seed production in cucurbits

2.  Family: Cucurbitaceae
 Important species
1. Cucumber-Cucumis sativus
2. Pumpkin-Cucurbita moschata
3. Bitter gourd- Mormordica charantia
4. Bottle Gourd-Lagenaria siceraria
5. Musk melon-Cucumis melo
6. Ridge gourd- Luffa acutangula
7. Sponge gourd-Luffa cylindrica
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3. 8. Snake gourd- Tricosanthes cucumerina
9. Pointed gourd- Trichosanthes dioica
10. Ash gourd- Benincasa hispida
11. Ivy gourd- Coccinia cordifolia
12. Water melon- Citrullus lanatus
13. Long melon- Cucumis melo var. utilissimus
14. Squash- Cucurbita maxima
15. Winter squash- Cucurbita pepo
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4.  Cucurbits are warm season crops that grow best
from 210c to 320c
 Freezing kills the plants & cool weather below
160c slows or stops growth
 Cucurbit seed germinate & emerges in 4 days at
a soil temperature of 250c and from 6 to 12 days
at 200c
 Most cucurbit seed do not germinate well below
160c
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5.  Prefer well-drained soils - loamy sands
 Like moderate to high organic matter
 Prefers 6.0 to 7.0 pH
 Soil temperature 55 to 60° F
 The soil should be well aerated
 Micronutrients of concern: manganese
and zinc especially when the pH is too
high
 Sensitive to triazines
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6. Crops Area Region
Muskmelon, Long melon Punjab, Haryana Northern region
Bitter gourd Eastern U.P.- Faizabad,
jaunpur
Northern region
Cucumber, Muskmelon Azamgarh, Ballia
andGonda (U.P.) ,
Jalana(Maharashtra)
Northern region
Central region
Pumpkin, Ridge gourd West Bengal (South
West)
Eastern region
Sponge gourd,
Watermelon, cucumber
Telangana, Karool &
Vijayawada(A.P.),
Ranibenur (Karnataka)
Southern region
Watermelon, Bottle
gourd, Bitter gourd
Costal districts of A.P. Southern region
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7.  Prepare the field to a good tilth by one deep
ploughing, two to three harrowing followed
by leveling
 The land should be free of volunteer plants
 The soil of selected fields should be well
aerated
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10.  Pits are prepared at proper spacing and by
adding well rotted farmyard manure and a
number of seeds are sown on each hill
 Furrows are made at row to row spacing &
seeds are sown on the edged of the furrows
60 to 90 cm apart on both sides, above the
water level so that capillary movement
receives the water
 Two-three seeds may be sown at each place
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12.  A minimum of three inspections should be
made
 First before flowering
 Second during flowering & fruiting stage
 Third at the mature fruit stage & prior to
harvesting.
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14.  Before flowering
 Flowering stage
 Fruit developing stage
 Maturity stage
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16.  Majority of cucurbits start flowering 30-45 days
after sowing
 Flowers are born in axils of leaves and are
solitary or in racemose clusters
 Usually protandrous
 Commonly cross pollinated –Honey bee &
Bumble bee
 For anthesis minimum temperature is 10°C
(pumpkin and squash), 15°C (cucumber and
watermelon), 18°C (muskmelon)
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17. Sex forms Cucurbits
Monoecious Cucumber, Musk melon, Pumpkin, Summer
squash,Winter squash,Water melon, Sponge
gourd, Round melon, Bottle gourd, Bitter gourd
Gynoecious Cucumber, Bitter gourd, Musk melon,
Watermelon, Ridge gourd
Androecious Cucumber, Musk melon
Dioecious Pointed gourd, Ivy gourd
Andromonoecious Muskmelon,Water melon, Cucumber
Gynomonoecious Cucumber, Musk melon, Ridge gourd
Trimonoecious Cucumber
Hermaphrodite Ridge gourd (Satputia)
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18.  Production of staminate flowers in gynoecious
lines- GA3 100 ppm thrice at 15 days interval
from 2ndleaf stage/ foliar spray of silver nitrate
600 ppm before 1stflower open
 Ethrel 200-300 ppm at two and four true leaf
stage and another at flowering –induce
pistilate flower in first few nodes in bottle
gourd, pumpkin and squash
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19.  GA3 1500 ppm/AgNo3 200 ppm -male flower
induction
 Ethephon- induce male flower in monoecious
/bisexual flowers in gynoecious plants
 Silver nitrate -bisexual flowering in the
monoecious and gynoecious plants
 Boron 3-4 ppm- induce female flower
 GA3 200 ppm- seed production in
parthenocarpic line
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20.  Pumpkin
 Anthesis start at 3.30 am (peak 4.00-6.00 am)
 Remain open for 8-10 hrs
 Anther dehiscence -10.00 pm to 4.30 am
 Stigma receptivity maximum at time of
anthesis (starts one day prior to and remain
1o hr after anthesis)
 Pollen viability -16 hrs
 Best time for pollination- 6.00 am
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21.  Bottle gourd
 Anthesis-2.00to 8.00 pm(max 3.00 to 6.00 pm)
 Anther dehiscence -1.00 to 6.00 pm
 Stigma receptivity maximum at time of anthesis
(36 hr prior to 60 hr after anthesis)
 Pollen viability –till next morning
 Best time for pollination 2.00 to 5.00 am ,on the
day of pollination
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22.  Bitter gourd
 Anthesis 4.00 to 8.00 am
 Anther dehiscence -3.00 to 7.30 am
 Stigma receptivity maximum at time of
anthesis (one day prior to one day after
anthesis)
 Best time of pollination-(5.00 to 7.00 am)
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23.  Cucumber
 Anthesis -5.30 to 7.00 am
 Anther dehiscence starts after anthesis
 Pollen viability -4 to 6 hrs (5 days under
refrigeration)
 Stigma receptivity maximum at time of
anthesis (12 hr prior to 6-7 hrs after anthesis)
 Best time for pollination – 7.00 to 10 am
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24.  Watermelon
 Anthesis -5.30 to 8.00 am
 Anther dehiscence- one hr before anthesis to
8.00 am
 Pollen viability till 5 hr (few days in desiccator)
 Stigma receptivity maximum at time of
anthesis
 Best time of pollination 6.00 to 9.00 am
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25.  Muskmelon
 Anthesis – 5.30 to 7.00 am
 Anther dehiscence start after anthesis
 Pollen viability- 5.00 am to 2.00 pm
 Stigma receptivity maximum at time of
anthesis(2 hr prior to 2-4 hrs after anthesis)
 Best time of pollination -6.00 to 8.00 am
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26.  Ridge gourd & sponge gourd
 Anthesis - 3.00 to 8.00 am (4.00 to 8.00 am in
sponge gourd)
 Anther dehiscence coincides with anthesis
 Pollen fertility maximum on the day of
anthesis(viable for 1-3 days)
 Stigma receptivity maximum at time of
anthesis(6 hr earlier to 48 hr after anthesis)
 Best time of pollination – 2.00 to 6.00 pm
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27.  Snake gourd
 Anthesis -5.15 t0 9.30 am
 Anther dehiscence occur before anthesis and
completed by 1 hr
 Pollen grain viable for 10 hrs
 Stigma receptive 7hr before to 51 hr after
anthesis
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28.  Ash gourd
 Anthesis 4.30 to 7.30 am
 Anther dehiscence -3.00 to 5.00 am
 Stigma receptive from 8 hr prior to 18 hr after
anthesis
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30.  Cucumber & summer squash -fruit turn pale
yellow to golden yellow and withering of the
fruit stalk
 Pumpkin –the rind is hardened, the immature
green fruit turn to a yellow orange colour and
yellow golden types change to a straw colour
 Water melon -fruit colour changes from
green/white to pale yellow in under side of
fruit
 Ash gourd- white colour ashy coating and
metallic sound
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31.  Bitter gourd and snake gourd –fruit colour
changes to bright yellow
 Bottle gourd –fruit colour faded to straw
green or pale yellow
 Muskmelon –full slip stage
 Luffa – complete drying or fruit colour
changes to gray colour
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32.  Harvesting is done manually
 The fruit should be held near the stem and
clipped or snaped with a slight twist motion
 Pulled off fruits leave an open wound where
the fruit skin is torn off, and this causes the
fruit to shrivel around this spot and increase
fungal attack
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33.  Mainly 2 methods are used
 1. Dry method
 Fruits are dried completely and seeds are
extracted by cutting of fruits from one side
 -Sponge gourd, Ridge gourd, Snake gourd
 These seed can be stored in dried fruit for
some times
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34.  Used for cucumber, muskmelon, watermelon,
ash gourd, bitter gourd, round melon & long
melon
 Fruits of cucumber, bitter gourd, summer
squash & long melons are cut longitudinally and
seeds are scooped out
 Muskmelon & pumpkin cut into 2 piece and
seeds are scooped out from cavity
 In watermelon & ash gourd whole central
portion is manually scooped out and macerated
to separate seed from pulp
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35.  Fruits are cut into pieces and macerated by
machine
 Seeds are separated from pulp by floating in
water
 This method is quick, less expensive and seed
retain good lusture but require large amount
of water
 Bottle gourd, watermelon, round melon, ash
gourd
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36.  The scooped materials placed in wood/
plastic or steel vessel for 48 hrs at room
temperature and stirred 2-3 times
 Seed extracted and washed thoroughly with
water 2-3 times
 Disadvantage- discolouration and poor
lusture of seed
 Germination percentage is reduced
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37.  25-30 ml of HCl or 8-10 ml H2SO4 added per 5
kg of pulp and water is mixed
 Stir mixture and keep for 30 min
 Impurities will float and seed will sink
 Seed washed thoroughly in clean water
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38.  Seeds should be dried as quickly as possible
at 35°C under shade
 Drying at higher temperatures or in full
sunshine will reduce the storability
 Dry seeds - 5-6% moisture content
 Stored in airtight containers kept in the dark
at about 5°C and 25 RH for up to 10 years
 Frozen seeds will keep their germinability
longer
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39. Crops Seed yield (kg/ha) Test Weight (g)
1000 seed
Open pollinated Hybrid
Ash gourd 250-400 200-350 70
Bottle gourd 300-500 240-500 150
Bitter gourd 100-300 80-240 60
Ridge gourd 300-400 240-320 90
Sponge gourd 300-400 240-320 90
Muskmelon 200-300 240-320 25
Watermelon 250-400 160-240 70
Round melon 300-400 175-320 80
Long melon 200-300 240-320 30
Cucumber 300-400 160-240 23
Pumpkin 300-400 240-320 170
Summer squash 300-400 240-300 150
Winter squash 300-400 250-300 125
Snake gourd 300-400 250-300 150
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