Botanical name : Momordica cochinchinensis Family : Cucurbitaceae Origin - Southeast Asia

1. An
Assignment On
Production Technology of Sweet gourd
SUBMITTED TO:-
Dr. K.D.Desai
A.C.H.F., N.A.U.,
Navsari 396 450.
SUBMITTED BY:-
Parmar Manishkumar N.
2020217018
III SEM, M.Sc. (Horti)
VEGETABLESCIENCE

2. Introduction
Botanical name : Momordica cochinchinensis
Family : Cucurbitaceae
Origin - Southeast Asia
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3. Origin and distribution
• Sweet gourd comprises about 45 species,
mainly occurring in Africa, 6-7 species have
been recorded in India.
• Sweet gourd occurs wild and cultivated from
India to Japan and Malaysia.
• Sweet gourd comprises about 45 species,
mainly occurring in Africa, 6-7 species have
been recorded in India.
• Sweet gourd occurs wild and cultivated from
India to Japan and Malaysia.
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4. Botany
• Dioecious, perennial climber.
• Stem glabrous, leaves sub-orbicular, 5 lobed
flower white or pale yellow black at base
inside.
• Fruits : Ovoid,10-15 cm long, pointed densely
aculeate turning red at maturity.
• seed : Ovoid 26-28mm long,compressed.
• Dioecious, perennial climber.
• Stem glabrous, leaves sub-orbicular, 5 lobed
flower white or pale yellow black at base
inside.
• Fruits : Ovoid,10-15 cm long, pointed densely
aculeate turning red at maturity.
• seed : Ovoid 26-28mm long,compressed.
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5. Flower Fruit

6. Nutritive value of sweet gourd (per 100 g of edible
portion)
Constituents Amount
Moisture 84.09 g
Protein 2.61 g
Fat 0.66 g
Carbohydrates 5.69 g
Crude fiber 5.93 g
Mineral matter 1.02 g
Calcium 21 mg
Phosphorus 148 mg
Iron 2.59 mg
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7. Climate and Soil
• Warm humid climate with 25-35 0C and average annual
rainfall of 1500-2500 mm is ideally suited for cultivating the
sweet gourd.
• The plant can survive in winter at 10 cm below with the
ground temperature more than 1 °C, 10 cm beneath.
• Vines of sweet gourd remain dormant during winter season
and sprouts with on set of spring.
• It a hardy crop and can be grown in different kinds of soil.
However, fertile sandy loam soil with pH range from 6.5 to 7.0
is considered ideal.
• There should be adequate provision of drainage as crop is very
sensitive to water logged conditions.
• Warm humid climate with 25-35 0C and average annual
rainfall of 1500-2500 mm is ideally suited for cultivating the
sweet gourd.
• The plant can survive in winter at 10 cm below with the
ground temperature more than 1 °C, 10 cm beneath.
• Vines of sweet gourd remain dormant during winter season
and sprouts with on set of spring.
• It a hardy crop and can be grown in different kinds of soil.
However, fertile sandy loam soil with pH range from 6.5 to 7.0
is considered ideal.
• There should be adequate provision of drainage as crop is very
sensitive to water logged conditions.
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8. Propagation
• Seed, Tubers & cutting
• Seed: 3-5 kg, longer period to attain maturity (3-5 years, low
germination (50%), 48.7% female and 51.3% male
• Tubers: 50,000 sprouted tubers/ha, selected from 2-3 year old
plants, 40g piece is the best for propagation.
• Stem cuttings: 2 nodes/cutting, treat with 200-500ppm IBA,
July-Aug,
• When sprouted cutting attain 4-5 leaves, they are planted in
the main field
• Seed, Tubers & cutting
• Seed: 3-5 kg, longer period to attain maturity (3-5 years, low
germination (50%), 48.7% female and 51.3% male
• Tubers: 50,000 sprouted tubers/ha, selected from 2-3 year old
plants, 40g piece is the best for propagation.
• Stem cuttings: 2 nodes/cutting, treat with 200-500ppm IBA,
July-Aug,
• When sprouted cutting attain 4-5 leaves, they are planted in
the main field
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9. Manures and fertilizers
• Apply 10-12 tonnes farmyard manure or Well rotten
cow dung at the time of field preparation.
• In addition, 100-120 kg nitrogen, 60 kg P205 and 50
kg K20 should be given every year.
• Nitrogen should be given in two split doses.
• Sprouted cuttings planted in basin when they attain 4-
5 leaf stage approximately 30-35 days after planning
are top dressed with 15 g of urea.
• Apply 10-12 tonnes farmyard manure or Well rotten
cow dung at the time of field preparation.
• In addition, 100-120 kg nitrogen, 60 kg P205 and 50
kg K20 should be given every year.
• Nitrogen should be given in two split doses.
• Sprouted cuttings planted in basin when they attain 4-
5 leaf stage approximately 30-35 days after planning
are top dressed with 15 g of urea.
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10. Variety
• Arka Neelachal Gaurav
• Developed through clonal selection at CHES, Bhubaneswar.
• Plants vigorous with dark-green foliage, strong vine and fairly long
growing period (15 June–15 October).
• Dark-green and oval fruits along with small spines.
• Fruits 6.0 cm long, 3.8 cm thick.
• Average weight 50 g.
• Needs hand pollination for assured yield (12-15 kg/ plant per season).
• Produces large numbers of female flowers.
• Shows moderate resistance to pumpkin caterpillar infestation, and moderate
susceptibility to anthracnose and downy mildew diseases in the field.
• Arka Neelachal Gaurav
• Developed through clonal selection at CHES, Bhubaneswar.
• Plants vigorous with dark-green foliage, strong vine and fairly long
growing period (15 June–15 October).
• Dark-green and oval fruits along with small spines.
• Fruits 6.0 cm long, 3.8 cm thick.
• Average weight 50 g.
• Needs hand pollination for assured yield (12-15 kg/ plant per season).
• Produces large numbers of female flowers.
• Shows moderate resistance to pumpkin caterpillar infestation, and moderate
susceptibility to anthracnose and downy mildew diseases in the field.
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11. Anthracnose :
Causal organism: Colletotrichum lagenarium,
 It is a destructive disease of cucurbits occurring during
warm and moist seasons.
 All above ground plant parts can be infected.
 Leaf lesions begin as water soaked and then become
yellowish circular spots
Control :
Spray 0.1 per cent Carbendazim at 10 days interval.
Diseases
Anthracnose :
Causal organism: Colletotrichum lagenarium,
 It is a destructive disease of cucurbits occurring during
warm and moist seasons.
 All above ground plant parts can be infected.
 Leaf lesions begin as water soaked and then become
yellowish circular spots
Control :
Spray 0.1 per cent Carbendazim at 10 days interval.
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12. • Downy mildew : It is a fungal disease.
Symptoms appear as yellowish spots on leaves
and it is centralized to leaf vein.
• Control : Spray 0.25 per cent Mancozeb at 10
days interval.
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13. • Powdery Mildew : Disease appears on all
foliar part as white to dull white, powdery
growth.
• This white growth quickly covers most of the
leaf surface and leads to heavy reduction in
photosynthesis area.
• Control : Spray 0.2 per cent Mancozeb.
• Powdery Mildew : Disease appears on all
foliar part as white to dull white, powdery
growth.
• This white growth quickly covers most of the
leaf surface and leads to heavy reduction in
photosynthesis area.
• Control : Spray 0.2 per cent Mancozeb.
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14. Pests
• Epilachna beetle : Adult and larvae both damage the
crop by eating tender leaves. Sometimes, larvae
attack on roots. Maximum damage is observed from
mid-June to August.
• Control : Dust the crop by 5 kg Carbaryl 5.D + 5 kg
ash/acre or 100 kg Carbaryl 50% WP dissolved in
100 litres of water and spray alternatively at 15 days
intervals.
• Epilachna beetle : Adult and larvae both damage the
crop by eating tender leaves. Sometimes, larvae
attack on roots. Maximum damage is observed from
mid-June to August.
• Control : Dust the crop by 5 kg Carbaryl 5.D + 5 kg
ash/acre or 100 kg Carbaryl 50% WP dissolved in
100 litres of water and spray alternatively at 15 days
intervals.
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15. Fruit fly
• Fruit fly lays eggs in flesh of tender fruit and
after emergence of larvae, they eat flesh inside
and fruits start decaying.
• Control : Spray Ecothion on Folithion 50 EC
or 50 g Carbaryl WP 50 per cent dissolved in
250 litres of water and add 1.25 kg jaggery and
spray evenly on whole plants.
• Fruit fly lays eggs in flesh of tender fruit and
after emergence of larvae, they eat flesh inside
and fruits start decaying.
• Control : Spray Ecothion on Folithion 50 EC
or 50 g Carbaryl WP 50 per cent dissolved in
250 litres of water and add 1.25 kg jaggery and
spray evenly on whole plants.
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16. Harvesting, yield
• Fully developed but immature fruits are
harvested for vegetable use.
• Generally a single vine of spine gourd yields
13 kg fruit and 160-180 quintals yield is
realized from a hectare field.
• Fully developed but immature fruits are
harvested for vegetable use.
• Generally a single vine of spine gourd yields
13 kg fruit and 160-180 quintals yield is
realized from a hectare field.
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17. Processing
• For preserving the fruits of sweet gourd, slice
the hard green mass, blanch 1 kg slice in 3 liter
lactic acid solution at 3.5 pH for 4 minutes at
82°C. At this level the retention of ascorbic
acid is maximum.
• The slice can be dried in sun and kept in closed
tin containers for use in future.
• For preserving the fruits of sweet gourd, slice
the hard green mass, blanch 1 kg slice in 3 liter
lactic acid solution at 3.5 pH for 4 minutes at
82°C. At this level the retention of ascorbic
acid is maximum.
• The slice can be dried in sun and kept in closed
tin containers for use in future.
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