This presentation is done by 2010/2011 batch of Export Agriculture students of Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka as a requirement for the subject which is “Fruit & Vegetable Cultivation”. Note that the information included here is relevant to Sri Lankan condition.

1. Trichosanthes cucumerina
Snake Gourd

2. Introduction
• Snake gourd plant is a annual creeper, belonging
to the Cucurbitaceae family
• This subtropical plant is native to South-eastern
Asia and Australia
• Mostly popular in India
• Widely grown in Sri Lanka, China, Thailand,
Nigeria and Australia
• It is suitable for growing for home garden and
fresh market

4. Scientific classification
• Kingdom: Plantae
• (unranked): Angiosperms
• (unranked): Eudicots
• (unranked): Rosids
• Order: Cucurbitales
• Family: Cucurbitaceae
• Genus: Trichosanthes
• Species: T. cucumerina
• Binomial name: Trichosanthes cucumerina L.
• Synonyms: Trichosanthes anguina L.

5. • Nature of cultivation
– Medium scale
– Home garden
• Growing seasons
– January-March
– September-December
• Major growing areas in Sri Lanka
– Matale
– Kandy
– Rathnapura
– Hambanthota

6. • Total extent
─ 3167 ha (2009)
• Production
─ 33421 mt (2009)
• Average Yield
─ 10.55 tonnes/ha (2009)

7. Morphological Characteristics
• Fruit
– narrow and longish fruit can grow more than 150 cm
(5 feet) in length
– dark green with several light green lines or totally
white
– It is soft and breaks easily when bend
– numerous seeds; relatively large and slightly gray
– When it is fully ripe, inside of this fruit will turn red
• Flower
– lace-like flower
– White in color

8. • Foliage
– more or less palmate, two or three lobed or
slightly wavy leaflets with serrated edges

10. Uses
• As vegetable
– Snake Gourd is grown principally for the immature
fruit that can be cooked
– Can be served as a vegetable like zucchini squash
• As medicine
– Roots and seeds are used to expel worms and to
treat diarrhea and syphilis
– acts as an excellent anti-inflammatory
– makes digestion easy

11. Nutrient Value
• The nutritive value of snake gourd is unbeatable
compared to other vegetables
• The gourd comprises of protein, fat, carbohydrate
and soluble fiber
• Its mineral and vitamin content are calcium,
phosphorus, riboflavin, thiamin, niacin and carotene

12. Varieties
• TA 2
─The length of the pods exceeds 1 m
─whitish ash color pods
─with maturity green lines can be seen
─can be harvested within 60 – 75 days after planting
• MI Short
─The length of the pods is ½ m and whitish ash in
color.
─Spacing - 1.5 x 1.5m
─Seed rate - 4kg/ ha
─Yield - 20Mt/ ha

13. Field Establishment
Climate
– Requires tropical , warm & humid climate for best
growth
∙ minimum temperature -18oC during early growth
∙ optimal temperature - 24–27oC
– Cannot tolerate heavy rainfall as flowering is greatly
affected
– very heavy rainfall will make the plant susceptible to
various fungal & mycoplasma diseases
– every cold climate is not suitable, & it cannot tolerate
frost

14. Soil
– Tolerates a wide range of soil
– prefers a well drained sandy loam soil that rich in
organic matter.
– soil pH range - 6.0 to 7.0
– Good drainage

15. Land Preparation
─ Plough the field to fine tilth
─ dig pits of size 30 cm x 30 cm x 30 cm at 2.5 x 2 m
spacing and form basins.
Seed Treatment
– Treat seeds with Trichoderma viride or
Pseudomonas fluorescens or Carbendazim

16. Sowing
– Well rotten FYM and fertilizers are mixed
with topsoil in the pit
– Seeds are sown at 4-5 per pit
– After two weeks remove the unhealthy
plants retaining three plants per pit
– Erect pandals for trailing snake gourd
– Provide bamboo stakes and cross wires for
spreading the vines

17. Cont’d…..
– Seedlings when starts producing tendrils;
• should be staked to thin bamboo poles using
banana fibres
• to enable the vines to spread on the pandal
-Snake guard grown in pandal system-

18. Training of developing fruit
• Five days after fruit set, at the tip of the
developing fruits, a small stone is tied using a
piece of banana fiber
• Otherwise the developing ovary will be coiled
• Short fruited types do not require such
training (Ex: Co 2 variety)

19. Quality seedling production
Nursery raising
• Sow the snake gourd seeds in trays containing
well decomposed cocopeat medium
• Sow only one seed per cell
• Keep the trays under shade net house
• Water regularly with the help of rose can
• Transplant about 12 days old seedlings to
main field

20. Water Management
• light irrigation must be given immediately
after sowing
- to maintain the moisture level in the soil
• After germination- dried leaves can be used as
mulch to retain moisture
• Growth stage-watering must be done at least
thrice a week

21. Nutrient Management
• Apply FYM at 20-25 t/ha as basal dose along with
half dose of N (35 kg) and full dose of P2O5 (25 kg)
and K2O (25 kg/ha)
• The remaining dose of N (35 kg) is applied in several
split doses at fortnightly intervals
Weed Management
• Conduct weeding and raking of the soil at the time of
fertilizer application

22. Pests and Diseases
Pests
• Fruit flies
• Epilachna beetle
• Red pumpkin beetle
• Leaf caterpillers
Diseases
• Downy mildew
• Mosaic

23. Control Measures of Pests and
Diseases
• Fruit flies
– Collect the damaged fruits and destroy
– Neem oil as foliar spray
• Powdery mildew
– Can be controlled by spraying Dinocap

24. Flowering & Harvest
• Fruits start forming 60 to 70 days after sowing
• At flowering stage , one spray of plant hormones
(Ex: NAA -to increase the number of female flowers)
• Fully developed tender fruits can be harvested every
4 to 5 days
• Tying a small stone to the stigmatic end of the fruits
is a widely practiced method
• under organic practices, the plant will continue to
yield for up to 2 months

25. Post Harvest Handling
• Well packed in a air-tight pot ( Sealed box or
Plastic bag )
• Kept in the refrigerator

26. Present by
• U.L.D.M.S.Gunasinghe - UWU/EAG/11/0007
• R.M.M.K.Wijerathna - UWU/EAG/11/0012

27. Thank you