Ridge gourd

Cultural practice of ridge gourd

1. Ridge Gourd Ridge Gourd

2. Botanical Name: Luffa acutangula Roxb . Local Names in India :- Sirola (Gujarati ), Dodka ( Marathi), Beerakaya (Telugu), Turai / kalitori (Hindi), Peerkankai (Tamil), Heerekayi (Kannada), peechanga (Malayalam). Family: Cucurbitaceae Chromosome number: 2n = 26 Origin: India

3. Flowering and Fruiting An annual, climbing herb. Stem 5- angled, scabrous along ribs. Leaves subcircular , 15-20 x 15-20 cm, often 5-7 lobed. Plants monoecious . Male flowers: 17-20 flowered in racemes, corolla pale yellow. Female flowers: ovary elongate, pale yellow. Fruits clavate -oblong, acutely 10-angled, apex obtuse or slightly acute. Seeds ovate, black. Main pollinators: Apis cerena and Apis florea .

4. The Ridge gourd in green stage and leaves with stem are used as vegetable. It is very famous vegetable in south and east India. Health Benefits :- Excellent blood purifier, Possessing laxative properties, Beneficial for diabetes, Ridge gourd is extremely rich in dietary fibre, Aiding in weight loss, Anti-inflammatory and antibiotic. Prescribed for those who are suffering from malaria and other seasonal fevers. The leaves are used as poultice in leprosy and in splenitis . Ripe seeds are bitter and have emetic and purgative properties. Use:

5. Commercial Varieties of Ridge gourd cultivated in India. Satputia is a cultivar in Bihar which is hermaphrodite and produces pale green small fruits in clusters. In each cluster 5-7 fruits are produced. Yield is 20-25t/ha.

6. Developing institution Variety Special features IIHR, Bangalore. Arka Sumeet Fruits lush green, cylindrical, 55 cm long 2.5 cm girth and 380 g weight with prominent ridges, delicate aroma. Days to first harvest 50-55. Arka Sujat Fruits lush green, cylindrical, medium long (35-45 cm) and average weight (350g). Yield 63 t/ha in 100 days. IARI, New Delhi. Pusa Nasdar Fruits club shaped, light green in colour, 15-20 fruits / plant, yield 15-16 t/ha. GBPU&T, Pantnagar. Pant Torai-1 Fruits 5 cm long and club shaped, yield 10 t/ha. More suitable for rainy season. Tamil Nadu Agricultural University CO.1 Fruits long (60-75 cm), first harvest in 55 days, 10-12 fruits / plant weighing 3-4 fruits / kg. PKM-1 Fruits dark green, average weight 300g,

7. yield 28-30 t/ha in 160 days. IARI Pusa Nutan Fruits are long (25-30 cm ), straight and green weighing 105 g, mature at 50 days , yield 16 t/ha . Dual season cultivation HARP, Ranchi Swarna Manjari Tolerant to powdery mildew. Fruits elongated, medium sized, highly ridged, green with soft flesh. Days to first harvest 65-70 days. Yield 18-20 t/ha in 140-150 days. Swarna Uphar Fruits elongated, medium sized (200g), ridges with soft weak flesh. Days to first harvest 65-70. Fruits lush green, cylindrical, 55 cm long 2.5 cm girth and 380 g weight with prominent, ridges, delicate aroma. Days to first harvest 50- 55. Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. Punjab Sadabhar Fruits long, 3-5 cm thick and slightly curved, yield 10 t/ha. KKV, Dapoli Konkan Harita Fruits dark green, 30-45 cm long, tapering at ends, 10-12 fruits / plant.

8. Ridge gourd thrives very well in a warm and hot climate, the ideal temperature for Ridge gourd cultivation is 25° to 35°C. Climate required for Ridge gourd farming :- Soil and its Preparation Can be grown in wide variety of soils. But grows best in sandy loamy soils. The soil or main field should be prepared thoroughly by 4 to 5ploughings Soil pH range from 6.5 to 7.5 is ideal. Requires good drainage. Better yield and quality can be expected by applying organic matter or Farm Yield Manure (FMY).

9. Seed treatment : Before sowing, seeds should be treated with Pseudomonas fluorescens 10 g or Trichoderma viride 4 g/ kg of seeds. Seed Sowing : The Ridge gourd seed is sowing time depends on the type of crop. Usually Ridge gourd planting done during January and July. Seed rate : 5 kg to 6 kg /ha. Methods of Sowing and Spacing : Seeds are sown by dibbling method at 1.5 m to 2.0 m X 1.0 m to 1.5 m. Sow 3 seeds in each pit. After germination, thin to 2 healthy seedlings. The seeds also can be sown in poly bags . 2 seeds per bag is ideal and 2 weeks after germination , they can be planted a 2 seedlings per pit in the main field. Seed

10. During the early stage of plant growth, shallow cultivation is preferred. The plants should be provided a suitable support made of bamboo sticks for better creeping. Intercultural Operation in Ridge gourd farming:- 20t/ha well decomposed Farm Yard Manure should be applied at the time of soil or field preparation. Apply a fertilizer dose of 100:60:60 kg NPK / ha through-out the Ridge gourd cropping period through split application. Manure and Fertilizers in Ridge gourd farming:-

11. Water the basin before dibbling the seeds and afterwards, once in a week. Drip watering is most beneficial in the Ridge gourd cultivation. The summer plantation requires frequent watering at an interval of 3 to 4 days. Normally rainy season crop does not require any irrigation . Total water requirement 60 ha-cm. Irrigation/Water supply in Ridge gourd farming:-

12. Main pests : Beetles, fruit flies and caterpillars. How to control : Spray Trichlorofon 50% EC 1.0 ml/l or Dichlorvos 76% EC 6.5 ml/10 l. lindane 1.3% dust, copper and sulphur dust as these are phytotoxic . Main Diseases : Powder mildew & Downy mildew. Downy mildew Control: spray Mancozeb or Chlorothalonil 2 grams /l twice at 10 days interval. Powdery mildew – Control: spray Dinocap 1 ml/lit. or Carbendazim 0.5 grams/l. Pests and Diseases in Ridge gourd farming:-

13. The Ridge gourd become ready for harvest from 60 days of sowing depending on the variety. Fruits attain marketable maturity 5-7 days after anthesis . Cut the full grown tender ridge gourd with knife and this can be done weekly. To avoid over-maturity, picking is done at 3-4 days interval. Delayed harvesting results in fibrous fruit. Harvested fruits are packed in baskets to avoid injury and can be kept for 3-4 days in a cool atmosphere . Yield : Depending upon the soil and management , the average yield of 70 to 90 q/ ha can be expected. Harvesting and Yield of Ridge gourd:-

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