Cucurbitaceous Crops [Gourds] Best Cultivation practices

                                               

Cucurbits group belong to family cucurbitaceae consist as of wide range of vegetables which are used either as salad, pickling (cucumber) or for cooking (all gourds) or candied or preserved (ash gourd) or as desert fruits (musk melon and water melon).  The cultural requirements of all crops in this group are similar.

Soil and Climate: A well-drained soil of loamy type with pH range between 6.0 and 7.0 is preferred for cucurbits. Cucurbits grow best at a temperature range of 18-24^oC. Varieties:

	Crop/botanical name
1	Cucumber (Cucumis sativus)
2	Bottle Gourd (Lagenaria siceraria)
3	Bitter Gourd (Momordica charantia)
4	Summer squash (Cucurbita pepo)
5	Sponge Gourd (Lufa cylindrica)
6	Ash Gourd (Benincasa hispida)
7	Ridge Gourd (L. acutangula)
8	Snake Gourd (Trichosanthes anguina)

 

                   

                  

                  

                              

                              

                               

                        

                                 

Spacing

Crop	Season	Seed rate (kg/a)	Spacing (ft)	Fruit yield (q/acre)
Cucumber	Summer/rainy	1.0 -1.25	5 × 2 ft to 3 ft	100-120
Bottle gourd	Summer	0.6- 0.8	10 ft × 3 ft to 5 ft	120-160
Bitter gourd	Summer/Rainy	0.75 - 1	5 to 8 × 2 ft to 4 ft	120-150
Summer squash	Summer/rainy	1.5 – 2	2 ft to 2.5 ft  × 1.5 ft to 2 ft	100-120
Sponge gourd	Summer/rainy	0.6- 0.8	8 ft to 10 ft  × 2 ft to 4 ft	60-80
Ridge gourd	Summer/rainy	0.6- 0.8	8 ft to 10 ft  × 2 ft to 4 ft	60-80
Snake gourd	Summer/rainy	0.6- 0.8	5 ft - 8 ft × 2 ft to 4 ft	80-100
Ash gourd	Summer/Rainy	1.0-1.25	5 ft - 10 ft × 2 ft to 4 ft	40-60
Pumpkin	Summer	0.5– 0.75	8 ft -12 ft × 3 ft to 4 ft	150-200

Manures and fertilizers:

Prepare the main field by ploughing and harrowing and add 8 to 10 tonnes per acre Farmyard manure or compost is applied at the time of field preparation.

Add 120-200 kg of Annapurna + Ecohume granules 10 kg/acre + Srushti 10 kg/acre + Calcium nitrate 25 kg + 25 kg Magnesium Sulphate.

Sow the seeds or seedlings at recommended rate per acre. Application of 5 kg CALDAN (Cartap hydrochloride 4 % Gr) will control grubs & termites.

                      

Recommended dose of Fertilizer Application: NPK – 50:40:40 kg/ per acre

Major Nutrients

Combination 1	kg	Combination 2	kg	Combination 3	kg
Urea (46 % N)	74.7	10:26:26'	153.8	20:20:00'	200.0
DAP (18 % N; 46 % P2O5)	87.0	Urea (46 % N)	75.3	Urea (46 % N)	21.7
MOP (60 % K2O)	66.7			MOP (60 % K2O)	66.7

 

Note:

Full dose of farmyard manure, Annapurna, phosphorus and half of potassium and Nitrogen, and other listed nutrients should be applied at the time of sowing. Remaining part of above nutrients should be top dressed in two equal parts after one month and at flowering stage.

Intercultural and weed management:

Thinning of plants should be done 10-15 days after sowing retaining not more than 2 healthy seedlings per hill. The beds or ridges are required to be kept weed free in the early stages before vine growth start. Weeding and earthing up are done at the time of top dressing of split application of fertilizers.

Irrigation: Optimum moisture need to be maintained and little more water may be required since all the gourds contains larger quantities of water.

Crop protection

Weed management:

                                  

No selective herbicides are available for spraying in cucurbit family. However non selective herbicides like Gramoxone or Roundup can be sprayed before cultivation to kill grown up weeds in the main fields.

                       

Insects : Aphids and Thrips 

Aphids and thrips damage gourds plants by feeding on plant sap, and by spreading important viral diseases such as papaya ring spot, zucchini yellow mosaic, and cucumber mosaic.

                     

For control Sucking pests [ Thrips, Aphids , Green leaf hoppers, Jassids]

Confidor Super [Imidachloprid 30.5 %] 0.3 mL/L OR Hunk [Acephate]) 2 g/litre OR Tracer [Spinosad 480 SC] 0.375 mL/L

     

Leaf miners
Leaf miners are small, yellow maggots that form trails or mines beneath the leaf epidermis as they feed. 

                                   

For control Leaf miners

Trifos [Triazhophos] 2 mL/L or Benevia [Cyantraniliprole] 1 mL/L

                             

Fruit fly [Melon Fly]

The fruit fly has long been a major pest of gourds. Infested fruit frequently rot, either in the field or after harvest. Attacks are severe on young developing fruit, especially under high humidity conditions after summer rains.

                                          

Periodically monitor melon fly populations through trapping. Fruit fly traps can be installed at fruit stage to bring down the fruit fly infestation on mango fruits.

                                

Whiteflies
Whiteflies not only suck the sap but also by spreads important viral diseases such as papaya ring spot, zucchini yellow mosaic and cucumber mosaic.

                                      

For control of white flies

Prime gold [Acetamiprid] 0.5 gm/L OR Odis [Buprofezin 15% + Acephate 35% WP] 2 gm/L

                      

Caterpillars
Cutworms which include the variegated cutworm and the black cutworm can devastate young cucumber plants by chewing through the stems at the soil line. Cutworms are active at night.

                               

For control of cutworms,leaf, flower feeder and fruit borer

Coragen [Chlorantraniliprole] or 0.33 mL/L OR Plethora [Novaluron 5.25% + Indoxacarb] 1 mL/L or Emagold 0.5 gm/L + Econeem plus 1 % 1 mL/L

 

Mites
Outbreaks of red spider mites occur occasionally, especially during hot, dry weather. Spider mites feed on plant sap and prefer to live on the leaf underside. Their feeding causes stippling of white areas on the leaves.

                             

For control of Red Spider mites

Maiden [Hexythiazox] 1.5 mL/L OR Magister [Fenazaquin] 2 ml/litre OR   Colonel [Dicofol] + Multiplex Kranti 2 mL/L

    

Root-knotnematodes
Meloidogyne incognita are microscopic roundworms that feed on the roots of plants. Adult stages of the nematode live inside these root swellings and these root galls prevent the normal water and nutrient uptake by roots. Nematode numbers are often higher in sandy soils under warm summer weather.

                       

For control of Nematodes in infested standing crops

1. Drenching for individual plants 100 to 150 mL of following mixtures at 15 days interval

• First application: Marshal 3 mL/L + Humesol 3 mL/L + Econeem plus 1 % 2 mL/L of water
• Second application: Trifos 3 mL/L + Multiplex Kranti 2 mL/L + Neemark 1 % 2 mL/L of water

            

1. Through drip irrigation in 500 L of following mixtures at 15 days interval

• First application: Marshal 3 L + Humesol 3 L + Econeem plus 1 % - 2 L
• Second application: Trifos 3 L + Multiplex Kranti L + Neemark 1 % 2 mL/L of water

         

Diseases
Angular leaf spot and Anthracnose

The symptoms first appear on the foliage as small, yellowish water-soaked areas which later turn dark and dry.

                                

Control of above diseases

Dithane M -45 [Mancozeb ] 2 gm/ L or  Sanipeb [Propineb] 2 gm/L OR  Bengard [Carbendazim] 2 gm/ L  OR Ridomil gold 80 WP [Metalaxyl + Mancozeb] OR Avtar [Zineb 68% + Hexaconazol 4% WP] 2 g/litre OR Blitox [Copper Oxy Chloride] 2 g/litre or Kocide [Copper hydroxide] – 2 g/litre

Damping-off
Affected seedlings fail to emerge or collapse shortly after emergence. Water soaked lesions also appear on the seedlings at the soil level.

                                           

Drench with Ridomet 0.75 gm/L + Humesol 3 mL/L+ Plantomycin 0.5 gm/L of water and drench about 50 – 150 mL per plant based on size of the plants.

 

Downy mildew

The underside of leaves develop a downy white to gray mold, which may turn grey to purple during wet weather. Spores develop to mold.

                                       

1. Kavach 2 gm/L + Ampoxcillin 1 gm/L and after a week
2. Ridomil gold 2 gm/L + Kitoguard 2 mL/L 

Gummy stem blight 

Gummy stem blight causes lesions on leaves and stems, and less frequently on the fruits. Initial leaf symptoms are irregular circular dark spots which may be surrounded by a yellow halo, and later dry up and crack.

                              

Sprays to control the gummy stem blight disease on watermelon crop

Ridomil gold 2 gm / L+ Plantomycin 0.5 gm / L after 10 days second spray

            

Phytoalexin 4 mL/L + Kavach 2 gm/L and third spray if required

         

Ridomet 0.5 gm/L + Spot 10 gm/L

        

Powdery mildew

Powdery mildew is a serious and common fungal disease during warm and humid conditions with overcast days.

                              

For control Powdery mildew

Nativo [Tebuconazole+Trifloxystrobin] 0.5 gm/L OR Vespa [Propiconazole+ Difenoconazole1 mL/L OR Custodia [Azoxystrobin + Tebuconazole] 1 mL/L OR Contaf plus [Hexaconazole] 2 mL/L

   

Scab and Fruit or Soil Rots
The fungus affects all above parts of the plant and produces the characteristic scab-like lesions on the fruit.

                                      

Soil or fruit fungal rot is caused mainly by fungus and bacteria

For control Scabs Fruit and Soil rots

Borogold or Kavach [Chlorothalonil] 2 gm/L OR Kocide [Copper hydroxide] – 2 g/litre + Plantomycin 0.5 gm/L.

  

Several biological agents can be used to control the fungal and bacterial diseases like

 Ecoderma or Nisarga [TRICHODERMA VIRIDE] and Ecomonas PSEUDOMONAS FLUORESCENS 10 to 15 gm/L for spray and 20-25 gm per litres for drenching to control wilts.

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Viral Diseases

Viral diseases are among the major limiting production factors for cucumber production in tropical areas. Typical symptoms include green and yellow mottling and wrinkling of the leaves, mottling and wartiness of the fruit, and general dwarfing of the plant.

    

Papaya Ringspot Virus (PRV-W) and Zucchini Yellow Mosaic Virus (ZYMV) and Cucumber Mosaic Virus (CMV)

Symptoms include yellow leaves with mosaic and a distorted appearance. The whole plant is stunted. Affected fruit is also misshapen.

Management of Viral diseases

• Thoroughly screen the nursery bed for the infected seedlings and rogue them carefully and transplant only healthy seedlings and remove the diseased plants in the main field.
• Spray with insecticides to check the sucking pests such as Aphids and Thrips which are transmitters of the viral disease.
• Weeds should be removed which may act as an additional hosts.
• Spray should be concentrated more on apical parts of the plants since vectors only thrive at apical parts of the plant.

 Harvesting: 

                           

• Harvesting of crop at right time is very important in cucurbits as in most cases, seed development is undesirable.
• Harvest cucumber, bottle gourd, bitter gourd, snake gourd, ridge gourd and sponge gourd when they are still young, tender and have soft seeds inside.
• Harvest before fruit colour changes from green to yellow.