PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY OF CUCURBITS (FAMILY: CUCURBITACEAE)

1. PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY OF CUCURBITS (FAMILY: CUCURBITACEAE) –B. Pavan Kumar Naik (Assistant Professor, Horticulture)
CUCUMBER MUSK MELON WATER MELON PUMPKIN BITTER GOURD BOTTLE GOURD RIDGE GOURD &
SPONGE GOURD
SCIENTIFIC NAME Cucumis sativus Cucumis melo Citrullus lanatus Cucurbita moschata Momordica
charantia
Lagenaria siceraria Luffa acutangula
& Luffa cylindrical
CH. NO 2n=14 2n=24 2n=24 2n=40 2n=22 2n=22 2n=26
ORIGIN INDIA Tropical Africa Tropical Africa South America Tropical Asia Tropical Africa India
CLIMATE Opt. Temp. 26.4o
c
Seed germ.Temp. 25 o
c
30-35 o
c 30-35 o
c 25-30 o
c 25-30 o
c 24-27 o
c 25-27 o
c
SOIL Loamy soils
pH 6-7
Loamy soils
pH 6-7
Heavy soils
pH 6-7
Loamy soils
pH 6-7
Sandy loam and silt
loam
pH 6.5-7
Sandy loam soils
pH 6-7
Loamy soils
pH 6-7.5
SEASON North India@Nov-Jan
South India@whole
year
Hills@April-May
North India@Nov.-Feb
Jan-Feb months are
preferred for sowing
Jan- Feb months
good for sowing.
North India@Nov.-
Feb
South India@whole
year.
North India@june-july,
jan-march.
Hill@ April-July
Plains@Jan-March
Summer@Dec.-Jan.
South
India@throughout the
year.
Summer@Jan-Feb.
Rainy@June-July
LAND PREPA. Plough till to get fine
tilth for seed bed. FYM
20-25 t/ha.
Plough till to get fine
tilth for seed bed. FYM
20-25 t/ha.
Plough till to get fine
tilth for seed bed.
FYM 20-25 t/ha.
Plough till to get fine
tilth for seed bed. FYM
20-25 t/ha.
Plough till to get
fine tilth for seed
bed. FYM 18 t/ha.
Plough till to get fine
tilth for seed bed.
Plough till to get
fine tilth for seed
bed. FYM:15-20
t/ha.
SEED RATE 2.5kg/ha 1.25 kg/ha 750-1125 kg/ha 3-5 kg/ha 4-5 kg/ha 3-6 kg/ha Ridge gourd: 3.5-5
kg/ha.Sponge
gourd: 2.5-3.5 kg/ha
SPACING ROW x PLANT@
1.5m x 60 cm & 2.5m x
90 cm
ROW x PLANT@
2.5 m x 60 cm
3 m x 90 cm
ROW x PLANT@
2.5 m x 1 m
3 m x 1 m
ROW x PLANT@
4.5m x 2 m
ROW x
PLANT@1.5 m x
1m
1m x 60 cm
ROW x PLANT@
1.5m x 1m
ROW x PLANT@
1.5m x 60 cm
2.5m x 120 cm
NUTRITION N:P:K@100:75:50
kg/ha.
N:P:K@100:75:50
kg/ha.
N:P:K@100:87.5:100
kg/ha.
N:P:K@100:75:50
kg/ha.
N:P:K@60:30:60
kg/ha.
N:P:K@60:60:80
kg/ha
N:P:K@60:40:30
kg/ha
IRRIGATION Summer@ frequent
irrigation
July-Sept. @irrigation
not necessary
Summer@ 5-6 days
once.
July-Sept. @irrigation
not necessary.
Summer@ 5-6 days
once.
July-Sept.
@irrigation not
necessary.
3-4 days interval
irrigate at initial stages.
Later 5-7 days interval.
2-3 days interval
irrigate at initial
stages.
3-4 days interval
irrigate at initial
stages.
Summer regularly
irrigated.
WEEDS 2 hoeing
Fluchloralin@1.20
2 hoeing
Fluchloralin@1.20
2 hoeing Preplant Besulide@4-6
kg/ha.
Glycophosphate@4
.5 kg/ha before
2 hoeing
Fluchloralin@2.0
First weeding@15-
20 days after

2. kg/ha as preplant kg/ha as preplant Alachlor@2.5 kg/ha as
pre-emergence.
sowing. kg/ha as preplant.
Alachlor & Butachlor
@2.5 kg/ha as pre-
emergence.
sowing.
2nd
Weeding@20-25
days after first one.
GROWTH REGU. Ethrel@1500-200ppm,
increases flower, fruit
set.
Ethrel@1500-250ppm
increase fruit set.
TIBA@25-250PPM,
BORON@3-4PPM,
MOLYBDENUM@3
-4PPM increases fruit
yield.
Ethrel@25ppm
increases female
flower.
MH@400 PPM
increases fruit set.
NAA@200 PPM
increases female
flowers.
HARVESTING Dark green stage
Opt. length of
fruit@20-25 cm at
edible mature stage.
Full matured stage.
Fruit ready in 30-35
days
40-45 days after
anthesis.
75-780 days after seed
sowing. skin colour
turned brown from
green.
60-70 days after
planting first
harvest.
Ready for harvest 60
days after seed
sowing.
Ready for harvest
60-90 days after the
seed sowing.
YIELD 15-20 t/ha@open
condition.
200 t/ha@green house
condition
Varities:15-20 t/ha
Hybrids: 25 t/ha
35-50 t/ha 20-30 t/ha 15 t/ha Varities: 20 t/ha
F1 Hybrids: 40-50 t/ha
8-12 t/ha