Long melon, also known as kakri, is valued for its tender fruits eaten raw and has various culinary uses. It thrives in warm climates with specific soil requirements and includes several improved varieties like Arka Sheetal and Punjab Long Melon-1, with a cultivation duration of 90-100 days. Appropriate agronomic practices, including proper fertilization, irrigation, and pest management, are essential for achieving a yield of 350-400 quintals per hectare.

1. Long melon
• Long melon popularly known as kakri and Tar.
• It is valued for tender fruits which are eaten raw along with salt and
pepper.
• Some of them are used in the form of salad, cooked as vegetables, and
preserved in the form of sweets.
• it has cooling effect on our body.

2. Botany
• Scientific name-Cucumis melo var. utilissimus Duthic and
fuller
• Family –cucurbitaceae
• Origin- India
• Plant part used- unripe fruits
• Cytogenetics-n=12,2n=24

3. Floral biology
• Plants are monoecious in nature. Corolla is showy, yellow in
colour.
• Petals are 5 in number, united, stamens are attached to calyx
tubes. Ovary is inferior.
• The period of bud developmental stage is completed within
12-15 days in male and within 11-13 days in female bud.

4. Soil requirement
• Deep well drained soil with sandy or sandy loam texture is
suitable.
• The pH of the soil should be between 5.8 to 7.5

5. Climate
• Warm season crops.
• Grow well at day temperature between 25-350c.
• It cannot tolerate frost and strong winds.
• Low temperature and high relative humidity stimulate the
development of female flowers.

6. Improved verities
• Arka sheetal
A selection from a collection IIHR-3 from Lucknow.Fruits are non bitter,
tender with crisp texture and delicate aroma. Duration of crop 90-100 days.
• Karnal selection
A prolific bearer. Fruits tender, light green, long thin, flesh crisp with good
flavor.
• Punjab long melon-1
Early maturing variety . It gives an average yield of 86qtl/acre.
Underutilized and underexploited
horticultural crops Vol.-2

7. Arka sheetal Karnal selection

8. Company/Institution Name of Variety
• IARI, New Delhi Pusa utkarsh
• IIHR, Bengaluru Arka Sheetal
• PAU,Ludhiana Punjab long melon-1
• G.B . Pant University of agriculture and
Tech. Pantnagar
Pant long melon-1
• Rise Agro Infra Private Limited(Shine
Brand Seeds)
Long Strike (Hybrid)
• Signet Crop Sciences India Pvt. Ltd Rekha
Agropedia

9. Land Preparation
• Well prepared land is required for long melon cultivation.
• To bring the soil to fine tilth , 2-3 ploughings followed by
harrowing are necessary.
• Apply 200-300 quintals /ha.

10. Bed preparation (4000m²)
10
50 m
100cm 80 m
Total no of beds = 80m / 1.5m
= 53 beds
Total length of mulch required is 53 X 50 m = 2650 m
1 k g mulch will cover about 43m² area
total mulch required = 2650 m / 43 m² = 61.62 kg

11. Laying of drip line
• For 4000m²
• Total no. of beds : 53
• lateral length 53 Х 50 = 2650m
• For two laterals / bed = 2650 Х 2 = 5300
• Total no. of emitters 5300/0.4 = 13250
13250 x 4= 53000lt/hr.

12. Mulching
• For 4000m²
• Total no. of beds : 53
• Total Length required of plastic mulch: 53×50=2650m
• we know that,
• 1kg mulch (30 micron) = 43m².
• For 4000m² = 2650/43 = 61.62 kg
12

13. NURSERY RAISING
• Raised on soil-less media in plastic protrays having cells of
1.0-1.5 inch size.
• Cocopeat, vermiculite and perlite is used in 3:1:1 ratio as
media.
• 1 kg seeds is sufficient to raise the nursery for one acre .
• Seedlings are ready for transplanting within 12-15 days.
13

14. Seed rate and Sowing time
• It is summer season crop. It is mainly grown in the month of
February to March(open field condition).
• The seed rate of long melon is 2-2.5kg/ha( open condition).
Underutilized and underexploited
horticultural crops Vol.-2

15. Sowing method and spacing
• Hills are made on the inner side of the ridges of the sowing
channels.(open condition)
• For better germination , the sowing channels should be
irrigated two days before sowing .

16. Nutrient management
• Besides N:P:K @ 40:60:40 kg per hectare(open condition)
should applied at the time of sowing.
• Nitrogen at the rate of 20 kg per hectare should also be top
dressed when plant starts bearing.
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17. 17
•Fertigation should be done once or twice a week depending upon soil
fertility, variety, and stage of crop growth .
•Irrigation should be given at weekly or bi-weekly interval
depending upon the season and location.
• N : P : K solution in ratio of 19:19:19 is prepared and applied through
drip starting from 3rd Week after transplanting or initiation of fruit set
and terminating 15 days prior to harvest.
Fertigation

18. Stage Crop stage
Duration in
days
Fertilizer
grade
Total
Fertilizer
(kg/ha)
Nutrient applied % of requirement
N P K N P K
1
Crop
establishment
stage
10
19:19:19
13-0-45
Urea
19.72
8.24
22.11
3.75
1.07
10.19
3.75
-
-
3.75
3.75
-
10.00 5.00 10.00
Subtotal 15.01 3.75 7.50
2
Vegetative
stage
20
12-61-0
13-0-45
Urea
9.21
49.49
95.27
1.09
-
43.91
5.63
-
-
-
22.49
-
30.00 7.50 30.00
Subtotal 45.00 5.63 22.49
3
Flower
initiation to
first picking
20
19:19:19
13-0-45
Urea
29.61
20.61
80.00
5.62
2.62
36.71
5.63
-
-
5.63
9.37
-
30.00 7.50 20.00
Subtotal 45.00 5.63 15.00
4 Harvesting stage 40
19:19:19
13-0-45
Urea
6.13
66.00
77.47
0.73
8.57
35.69
3.75
-
-
-
30
-
30.00 5.00 40.00
Total duration 90 days Subtotal 44.99 3.75 30.00
Total 150.00 18.75 75.00 100 25 100
Fertigation Schedule – Recommended Dose: 150:75:75 Kg/ha
No fertigation schedule standardized for long melon however, dosage recommended
for cucumber are followed:

19. 75% RD of Phosphorus applied as superphosphate = 352 Kg/ha
1. 19:19:19 = 55 kg/ha
2. 13:0:45 = 144 kg/ha
3. 12:61:0 = 9 kg/ha
4. Urea = 275 kg/ha

20. Irrigation
• Irrigate the crop once in 4-5 days(open conditions)
during summer depending upon the soil and weather
condition.
• Provide Irrigation at every alternate days for 1-2
hours in protected cultivation.

21. TRAINING

22. Intercultural practices and weed control
• Two shallow hoeing should be done before spreading of vines
to control weeds.
• Apply Fluchloralin or Trifluralin (0.75-1.5kg/ha.) as pre plant
soil incorporation at two weeks before sowing.

23. Harvesting and Yield
• The fruits are picked when they are still tender-about one-third
or one-fourth their full size.
• The fruits do not keep well for more than one day, so they
should be disposed of promptly.
• For pickling, fruits are harvested when full size but still
immature.
• The yield of long melon is about 350-400quintal/ha (open
condition).

24. Plant protection practices
1. Powdery mildew
• Symptoms
• It is caused by Erysiphae cichoracearum and E fuliginea.
• The powdery mildew on the foliage and green stems is characterized by the
appearance of tiny.
• White to dirty grey spots.They become powdery as they enlarge.
A. Fungal diseases

25. Control
• Blue copper/Blitox (0.4%) or Dithane M-45 (0.2%) bas also
been recommended to spray at 8 days interval.
• About 3-4 sprays will be enough.
• The cucurbitaceous weeds should not be allowed to grow
near cultivated field of these vegetables.

26. 2. Downy mildew
• It is caused by Pseudopernospora cubensis.
• it becomes serious during latter part of the rainy season.
• On the lower sides of these spots a purplish downy growth appears in
moist weather.

27. Control
• Badly affected vines or leaves should be removed .
• Spraying of fungicides can control the disease. Dithane M- 45
(Maneb), Dithane Z-78 (Zineb) and Tricop -50 are some of the
fungicides recommended for spraying.
• Spray thrice Blue copper blitox (0.4%) at 8 days interval.

28. 4. Fusarium wilt
• The fungus is seed-born as well as a persistent soil inhabitant.
Seedling injury is high at 20 –30o C temperature.
• Germinating seeds may rot in the soil.
• When very young seedlings are invaded, they may damp-off or die
or be stunted in growth.

29. Control
• Follow crop rotation of 10 years.
• Treat the seed with Benlate or Bavistin (2.5 g/kg seed).
• Bavistin (0.1%) or JK stein (0.1%) or Dithane M-45 (0.2%) or
Blitox (0.5%) can also afford partial control.

30. B. Bacterial diseases
• Symptoms
• This is a bacterial disease caused by Xanthomonas compestris
var. cucurbitae.
• Sometimes young stems and petioles are also attacked.
• The leaf spots appear as water soaked areas.
1. Bacterial leaf spots

31. Control
• This is a seed-borne disease, to kill the bacterium in the seeds,
hot water treatment (50oC for 30 minutes) is recommended.
• Spraying copper fungicides reduces the spread of the disease
in the field.

32. C. Viral diseases
• In older plants symptoms appear first on younger leaves.
These are alternate green and yellow patches on the leaf.
• Internodes of stems are shortened, thus dwarfing the plant.
• Young fruits are rough, mottled and deformed

33. Control
• Only virus free seeds should be used for sowing.
• All the infected plants should be eradicated from the field.
• Spray insecticides such as Thiodan (0.1 %) or Metasystox
(0.1%) or Dimecron (0.05%) or Dimethoate (0.05%) at 10
days interval to control vector population.

34. Insects
• Aphids
• Turn leaves yellow and stunt shoots
• transmit viruses from plant to plant
• Control
• Monitoring
• Spray Malathion @ 2-3 ml/lit

35. Sl.no Particulars Rate per unit
in Rs.
Required
units
Amount in
Rs
1 Tropical polyhouse
with UV
stabilized
polythene(low cost
polyhouse)
700/-per sqm 4000 sqm 280,0000
2. Drip line 10/-per m 5300 53000
Total 28,53000
A. FIXED COSTS (4000 sqm)

36. Particular Quantity Rate(Rs) /unit Total
Seeds 1 kg 3000 3000
Soil fumigation with formalin 16 lit 75 1200
FYM 10 ton 500 5000
Staking
a) Galvanized steel Wire 20 kg 105 2100
b)Thread 10 kg 200 2000
LDPE Plastic Mulch 61.62 kg 160 9859.2
Insecticide
a)Malathion 2 lit. 400 800
b) Azadiractiin 2 lit. 500 1000
Pesticide
a)Dithane M-45 2 kg 500 1000
Weedicide
a)Fluchloralin 1.5kg 450 675
Total 26634.2
B. Variable Cost

37. Particular Quantity Rate(Rs)
/unit
Total
No. of labours No. of hrs/days
Ploughing (Tractor) 1 2 hrs 1000 2000
Leveling(Tractor) 1 1hrs 1000 1000
Weeding(manual) 5 2 250 2500
Soil fumigation 4 2 250 2000
Nursery preparation 2 2 250 1000
Planting 5 1 250 1250
Spraying 4 4 250 4000
Bed preparation 4 2 250 2000
Drip laying (Manual) 2 1 250 500
Mulching(Manual)+maki
ng holes
4 2
250 2000
Staking 5 2 250 2500
Harvesting (Manual) 5 5 250 6250
Marketing 1 3 250 750
Miscellaneous cost - - - 2700
TOTAL 30450
Labour Cost

38. Sl no Fertilizers Quantity required Rs. / kg Cost (Rs.)
1 19:19:19 24 190 4,560
2 12:6:10 10 18 180
3 13:0:45 60 11 660
4 Urea 112 6 672
5 SSP 152 9 1,370
6 ZnSO4 3kg 60 180
7 MnSO4 3kg 80 240
8 CaNo3 3kg 120 360
9 Borax 40kg 200 8000
Total 16,220
Fertilizer cost

39. Long melon production & income
Sr no Particulars Quantity
1 Area of polyhouse 4000 sqm
2 Production 52,000 kg in (protected
Cultivation)
3 Average market rate per kg of
fruits
Rs. 15
Gross income per year 7,80000

40. Net return = Goss income – Variable cost +Depreciation
rate @10% (Total cost per crop)
= 7,80000– 73304.2+ 142,650
= 7,80000-215954.2
= 5,64,045.8
BC Ratio = gross income / total cost
= 7,80000 /215954.2
= 3.6
BC Ratio = 1:3.6