17 days after flowering and yield increases as harvesting is delayed, fruit also grows longer and heavier through the final harvest. Seeds are consumable from 7-15 days after flowering (maity et al.,1995a) in the first year, the crop yields around 75-90 quintals per hectare, but is subsequent years (up to 4 year) 156 -175 q/ha. Singh (1989) recommended treatment of pointed gourd fruits with waxsol (12 per cent) for increasing the shelf life up to 8 days. Whereas Chakraborty et al. (2002) recommended dipping of fruits in 1 per cent semperfresh. Hasan et al. (1993) observed that pointed gourd fruits preserved in brine 3% (w/v) and treated with gamma radiation could be preserved for up to 60 days without becoming unacceptable in terms of appearance, texture, flavour and taste.

28. Plant protection Pointed gourd crop is affected by powdery mildew caused by Pseudoperonospora cubensis and Erisiphe cichoracearum (Dave et al, 1971). Symptoms of powdery mildew first appear on the lower surface of older leaves as white fluffy circular spots, which increase in size and number, coalesce and eventually cover both surfaces. Severely attacked leaves become brown and shriveled. Sinha (1989) recommended the spray of Karathane and Morestan @ 0.2 per cent

29. The major pest of pointed gourd is fruit fly which causes damage to the young fruits. The infestation can be minimized by baiting with Malathion and protein hydrolysate (0.5 kg of protein hydrolysate +1.25 litre of 50% Malathion) during fruit setting period. Pointed gourd crop is severely affected by nematode ( Meloidogyne incognita) , The affected crop shows stunted plant growth and reduced yield. Verma and Anwar (1997) suggested to incorporate neem cake @ 250 kg/ha for suppressing the population of nematode. In biological control method, Khan and Verma (2004) advocated the application of Paecilomyces lilacinus @ 2.0 g per plant. Growing the marigold (Tegetes sp.) as a companion crop has been found effective (Verma and Anwar, 1997). Khan and Banerjee (2003) advocated following jute crop in cropping sequence to sup- press the nematode population in West Bengal.

30. Genetic resource and improvements Pointed gourd is emerging as a very potential crop due to its nutritional and medicinal importance. Its germplasm has been collected at Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, Varanasi: N.D. Univ. of Agril. & Tech. Faizabad, HAARP, Ranchi (Pandey, 2007), At N.D. Univ. Faizabad, three varieties namely FP.IC (round green), FP.3C (spindle shaped, green striped) and FP 4C (spindle shaped, light green) have been developed (Singh, 1989). Prasad and Singh (1991) obtained highest yield from the genotypes CHES-12 and CHES-7, respectively. In varietals assessment, Kumar et al. (1995) reported that Santokhwa had the longest vine and fruits whereas Dondali and Santokhwa had heaviest fruit. However, hilly was found to be highest yielder.

31. Physiological disorder Unfruitfulness : Being a dioecious in nature, flowers in pistillate plants are shed due to lack of pollination. In some cases, ovary of the unfertilized flower may grow a bit due to parthenocarpic stimulation which also abscises after a few days. Control measures : Male plants must be grown in the field with the female plants in the ratio of 1:10 to ensure adequate pollination and fruit set. Plant protection chemicals should not be used in the morning hours as it hinders the visit of pollinators. Hand pollination may be done early in the morning (before 6.00 a.m.) to achieve nearly cent per cent fruit set. Pollens of one male flower can pollinate 6-8 female flowers satisfactorily.

32. Ratooning Consecutively three successful crops can be taken from a single planting. In ratoon cropping, the vines are pruned 15 cm from the ground level during October after the fruiting is over. Recommended dose of farmyard manure and fertilizers are applied by loosening the soil around the mound by the end of winter. Half the recommended nitrogen is applied as top dressing one month after flowering.