ORGANIC CULTIVATION PRACTICES OF WATERMELON,MUSKMELON,BITTER GOURD AND SNAKE GOURD.

1. ORGANIC CULTIVATION
PRACTICES OF
WATERMELON,MUSKMELON,
BITTER GOURD AND SNAKE
GOURD.
SUMEENA K J
2018-11-109
DEPT.OF SOIL SCIENCE AND
AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY

2. WATER MELON
 Citrullus lanatus (2n=22)

3.  Varieties: Sugar Baby
Arka Manik,
PKM 1(Fruits are bigger in size with dark green skin
and pink or red flesh. It yields 36-38 t/ha in 122-135 days.)
Arka Madhura ( seedless variety)
 Hybrids: Arka Jyoti
Pusa Bedana

4.  Varieties from KAU
Shonima (2015)
Red fleshed seedless triploid hybrid, rind colour
is darkgreen with light green stripes.
Avg wt a fruit is 3.92 kg.
Swarna (2015)
Bright Yellow fleshed seedless triploid hybrid,
rind colour is green with yellow stripes .
Av wt of a fruit is 3.18 kg.

5.  Seed rate : 1-1.5 kg/ha
 Soil
Sandy loam rich in organic matter with good drainage
pH range for 6.5 - 7.5 is ideal for cultivation.
This crop requires a moderate warm temperature.
 Season
Sow the seeds during November – December

6.  Seed treatment
Treat with Trichoderma viiridi 4 g or Pseudomonas fluorescens 10 g per kg
seeds.
 Preparation of field
Plough the field to a fine tilth and form long channel of
2.5 m apart.

7. Intercultural Operations
 Gap Filling and Thinning
Under ideal conditions, the seeds germinate within 8-10
days after sowing. One to two healthy seedlings are retained
at each spot while the rest are removed or used for gap
filling.
 Weed Control
Depending upon the season about 2-3 weeding
operations is required. The first weeding should be done 20-
25 days after sowing while subsequent weeding are done at
an interval of one month. When the vines start spreading,
weeding in between the rows, or ridges, becomes
unnecessary since vine growth can smother the weeds.

8.  Pinching,
Apical shoots are pinched when the vines are 1m while
allowing the side shoots to grow. This practice gives
significantly higher fruit yield. At the initial stages of fruit
setting, malformed, diseased and damaged fruits are
removed and only 2-3 fruits per vine are retained. This
results in increased fruit size and yield.
 Intercropping Watermelons
It can be profitably grown in the interspaces of newly
planted orchards during the initial years provided there are
sufficient irrigation facilities

9. Maturity Signs of Water Melon:
 Fruits are ready for harvest in 90 to 120 days from sowing.
 Four criteria are commonly used in determining the
maturity of the fruits:
a) Withering of tendril: The tendril accompanying the
fruit withers as fruit ripeness.
b) Thumping: Ripe fruits when thumped with finger give
out heavy dull sound, whereas the immature fruits give
metallic sound.
c) The portion of fruit, which rests on the ground, turned
yellowing at maturity.
d) Ripe fruits produce a crisp, cracking noise on being
pressed with the flat of the hand.

10. Harvesting of Water Melon:
 The well mature fruits are harvested manually with the
help of sharp knife or by twisting.
Yield
25 – 30 t/ha of fruits in 120 days can be obtained

11. Muskmelon
 Cucumis melo (2n= 24)

12.  Varieties: Pusa Sharbati,
Arka Siri
Arka Rajhans
Arka Jeet.
Nirmal 24 (hybrid)
 Soil: Sandy loam rich in organic matter with good drainage and pH
range of 6.5 - 7.5.
 Season : November to February.
 Sowing Sow the seeds @ 3.0 kg/ha after treating
with Trichoderma viride @ 4g or Pseudomonas fluroscens @ 10 g
/kg of seeds

13. Maturity Signs of Muskmelon:
 Fruits will be ready for picking in about 110 days depending
upon variety.
 The fruits when mature slips out easily from the vine with
little pressure or jerk or if not it will remain separated from
the vine next day. This is called full slip stage.
 In some Indian cultivars, green stripes on the skin begin to
turn yellow during maturity.

14. Harvesting of Muskmelon:
 Muskmelon is a climacteric fruit which ripens during transit
and storage and hence, it is harvested before it is fully
ripe.
Yield:
20 t/ha in 120 days.

15. Bitter gourd
 Momordica charantia L. ( 2n = 22 )

16.  Varieties
Co 1, MDU 1, COBgoH 1 (Hybrid), Arka Harit
CO.1 :
Fruits are medium long and
dark green fruits
weighing 100-120g.
Yield potential is 14.0
tonnes/ha in a crop duration of
115 days
COBgoH.1 :
It is a hybrid between MC.84 x MDU.1
Yield potential is 52.0 tonnes/ha in a
crop duration of 115 -120 days.
Fruits have high momordicin content
(2.99mg/g).
fruits are white in colour
MDU 1:
Induced mutant with long
green white fruits.
The fruit length 30-40cm .
Yield potential of 32-35 t/ha
in 120-130 days

17. Varieties from Kerala Agricultural University
 Priya (VK1) : Extra long green spiny fruits with white tinge at
stylar end, Av. Fruit length 39 cm. av. Fruit weight 235 g.
productivity 24.5 t ha-1
 Preethi(MC 4) : Medium sized white fruits with spines, av. Fruit
length 30 cm, Av. Fruit girth 24 cm, av. Fruit weight 310 g.
productivity 15.0 t/ha-1
 Priyanka : Large white spindle shaped fruits with smooth spines,
thick flesh and less seeds. Av. Fruit length 25 cm. av. Fruit girth
20 cm. av. Fruit weight 300 g. Productivity 28.0 t/ha-1

18.  soil
Sandy loam soils rich in organic matter with good drainage
and pH range of 6.5-7.5 is suited for bitter gourd
cultivation. This crop requires a moderate warm
temperature.
 Season
Planting is done on July and January.
 Seed rate
1.8 kg/ha
 Preparation of field
Plough the field to fine tilth and dig pits of 30 cm x 30 cm x
30 cm size at 2 x 1.5 m spacing and form basins.
 Sowing
Sow the seeds (5 seeds/pit) treated with Trichoderma
viride 4 g or Pseudomonas fluorescens 10 g/kg of seeds and
thin the seedlings to two/ pit after 15 days.

19. Interculture
 Being a shallow rooted crop, deep intercultural operations
should be avoided.
 Land, particularly pits, should be kept weed-free by
frequent hand weeding, hoeing and light earthing up .
 Excess lateral branches, if any, may be pinched off for
allowing plants to reach bower height at the earliest.
 Erect bower when plant starts vining. Plants may be
trailed to bower by erecting small twigs in pits. Height of
bower is adjusted as 2 m and is usually made of bamboo
poles, G1 wire and thin coir or plastic wire.
 Earthing up is done during rainy season.

20. Pandal system of bitter gourd Drip irrigation system

21. Harvesting
 Harvesting starts 55-60 days after sowing.
 Picking is done when fruits are fully grown but still young
and tender.
 Seeds should not be hard at the time of harvest. From a
good crop, 15-20 harvests are possible and harvesting is done
twice a week.
 Fruits after harvest are packed in thin gunny bags or directly
packed in tempo and marketed.
 Since keeping quality of fruits is less, fruits should be
marketed without any delay to nearby markets on the same
day itself. Otherwise freshness and appearance of fruits will
be adversely affected.
Yield: 11-25 t/ha.

22. Snake gourd
 Trichosanthes cucumerina ( 2n = 22)

23. Varieties
 CO.1 (1976):
The fruits are 160-180cm long, Dark green skin with white stripes
with in yield potential of 18 t/ha in a crop duration of 135 days.
 MDU 1:
Fruits 60cm long with white stripes under green background.
 CO.2 (1986):
It is pure line selection from local type of Coimbatore
district. Fruits are short (30-35cm) Stout, light greenish white without
stripes and have a ashy bloom on the surface. Yield potential is 25-30
t/ha in 125-130 days

24.  PKM 1:
It is a induced mutant from H375 with in yield potential of
25t/ha in 135-140 days. The fruits are extra long (180-200cm)
 Snakegourd Hybrid - CSgH 1
Snakegourd - PKM 1

25. Varieties from KAU
 Kaumudi (1996) Local selection
 Harithasree (2013)
High yielding variety having green fruits with white
stripes . It is for areas where green fruits are preferred.

26.  Soil
Sandy loam soils rich in organic matter with good drainage
and the pH ranging from 6.5-7.5
 Season
July and January are highly suitable for cultivation.
 Seed treatment
Treat seeds with Trichoderma viride 4 g/kg or Pseudomonas
fluorescens 10 g/kg of seeds before sowing.
 Seed rate
1.5 kg of seeds/ha is required.
 Sowing
Sow the seeds (5 seeds / pit) and thin the seedlings to
two/pit after 15 days of sowing.

27. After cultivation
 Hoeing and weeding can be done thrice or as and when
necessary.
 Provide stakes and train the plants to reach the pandal height
(2 m). Pandal is not essential for Co 2 variety.
Snake gourd grown in pandal
system

28. COMMON PRACTICES

29. Sowing / Planting
 Well rotten FYM or other organic manure (12 t ha-1) is mixed with
topsoil in the pit and seeds are sown at the rate of 4-5 per pit.
 Seeds should be treated with Pseudomonas fluorescensor
Trichoderma.
 Unhealthy plants are removed after two weeks and only 2 or 3
plants are retained per pit .

30. Manuring
 Manures are applied in 2 splits at winding and flowering
stage.
 Apply fresh cow dung slury@ 1kg/l of water at fortnightly
intervals starting from flowering.
 Apply 138 kg rock phosphate and 92 kg potassium sulphate
per ha.
 Apply another dose of FYM @ 12.5 kg per pit when the plants
starts vining.
 Additional requirements of manures are
Nutrient source Quantity
FYM/ Cow dung 8 t/ ha
Compost 8 t/ ha
Vermicompost 4 t/ ha
Green leaf 8 t /ha
* Apply any one of the
following manures
depending upon the
availability

31. Irrigation
 During the initial stages of growth, irrigate at 2-3 days interval
and on alternate days during flowering or fruiting.
 Irrigation once in two days especially during summer months for
water economy.

32. Major pests are
Fruit fly (Bactrocera sp)
Pumpkin caterpillar
Adult larva
Epilachna beetle

33. Fruit fly (Bactrocera sp)
 In homestead gardens, the fruits may be covered
with polythene, cloth or paper bags to ensure
mechanical protection.
 Collection and destruction of infested fruits from
the field by burring under the soil.

34. Fruit fly (Bactrocera sp)
 Apply neem cake 250 kg/ha (100 g per pit) at one month later.
 It can also be effectively controlled by the use of banana fruit traps
coupled with the removal and destruction of infested fruits.
 Traps are to be set at a distance of 2 m after a border row and
they may be replenished after 7 to 9 days.

35. Fruit fly traps
1.Fruit fly traps using ripe banana
 Cut fruit into small pieces and mix with sugar and water.
 Make circular holes randomly on the plastic jar.
 Place sugary water inside the container.
 Hang the bait/lure from the lid with the help of a wire/rope.
 Use wire/rope for hanging the trap close to the plant canopy.
Change the lures once in 15- 20 days.
 Flush out the trapped insects periodically.

36. 2.Fish meal trap:
 Place 5 g dry fish in coconut shell,
 moisten and add 0.5 g cartap hydrochloride.
 Put coconut shell inside a polythene cover.
 Make holes on the cover above shell and hang the cover from
'pandal' (trellis).
3. Trap adult fruit flies using cue lure plywood blocks containing
6:4:1 mixture of ethyl alcohol : cue lure : Malathion
 Cuelure is a hormonal attractant for male Bactrocera fruit flies
 Reset traps at four months interval.
 Hang plywood blocks with pheromone @ 1 trap per 15 cents.

37. 4.Trap adult fruit flies using food baits.
 Make a pulp of 20 g banana, 10 jaggery in 100 ml water + 0.2 ml
malathion at 2.5m spacing.
 Change traps after 3 weeks.
 Red banana, Robusta, Njalipoovan and Palayankodan fruits can be
used.
5. Beauveria bassiana
 Drench Beauveria bassiana 20 g @ 10l. and
 Or apply 40 ml during fruiting stage
Note: Dispose the contents of traps with insecticide
outside the cropped area after its use.

38. Epilachna beetle
 Remove and destroy egg masses, grubs and adults occurring on
leaves
 Apply Beauveria bassiana @ 10 g/l.
 Spray leaf extract of ailanthus and cashew (10 %).
 Neem oil + garlic emulsion spray (2%)
 Use predator (Chrysocaris johnsoni) of larvae and pupae.

39. Leaf feeders and sucking pests
 Collect and destroy larvae.
 Spray a mixer of 1 litre cow's urine + 10g bird chilli + 9 litres
water.
 Spray 2 % talc based formulation of Beauveria bassiana + 0.1 %
teepol at fortnightly intervals for the management of pumkin
caterpillar, leaf footed bugs and plant lice.
Plant lice
 Apply 1.5 per cent fish oil soap.
 First dissolve soap in hot water and then make up the volume

40. Pumpkin caterpillar (Diaphania indica)
 Apply Metarhizium anisopliae @ 5 g/l.
It significantly reduces the damage and increases the yield.
 seed extracts of Cerebera odollam , Annona glabra and dry
leaf extract of Premna serratifolia and Samadera indica (10%)
are effective.
Cerebera odollam Annona glabra Premna serratifolia Samadera indica

41. Nematode
 Application of Purpureocillium lilacinum (cfu 2 x 106) @ 2.5 kg
+
Psedomonas fluorescens (cfu 2 x 10) @ 2.5 kg
 Along with 2.5 tonnes of FYM /ha reduces nematode population
and increases yield in bittergourd.

42. MAJOR DISEASES

43. Downy mildew
 It is severe during rainy season.
 Foliar spraying of Pseudomonas fluorescens 2 % (20 g /l) thrice
at fortnightly interval on the appearance of symptoms will
control the disease.

44. Powdery mildew
 Can be controlled by spraying Trichoderma viride 2 g /l or
neem oil 2 % as 3 foliar sprays at 14 days interval on symptom
appearance.

45. Mosaic
 Uprooting and destruction of affected plants and collateral
hosts.
 Spraying neem based insecticide (2 %) controls the vector.

46. Leaf blight
 Field sanitation and foliar application of Pseudomonas fluorescens
@ 20 g/l.

47. Thank you….