bittergourd, bitter gourd

1. .Production Technology of Bitter gourd

3. Introduction and importance:
Bitter gourd is grown for its bitter tender fruits. Fruits are covered with blunt
tubercles, the fruits turn to orange yellow colour when ripe. The fruits are rich
in iron and vitamin A, B ,C and inexpensive source of protein and minerals.
Fruits have herbicidal effect and laxative and easily digestible. Easily good for
curing blood disease, rheumatism diabetes and asthma. Fruits can be used as
fried, boiled, stuffed, cooked.
The cucurbitacin bitter glucoside may help in preventing spoilage of cooked
vegetables of bitter gourd. Fruits are also used for preparation of pickles and
stored as dry vegetables. Fruits are exported to gulf and European countries.
The area and production is increasing in some of the countries like UP, Orissa,
Maharashtra , AP, TN, Kerala.

4. BITTER GOURD
• Also called Balsam Pear, Bitter cucumber, bitter melon
• B.N. – Momordica charantia
• Family – Cucubitaceae
• 2n = 22
• Origin – Indo – Burma
• Grown for its tender fruits.
• Turn to orange yellow color when ripe
• Cheratin – effective against diabetes.
• Monoecious nature
• Fresh : dehyrated fruit ratio – 16:1
• Bitter principle – Momordicin
• Fruits rich in Fe.

5. Botany:
Genus Momordica, to which bitter gourd belongs, has the following four species in India.
• M. charantia (cultivated bitter gourd)
• M. charantia var. muricata (Highly bitter and small fruited wild bitter gourd)
• M. dioica (kakrol, spine gourd)
• M. cochinchinensis (sweet gourd of Assam)
• M. balsamina – Immature fruits are used as vegetable or picked. All the species have 2n=2x=28.

6. Momordica balsamina

7. Bitter gourd flower
Variability in bittergourd
Bitter gourd cultivation.

8. M. charantia is propagated through seeds and is monoecious .
M. dioica and M. cochinchinensis are propagated through underground tubers and are dioecious in nature.
Both species have small fruits covered with spines.
Bitter gourd is a monoecious annual climber with duration of 100-120days. Leaves are palmately 5-9 lobed.
Flowers are axillary with long pedicel and are yellow in colour. Stamens are 5 in number with free
filaments and united anthers. Stigma is divided. Fruit is pendulous, fusiform, ribbed with numerous
tubercles. Bitterness of fruit is due to the presence of an alkaloid, Momordicin. Anthesis is from 4.00 a.m.
to 7.00 a.m. Anther dehiscence takes place in between 5.00 a.m. and 7.30 a.m. Stigma is receptive 24 hours
before and after anthesis.
Soil and climate:
• warm season crop
• Optimum temperature – 25-30ºC
• Temperature <18ºC – slow growth, poor yield and >36ºC, reduction in female flowers.
• Long days – male flowers
• Low temperature (20ºC) and short days – female flowers
• Sandy loam soils are most suitable
• pH – 6.5-7

9. Land preparation and sowing:
Preparation of land, sowing and other cultural practices for bitter gourd is similar to that of cucumber
except that bitter gourd is trained to bower or cut branches of trees. In Kerala, the crop is cultivated in an
intensive way. Land is ploughed to a fine tilth and pits of 60 cm diameter and 30-45 cm depth are made.
SOWING :
• July – Sept or Jan – Feb
• Seed rate – 4-5 kg/ha
• Seed treatment – thiram @ 2g/kg
• 4 seeds/pit are sown and later 2-3 may be retained. Instead of sowing in the main field, the seeds can be
sown in polythene bags and can be shifted to pits in the main field after 15-20 days.
• Spacing – 2 x 1.5 m
• The crop should be irrigated immediately after planting in summer and subsequently at 2-3 days interval.
• 20 t/ha FYM alongwith 60:60:60 kg/ha NPK. • Application of growth regulators at 2-4 leaf stage play an
important role in sex expression and sex ratio. MH @ 50-150 ppm and CCC @ 50-100 ppm increase
female:male ratio. Ethrel @ 25 ppm increases female flowers.
As per VNMKV recommendation 100:50:50 kg/ha NPK.

10. VARIETIES :
• Pusa Do Mausami – grows well in summer as well as rainy season
• Pride of Surat
• Pride of Gujarat
• Arka Harit
• Pusa Vishesh – suitable for summer season
• Phule Green – MPKV, Rahuri
• Phule Green Gold
• Priya – 40 cm long fruits
• Preethi – white
• Kalyanpur sona – stuffing
• Priyanka – white
• Coimbatore Long white – extra long fruits
• Pusa hybrid – 1,2
• Konkan Tara – export ; from Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth, Dapoli , MH
• MDU 1 – induced mutant ; greenish white spiny fruits
• Coimbatore Green – extra long fruits upto 60 cm
• Harkani – from MPKV, Rahuri
• RHR BGH 1 – from MPKV, Rahuri ; F1 hybrid ; tolerant to downy mildew

11. Irrigation:
Bitter gourd cannot tolerate drought or water stagnation. Frequent irrigation at 2-5 days interval especially at
fruiting stage is necessary for high yield. Under Kerala condition, crop is irrigated at 3-4 days interval during
initial stage and at alternate days during fruiting.
• Flowering – 45-55 DAS
• First picking could be taken 60-70 days after planting.
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. If fruits are allowed to ripen on vines, further bearing is adversely affected.
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 tubercles will be dropped and freshness and appearance of fruits will be adversely affected.
Yield: 11-25 t/ha, hybrids – 20-30 t/ha

12. Post harvest , marketing and storage:
•Fruits at fully ripe stage turn the colour to yellow or orange and for and for seed
purpose the fruits are harvested at this stage.
•Regular harvesting at shorter interval will increase the fruit number and irregular
harvest may delay the formation of successive fruit production and effect their growth
and development.
•After harvest remove all the affected fruits from insect and pest, the harvested fruits
cannot be kept for long time and sent to market as soon as possible .
•By sprinkling water over the fruits, freshness can be maintained for some times in the
initial stage. Fruits can be packed in polypropylene bags to extend the shelf life.
•bitter gourd can be canned and pickled. The fruits can be sliced and dried and used
when it is required.
• dehydration ratio is 16:1.
• the market price is based on demand and supply.
• establishment of farmer market In certain regions of Kerala has assured a reasonable
price to farmers for their produce.