How to Grow Ridge Gourd from Seed to Harvest

In this article I have explained How to Grow Ridge Gourd from Seed to Harvest, which helps every farmer and home gardener to gain the knowledge on

Available verities of Ridge Gourd .
Seed germination time.
Suitable soil and weather conditions.
Field preparation and planting distance.
Fertilizer and Water Management.
Required seed per acre and expected yield per acre.

Ridge Gourd is an important crop among the vine vegetable crops.

Ridge Gourd is grown in an area of 10,040 hectares in our country and we are getting a total yield of 1.28 lakh tones. Average yield is 6 t/a.

Weather:

Hot moisture climate is suitable for its cultivation. If the temperature is 25-30°C, the growth of the vine will be good and the flowering and fertilizer will be good. The higher the temperature during the first growth stage of the vine, the more male flowers will be produced.

Soils:

Water-retentive pale red loam and clay soils are suitable, Soils with a Soil PH levels 6.0–7.0, alluvial soils with good drainage are suitable.

Varieties:

Jagityala Long: This is a native variety of Karimnagar district. The fruits are 50-60 cm long with thin. High yield in Kharif and does not tolerate high temperature in summer.

Co – 1: This is a variety released from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore. Vine growth is moderate. The fruits are 45-50 cm long and the nodes are high on the fruit.

The outer part of the shell is wider and the lower part of the shell is thinner. Each fruit weights 700g. Harvesting period: 125 days, yield 5.6 tones/acre.

Co-2: This is also a variety released from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore. The fruits of this variety are very long. Co-1 is low in 90-100 cm fruits. Each fruit weights 700-800g. Harvesting period: 120 days, yield 10 tons / acre

P.K.M-1: This type released from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Periyakulam. The fruit are 60-70 cm long, wide at the end of the fruit and thin at the base. Harvesting period is 130 days, yield : 6.4-7.2 t/a.

Pusa Nasr: It is a selected seed from Madhya Pradesh, developed from Indian Agricultural Research Centre, New Delhi. Early maturing (within 60-65 days). 15-20 fruits per vine. The fruits are pale green in color and the inner pulp is pale yellow in color. This variety is suitable for Kharif and summer. Yield: 6-7 t/a.

Satpatia: It is a Bihar variety. This variety has bisexual flowers. The fruits are small. Suitable for Kharif and Summer season.

Arka Sumeet: This is a variety released from the Indian Agricultural Horticulture Research Institute. The vine growth is medium. The fruits are 25 cm thick and 55 cm long. First harvest in 52 days and13-15 fruits are produced per vine. Each fruit weights 380g. Harvesting period : 120 days, yield : 21 t/a.

Arka Sujata: This is a fast growing II. H.R.-54, length type II. HR-18 is designed on a hybrid basis. The first fruit is produced at node 13-15. The fruit is 50-55 cm long. Harvesting period: 100 days. Yield : 21 t/a.

This variety is somewhat resistant to downy mildew. Apart from these, various private hybrid varieties are available in the market. Surekha, Sanjeevani, N.S.-3, N.S.-401, N.S. 403, Mahima varieties are hybrid varieties suitable for summer as well.

Planting Time:

Kharif: June-July, Summer: December-January should be mixed.

Soil preparation:

The field is plowed well 3-4 times, 6-8 t/a in the last pass. At the same time, cattle manure is not added. Drains should be made at a distance of 60-80 cm. The distance between the two channels is 2.0 m.

Seed Per Acre:

Seed rate: 0.6-0.8 tones/acre
Harvesting: First harvest can be done 55-60 days after sowing.
Yield: 6-8 tones/acre

Planting method:

The distance between two pits should be 75 cm in rainy season and 50 cm in summer crop. Sow 3-5 seeds per pit at a depth of 1-2 cm. Germinates in 8-10 days after sowing. Keep 2 strong plants and carefully remove the rest.

In case of early sowing in Kharif, seeds should be sown in polythene bags in the month of May itself and planted in the field at the two-leaf stage (15-20 days after sowing). While planting, the polythene bags should be carefully removed and soil should be covered in the hole without disturbing the soil. If this is done, the plants will establish quickly and grow well.