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UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES, BANGALORE, KARNATAKA, INDIA

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Cucurbits
• Cucurbits forms an important & a big group of vegetable
crops.
• Cultivated both in tropical & subtropical countries
• Uses:
• Salad (cucumber)
• Cooking (all the gourds)
• Pickling (cucumber)
• Dessert fruit (muskmelon & watermelon)
• Candies & preserved (ash gourd)
• Hard shell of bottle gourd – for making musical instruments
• Mostly seed propagated except perennials like chow-chow
ivy gourd (coccinia)
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Cont…
• Germplasm: over 400 base collections of cucurbitaceous crops are
under long term conservation in NBPGR
• Origin: Being a warm season crops, these are tropical in origin
(Africa, tropical America & Asia)
• Sex forms:
1. Hermaphrodite form: primitive form, eg: Satputia variety of ridge
gourd
2. Monoecious form: advanced form, eg: majority of cucurbits
3. Andro-monoecious form (male+bisexual) : muskmelon & some
cultivars of watermelon
4. Gyno-monoecious form (female+bisexual) : cucumber
5. Gynoecious form: rarely in cucumber (potential for commercial
production)
6. Trimonoecious form (male+female+bisexual)
7. Dioceous form: Parwal, Coccinia & Kakrol 3

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Cont…
• Cucurbitacin is of a class of biochemical compounds
that some plants — notably members of the family
Cucurbitaceae, that includes the common pumpkins
and gourds — developed in order to defend
themselves from herbivores.
• Cucurbitacins are chemically classified as
steroids, formally derived from cucurbitane
• Generally cytotoxic and poisonous to some
animals, and some of them are among the bitterest
tastes to humans
• They and their derivatives have been found in many
plant families,some mushrooms (including Russula and
Hebeloma) and even in some marine mollusks
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Some of the cucurbits
Common name Botanical
name
Origin Chromosome
no.
uses
Watermelon Citrulus lanatus Africa 22 Fruit as dessert
Muskmelon Cucumis melo Africa 24 Fruit as dessert
Cucumber Cucumis
sativus
India 14 Salad,
vegetable,
pickle
Winter squash Cucurbita
maxima
S America 40 Fruit & flower
as vegetable,
seed edible
Pumkin Cucurbita
muskata
C Mexico 40 Carotine rich,
vegetable
Summer
squash
Cucurbita pepo C Mexico 40 Vegetable
Little/Ivy Coccinia indica Tropical Asia &
Africa
22-48 Fruit & young
shoot as
vegetable 5

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Cont…
Bottle gourd Laginaria
siceraria
Africa 22 Vegetable
Ridge gourd Luffa
acutangula
India 26 Vegetable
Sponge gourd Luffa cylindrica India 26 Immatre- veg.
mature for
fibre
Bitter gourd Momordica
charantia
Tropical Africa 22 Fruit – veg.,
seed
condument
Snake gourd Trichosanthes
anguinia
India 22 Vegetable
Pointed gourd T. Dioca India 22 vegetable
West Indian
gherkin
Cucumis
anguria
Africa 24 Vegetable &
pickle
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Cucumber
Uses: health & beauty products
(perfume, lotions, soap, shampoos)
Fruit quality: skin color, spine color, presence/absence of wart &
spines, fruit shape & firmness
• Fruit firmness controlled by two factors-
a) Flesh firmness
b) Seed cavity
Fruit size: German classification
Size 1 – 6-9 cm
Size 2 – 9-12 cm
Length /diameter ratio 3:1 is desired
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8.
Cont…
two types:
a) Slicing cucumber (dark & thin skin with cylindrical shape)
b) Pickling cucumber (with white spines are more popular, because
they retain green color longer)
Formation of bitter principle (cucurbitacin):
• It belongs to terpinoid (monogenic dominant, Bi). Conc. of
cucurbitacin is highest in placental region than in pericarp of
fruits.
Testing for cucurbitacin:
1. Tasting of the cotyledon of the seedling is simplest & most rapid
method of selection. But requires several people as tastes
2. In large scale chloroform extract of seedling is applied to filter
paper & sprayed with antimony chloride (SbCl3) & heated for short
time in UV light applied to blots show conspicuous fluorescence
varities: Japanese long green, Straight eight, Pusa
Sanyog, Himangi, Phule Shubhangi, Sheetal
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Melons 2n=2x=24
• Immature fruit- fresh salad, cooked (soup, stew, curry, stir-
fry or pickled)
• Mature fruit- dessert fruit, canned or used for syrrup or
jam, dehydrated slices or pressed juice can be canned.
• Melon nuts are dietary source of unsaturated vegetable oil
& protein may be slightly roasted & eaten like nuts.
• In ayurveda & Unani states that- these have cooling effect
in body system.
• Also it’s a dimusculent, diuretic & aphrodiastic.
• Applied as lotion in several skin conditions
• Melon market- both domesticated & international
• Different flesh colors & aromas are preferred in differed in
different parts of world
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Biodiversity (India) – MELONS
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Biodiversity (India) – MELONS
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Main quality
1. Yield – earliness & concentration (duration of
harvest period). long harvest period is a
constraint
2. Appearance: Fruit shape, size, color, smoothness
(smooth/netted) & flesh
3. Flesh quality:
sweetness, aroma, texture, firmness & color.
High quality melon
4. Shipping quality: depends on rind characters
(hardness, thickness, netting & firm flesh)
These are harvested at maturation (not
immature) which is 7-10 days before peak
ripeness & eating quality
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Watermelon
Breeding objectives:
1) Yield and quality: Number and total weight, consumer preference -
small size fruits (also favors mechanized harvesting)
Quality : 10% TSS, deep red flesh few small seed. Higher TSS greater
preference, >12% very good, <9% not desirable.
Texture of flesh:
a. Melting ( or fine grained) flesh preferred .
b. Fibrous( or course grained form)
2) Earliness: ( Pistillate/ hermaphrodite flower at early node), from
flower
setting to maturity require 30-35 days
3) Exploiting dwarfness (Mechanized harvesting).
4) Disease resistance ( Anthracnose, PM,DM and virus)
5) development of F1 hybrids
6) Tough skinned fruits for long transport.
7) Development of seedless water melon 13

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Cont…
Flavour: (Caramel) Some people will not recognize it: Associated
with intense red flesh, heritable and can be eliminated by
selection.
Bitterness undesirable trait associated with lines derived from C.
colosynthis.( gene transfer)
Origin: Africa
• Primary centers of diversity : south west & central Asia
• Secondary centre of diversity : China, Korea, Portugal, Spain
Genetic resources:
Durgapur and Faizabad centers made responses for collection
and evaluation of germplasm of watermelon
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Accomplishments
Seedless watermelon:
First reported by Dr. Kihara (1939), in 1951-52 succeeded in
producing commercial triploid. Diploid pollen on triploid
stigma stimulates parthenocarpy, but ovules fail to develop.
2x cochicine treat 4X x 2X
3X (reciprocal is not successful)
But (Citrulus colocynthis) 2X x 4X
3X (possible but bitter)
Tetraploid produce less number
of seeds than diploids and hence
expensive to maintain teraploid
Limitations:
triploid seed cost is 20 times of that of OP seeds
Difficult to germinate (removal of seed coat),require high temperature (86o F )
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Varieties
• Special No. 1
• Seedless -Betsy & Boobie
ARKA
MANIK
Sugar Baby
Arka Jyoti
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Muskmelon (Cucumis melo ., 2n = 2x = 24)
It encompasses
• Netted, salmon – flesh cantaloupe
• Smooth – skinned green fleshed ‘Honey Dew’
• Wrinkled, white – fleshed, ‘Golden Beauty’
• Several other dessert melons in USA.
Fruit quality: TSS, net type,flesh color, thichness &
firmness, flavor, rind thichness & color.
Breeding Objectives:
• Thick skin, thick flesh and good consistency.
• Good flavour, attractive outer colour, flesh colour texture.
• Varieties with attractive shape having small seed cavity, small and
negligible hollowness.
• Varieties with sweet, juicy and flavorsome fruits are preferred:
TSS >10 %( Flesh color and texture)
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Nutritive value
Per 100 g of edible portion
Moisture 95.2 g Thiamine 0.11 mg
Protien 0.3 g Niacin 0.3 mg
Fat 0.2 g Vit. C 26 mg
Minerals 0.4 g Carotene 169 I. U.
Fibre 0.4 g Calories 17
Carbohydrate 3.5 g P 14 mg
Ca 32 mg Fe 1.4 mg
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Varieties
ARKA RAJHANS ARKA JEET
High yielding Oriental pickling melon
variety KAU
SAUBHAGYA (CM 8)
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Loofah 2n=2x=26
• Luffa acutangula- ridge gourd
• Luffa cylindrica – smooth gourd
• Immature fruits are used as vegetables & mature fruits for fibre (industrial
purpose)
• Both species contain a gelatinous compound – Luffein
• Compared to ridge gourd smooth gourd contain more protein, carotene & fibers
Objectives
1. Earliness
2. High female to male sex ratio
3. Uniform thick cylindrical fruits free from bitterness
4. Tender, non fibre fruits for longer time
5. High fruit yield and more fruit number with more fruit weight
6. Resistant to powdery mildew and insects
• Varities:
• Smooth gourd: Pusa Chikni
• Ridge gourd: IIHR 8
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Pointed gourd
parwal (hindi), or potol
• It is used as ingredients of soup, stew, curry, sweet, or
eaten fried and as potoler dorma or dolma (dolma) with
fish, roe or meat stuffing
• Good for maintaining healthy heart & brain
• Origin: India or Indo-Malayan region
• Quality- Bitter principle are found in root, shoot & even in
leaf, but generally not in fruit.
• Fruit quality – color, smaller, seed content & greater pulp
• Germplasm resources: Narendra Deva University of
Agril., Faziabad, UP & at Rajendra Agri. Uni., Sabour, Bihar
• Good number of local varieties from WB have been
assembled
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nutritional value: pointed gourd (parwal)
parameter raw
% trans fat 0. 00
% fibre 0. 90
% oil (ether extract) 0. 20
% protein (n*6. 25) 1. 99
% sugar 1. 82
% total mufa 0. 04
% carbohydrate 6. 70
% total saturated f. Acid 0. 09
vitamine c mg/kg 71. 38
calcium mg/kg (as ca) 29. 12
calories kcal/100gm) 36. 56
cholesterol mg/kg 0. 00
iron mg/kg 107. 51
sodium mg/kg (as na) 53. 71
vitamine a mcg/kg 108. 03
% total pufa 0. 06
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Tondli (coccinia indica)
• Fruits are rich source of carbohydrate, protien (12%), vit. A
(1.4 I.U.), vit. C (15 mg) per 100 g
• Fruits can be shipping long distance or stored for 2 weeks.
Snake gourd
• Origin: India/Indo-Malaya
• Good source of minerals, fibre & other nutrients
• Trichosanthus is one the largest genera of
cucurbitaceae, includes about 44 sps. Of which 22 in India
• Max. genetic variability of snake gourd occurs in south & S-
E Asia
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Bottle Gourd
(white flowered gourd, zucca melon)
• Hard shell of fruit is used for making musical instruments
• Fruits are bottle/crook necked since rate of pollen tube
growth may not rapid enough to allow fertilization of
ovules over entire length of the ovary
• Decoction of leaf is very good for curing jaundice
• Pulp is good for overcoming constipation, cough, night
blindness & an antidote against certain poison
Quality parameters: bitterness, hairiness, fruit shape
Objectives:
1. Greater fruit number & weight
2. Earliness (appearance of pistillate flowers at early node)
3. High Female: Male flower ratio
4. Round, long, club shaped fruits
5. Sparse hairs persisting on skin
6. Non-fibrous flesh at edible stage
7. Non- bitter fruits
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Per 100 g of edible portion
Moisture 96.1 g Thiamine 0.03 mg
Protien 0.2 g Niacin 0.2 mg
Fat 1.00 g Vit. C 6 mg
Minerals 0.5 g K 87 mg
Fibre 0.6 g Calories 12 mg
Carbohydrate 2.5 g P 10 mg
Ca 20 mg Fe 0.7 mg
Nutritional level
Varities: Pusa Manjiri, Pusa Naveen, Kalyanpur long green,
Samrat
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Bittergourd
• A natural triploid (2n=3x=33) of
cultivated sp. Was reported in
India
• One of the most nutritious
gourds, the plant has medicinal
properties (germicidal property)
• A compound known as 'charantin'
present in the bitter gourd is used
in the treatment of diabetes to
lower blood sugar levels.
• Bitterness due to
momordiscosides, increases with
age, prevent spoilage of cooked
vegetable
• Seed injestion should be avoided
because they are toxic (alkaloids)
Constituents Fruits
water (ml) 92.0
calories 25.0
protein (a) 1.2
fat (g) 0.2
carbohydrate (g) 5.0
fiber (a) 1.0
vit. A (ug) 110.0
vit. C (mg) 57.0
iron (mg) 0.2
calcium (mg) 13.0
Per 100 Grams of Edible Portion
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Cont…
• Quality parameters: fruit color, shape & size, seed shape &
size
• Breeding Objectives
1. Early fruiting
2. High female to male sex ratio
3. Whitish green to glossy green fruit colour depending upon
consumer preference
4. Less ridged fruit surface
5. Thick fruit for stuffing
6. Slow seed maturation in the fruit.
7. High yield.
8. Resistant to red pumpkin beetle and fruit fly
varities: Pusa Do Mausmi, Pusa Vishesh, Preeti, Priyanka, Arka
Harit, Phule green gold
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Pumpkin & Squash
• Among cucurbits pumpkin have excellent keeping quality (3-4
months)
• Keeping quality of summer & winter squash is poor, thus it is
essential to send fruit for market just after harvesting.
Freshness may be maintained by sprinkling of water over
fruits for 24-36 hours
• Breeding objectives:
• Non ridged fruit surface
• Thick fruit flesh & small seed cavity
• Round/oblong/flat round fruit shape
• Orange flesh color rich in beta carotene
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Varieties
• Summer suash: Pusa Alankar, Austrelian green
• Snake gourd: Konkan Sweta, CO 1, CO 2, CO 4.
• Pumkin: Ambili
Arka Suryamukhi ARKA CHANDAN 29

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Oxygation improves yield & quality & minimizes internal fruit
crack of cucurbits on a heavy a clay soil in the semi-arid tropics
• Lack of oxygen due to sustained wetting fronts associated with drip &
subsurface drip irrigated crops in heavy clay soil can negatively impacts on
the yield, fruit quality & WUE
• Effect of aerated irrigated water with subsurface drip irrigation, employing
an in-line air injector (mazzi venturi introduce 12% air by vol. of water)
• Season long WUE is greater with oxygation compared to normal
Crop Yield (t/ha)
before
oxygation
Yield (t/ha)
after
oxygation
TSS (%)
Watermelon 14.5 24.6 Increased by 19%
Pumkin 26.3 28.9 4%
Surya P. Bhattarai,2010, J. agri. Sci.: 2(3) 30

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Fruit rotFusarium anthracnose Bacterial wilt
Powdry mildew CMV Cucumber scabPhytophthora blight
Important Diseases
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Pests
• Red pumkkin beetle
• Aphid
• Fruit fly
• Mites
• Root knot nematode
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References
1. Vegetable breeding: Principles and practices,
Hari har Ram
2. Competitive examinations in vegetable
science, Dr. M.K. Rana
3. Horticulture at a glance: Bijendra Singh
4. Vegetable Breeding: Kolla
5. Vegetable: T. K. Boss
6. Internet
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