The document provides a comprehensive overview of the snap melon (Cucumis melo var. momordica), including its origin in India, cultivation practices, nutritional benefits, and various challenges in production. It describes the crop's adaptability to arid climates, its uses in cooking and traditional medicine, as well as details on pest and disease management strategies. Additionally, it outlines different varieties, yield potential, and methods of cultivation, including sowing techniques and irrigation practices.

1. Presented to:
Dr. Subhrajyoti Chatterjee
Assistant Profesor,
Department of
Horticulture
MSSSoA
Course Title: Production of Underutilized Vegetable
Crops
Course Code: 0508
Presented by:
Akurathi Keerthi
Reg No: 230805200006
M.sc (Horticulture)
Vegetable science
MSSSoA

2. Scientific Name : Cucumis melo var momordica
Family : Cucurbitaceae
Chromosome no : 2n =2x= 24
• Ripe fruits usually crack so it is commonly
called as ‘phoot,’ which means ‘to split.’
• It is also known by other names such as
‘phoot kakari’ or ‘kakadia’.

3. Origin:
• Snap melon is native to India.
• It was intensively grown in the nineteenth century in northern India (Duthie, 1905).
Distribution:
• India is considered the main centre of diversity, where much diversity is found in
germplasm.
• During domestication, snap melon received wide use and it was distributed from the
place of origin to other parts of the world.
• Under National Field Repository of CIAH, Bikaner (Rajasthan), 65 Accession
number of snap melon germplasm are maintained after massive survey and
collection.
• It is widely cultivated in various Indian states such as Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab,
Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and some other northeastern states.

4. AREA & PRODUTION
• Minor cucurbit- 5.6 % of total
vegetable production.
• In arid area like Bikaner from
Rajasthan nearly 28.70%
farmers out of 37.75% vegetable
growers grow snap melon as a
sole crop in kharif and rabi
season as well.

5. • Snap melon is an important minor cucurbitaceous fruit vegetable of arid region.
• It is a hardy and short duration indigenous crop with much resistance to biotic and
abiotic stresses.
• It is cultivated as an intercrop with sorghum, maize, pearl millet and cotton or as a
sole crop in summer season.
• Snap melon is a source of high fruit acidity, a trait that has been utilized to breed
uniquely flavored melon cultivars.
• Snap melon is resistant to aphids, ZYMV, WMV and downy mildew.
• Punjab Raseela, an improved muskmelon cultivar, was created by crossing snap
melon with a melon variety that is resistant to downy mildew.
• Melon breeders in the USA and some other countries are using snap melon to
evolve disease resistant cultivars.

6. Immature fruits are tender at young stage are cooked or pickled; the low-sugared
matured fruits are eaten raw.
Sweet type which give out a musky flavor are eaten as a dessert and non-
sweet types are used as vegetable, i.e. the immature fruits
This nutritive and medicinal fruit is also used as a good summer drink since
it reduces heat from the body.
Seed kernel is used in bakery products and a traditional drink (thandai).
It has prospects of value addition in pickles, jam, chutney, squashes and as
dehydrated

7. Medicinal uses
Fruit can be used as Cooling and intense cleaner and also as a natural moisturizer
for skin.
Treatment for burns and abrasions.
Improve appetite and cure stomach pain.
Help in relieving constipation and vomiting.
The seeds are antitussive, digestive, febrifuge and vermifuge and roots are diuretic
and emetic.
As they are rich in minerals, vitamins, and dietary fibres useful for lowering blood
sugar level.

8. Botany
Snap melon is an annual climber, which is able to climb with the
help of tendrils but more commonly sprawl along the ground.
Vines are monoecious in nature and can grow up to 1.5
meters in length.
Snap melon fruits are small, smooth, and come in various
shapes such as round, acorn, oblate, ovate, elongated,
elliptical, and pyriform.
The fruit is a many seeded pepo
Size of fruit: 15 x 10 cm ; average weight : 700 g.
Fruit flesh color ranges from cream to whitish pink and
yellow to orange . It is insipid or slightly sour.

9. Morphological characters of flower and fruit of snap melon (Cucumis melo subsp. agrestis
var. momordica): a female flower with ovary with short adpressed hairs; b style, stigma and
ovary in whole and l.s.; c anthers with protruding connective; d fruit variability in north
Indian type; e fruit of south Indian type

10. CLIMATE
• Warm season crop grown in tropical, subtropical and semi arid regions.
• Cannot tolerate frost or low temperature
• Seed germination - 180 to 250 C
• Successfully grown in 150-320C and Optimum temperature 220 C
• Short day, low temperature leads to femaleness.
• High temperature leads to male flower and flower drop.
SOIL
• Grown in well drained sandy loam to loam soils rich in organic matter.
• Sensitive to acidic soils.
• pH-6.5-7.5

11. VARIETIES
1.Pusa Shandar(2006)
• 1st commercial
variety developed at
IARI
• Home and kitchen
garden
• 46-48 days duration
• Fruits oblong with
700gm weight
• creamy white to light
pink flesh
• Yield- 385q/ha
2. AHS 10 (1971)
• Early high yielding
variety
• Fruits are oblong
with 900gm wieght
• 20x10cm in size
• Whitish pink flesh
• Sweet in taste(tss-
4.5-5%)
• Harvesting: 68 DAS
• Yield-200-220q/ha
3. AHS 82 (1971)
• Fruits are oblong
900-950gm wieght
• 22.5cm long
• Light pink flesh
• Sweet in taste (tss-
4.3-4.9%)
• Harvesting: 67-70
DAS
• Yield-225-248q/ha

12. 4.Shantiniketan SM-1
• Land race variety for the red and lateritic belt of west Bengal.
• Fruits are Less sweet in taste (tss-4.52%)
• Yeild-106.52q/ha
5. Konkan Madhur
• Developed through mass selection
• High yield: 15-31t/ha
• Less cracking (9%) variety
• Light orange pulp
• 3-4 days keeping quality
• Kharif season
• Tolerant to pest and diseases

13. SOWING TIME :
 Goa, Konkan areas of Maharashtra, Karnataka: June-July
 Rajasthan and West Bengal: January to March
 Kerala, Tamilnadu : Feb-May
SEED RATE : 2-3kg/ha
PLANTING METHOD
1. Ridge method.
o Ridge and furrow- 2.5m distance, furrow width-40-45cm, depth-15- 20cm
o Seeds are sown at a distance of 75-100cm
2. Flat bed method.
o Shallow pits of 30cm length, 30cm width and 30cm depth at a distance of 150cm between rows
and 75-100cm between plants.
o Sowing depth-1.5-2cm

14. Well decomposed FYM-20-25t/ha
Nitrogen- 40kg/ha
N is applied in two split doses: 1) As a basal dose at the time of last ploughing
2) At the time of flowering.
IRRIGATION:
oDepending on the soil moisture and climatic conditions, irrigation is given at a 5-7day
interval.
oIn arid and semi-arid regions, drip irrigation is most suitable for cucurbit crops.
oIn CIAH, Bikaner, use of drip and micro-sprinkler system increase fruit yield by 25-
30%

15. INTERCULTURAL OPERATIONS
Hoeing and Weeding:
Snap melon crops are sensitive to weeds during their initial growth stages, so
frequent weeding and hoeing are necessary to control weed growth.
The vines suppress weed growth later
Pre-plant application of fluchloralin @1.2 kg/ha effectively controls weeds and
increases snap melon yield.
Mulching :
Mulching improves soil quality by reducing water
evaporation, drying time, and solid thermal regime.
It also controls weed population and enhances microbial
activity, resulting in 58% higher fruit yield.

16. HARVESTING
• Snap melon is ready for harvesting : 80–90 DAS
• Early varieties mature at 46–50 DAS.
Maturity Indices
For vegetable and salad purposes: light green to dark green immature fruits are
harvested.
For table purpose: half to fully ripe fruits are
harvested.
At the fully ripe stage of fruit, an abscission
layer around the peduncle is formed, facilitating
easy fruit separation from the peduncle.
Most of the fruits burst when they ripen,
so they are also known as phoot.

17.  Fruit yield - 150-200q/ha
 Seed yield - 1-3q/ha
 Snap melon fruits are perishable and can be stored for 2-4 days at room
temperature
 The fruits can be stored for 2-3 weeks in cold storage at 2-4°C temperature and
85-90% RH.
YIELD
STORAGE

18. INSECT-PEST
RED PUMPKIN BEETLE (Aulacophora foveicollis lucas)
Beetles and grubs attack crops during seedling stages, feeding on cotyledons, foliage,
and roots. Severe attacks can cause plant wilting and crop destruction.
Control:
• Spray 0.01% neem seed kernel extract and 0.4% neem oil.
SPIDER MITE (Tetranychus cucurbitae)
These attack the leaves of the plant and suck the plant sap at their younger stage.
Control:
• Spray the crop with Propargite 57% EC @ 2ml/litre
FRUIT FLY (Bactrocera cucurbitae)
Fruit fly, a common and destructive insect in India, reduces marketable fruits by
puncturing tender fruits, laying eggs, and feeding on the fruit skin, causing premature fruit
drop.
Control:
• Collect and destroy the damaged fruits.
• Spray the crop with Tolfenpyrad 15% EC.

19. DISEASES
ANTHRACNOSE (Colletorichum lagenarium):
Fungus attacks leaves, stem, and fruits, causing yellowish water-soaked areas to coalesce
and turn brown to black. This leads to leaf shriveling and death.
Control:
• Treat the seeds with Bavistin @ 2 g/kg of seed.
• Spray the crop with Bavistin 0.1%, and repeat at 7 to 10 day
intervals if necessary.
ANGULAR LEAF SPOT (Pseudomonas lachrymans carsner):
The disease, which appears as small, water-soaked, angular, white to brown lesions on
leaves, stems, and fruits, later becomes dry and forms irregular holes in the leaves.
Control:
• Destroy the disease debris after harvesting the crop.
• Spray the crop with Metiram 55%+ Pyraclostrobin 5% WG

20. POWDERY MILDEW (Erysiphe cichoracearum):
• Powdery mildew, initially appearing as white spots on leaves, shoots,
flowers, and fruits, spreads over large areas
• Snap melon shows some resistance PM among melons.
Control : Foliar application of Metalaxyl 4%+Mancozeb 64% WP
DOWNEY MILDEW (Pseudopernospora cubensis):
• Symptoms include yellow, green, and brownish-tinged lesions
on leaves, with severe infected leaves rolling upward and greyish
black downy fungal growth on the undersurface in humid weather.
Control : Foliar application Mancozeb (0.2%) @ 10 days
interval or Metiram 44%+ Dimethomorph 9%.