Snake Gourd Vegetable

 Snake Gourd Vegetable

Snake Gourd

Botanical Name    : Trichosanthes anguina

Family                  : Cucurbitaceae

Chromosome No. : 2n = 24 

                                                                                       

Snake Gourd is specially grown in Southern India, however in Northern India it is grown on a small scale, its fruits are long like a snake, hence it is called Snake Gourd. Vegetable is made from its green fruits.

Origin and Distribution - Snake Gourd  is believed to have originated in India. Its commercial production takes place in South India and Maharashtra, but in Northern India it is grown on a small scale in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Nutritive value - The nutritional value of  Snake Gourd  is given in the table -                   

              

                                 (Nutrition Value of Snake Gourd per 100 gm)

Moisture               : 94.6 g Protein                  : 0.5 g Fat                         : 0.3 g Mineral                  : 0.5 g Fiber                    : 0.8 g   Carbohydrates        : 3.3 g Phosphorus        : 20.0 mg Calcium              : 26.0 mg Iron                     : 0.3 mg Thiamine            : 0.04 mg Riboflavin          :  0.06 mg

Climate - Warm and humid climate is best for successful production of Snake Gourd.

Soil and its preparation - Loamy sandy soil with organic matter is good for getting abundant yield of Snake Gourd. Highly saline/alkaline soils are considered to be obstacles in its successful production.

First ploughing should be done with soil turning plough. After that plough 2-3 times with cultivator or harrow. After every ploughing, apply a leveller so that the soil becomes friable and level.

Snake Gourd

Improved Varieties - Agricultural universities of many states and Indian Horticultural Research Institute Bangalore have developed its improved varieties, which are mentioned below-

(1) Varieties developed by Tamil Nadu Agricultural University - Co. 1, 2 and 4 H. 8, H. 371 and 372.

(2) Variety developed by Kerala Agricultural University - T.A. 19.

(3) Variety Swetha developed by Andhra Pradesh Agricultural University.

(4) Variety IIHR 16A developed by Indian Horticultural Research Institute Bangalore.

Other varieties- MDU 1, PKM 1.

Note- Among these, Coimbatore-1 has fruits up to 160-180 cm long and PKM 1 has fruits up to 200 cm long.

Manure and Fertilizers - To get abundant yield of Snake Gourd, balanced and proper use of manure and fertilizers in the soil is absolutely necessary. Generally, farmers do not pay enough attention to this. Most of the snake gourd producers consider 10 kg of compost manure sufficient in the trays, but Ramchandra and colleagues (1966) suggest to give 15 gm of ammonium sulphate in addition to this 20 to 25 days after sowing and the same quantity 3 or 4 times at an interval of 15-20 days.

Premnath and Seenappa (1973) recommend to give 50 gm of mixture in the ratio of 2: 0.5 per vine when the vines start spreading.

Sowing - In North India, Snake Gourd is grown as a rainy season crop, so it is sown there till the end of June, whereas in South India it is sown from April to July or in October-November.

Seed rate - 5-6 kg of seed per hectare is sufficient.

Method of sowing - Snake Gourd is sown in rows, keeping the distance between rows 1.5-2.0 meters, it is grown in these trays at a distance of 75 to 90 cm. 2 or 3 seeds are sown in each tray. The seeds germinate in 8-10 days.

Irrigation - Generally, irrigation is not required in Kharif crop in North India, but if there is no rain for a long period, then in that situation irrigation should be done as per requirement. But in South India, it is irrigated at an interval of 15-20 days.

Stalking

To obtain straight and long fruits of Snake Gourd , the vines are supported and spread on a 2 meter high pandal.

Plant Protection

Weed control – Weeding should be done as per the need for weed control in Snake Gourd. Apart from this, spreading mulch of paddy straw is also recommended.

Insect control  

Fruit fly - This fly enters the fruits by making holes in them and lays eggs inside due to which the fruits rot. Sometimes this fly also damages the flowers.

The following measures should be taken to control this insect -

- Break the damaged fruits and destroy them.

- Spray 0.05% Thiodan.

Red Pumpkin beetle - This is a 5-8 cm long and red colored insect, which causes damage immediately after the germination of seeds. It eats the middle part of the leaves.

Sevin (0.2%) solution should be sprayed to control this insect.

 Snake Gourd Vegetable

Disease control 

Powdery mildew - This disease is caused by a fungus called Erysiphe cichoraceus. In this disease, white spots appear on the lower surface of old leaves. Gradually the number and size of these spots increase and later a layer like white powder gets deposited on both sides of the leaves. Apart from the leaves, the stems and flowers are also attacked. The normal growth of the leaves stops and they turn yellow.

To control this disease, 0-03 percent Karathane should be sprayed every week. Apart from this, spraying of Benlate, Bavistin has also been found beneficial.

Picking of fruits - Fruits should be picked based on their proper maturity. Generally, fruits are picked in their unripe state. Although fruits are picked from April to September, but in northern India more fruits are available in July-August.

Picking of fruits – Flowers start blooming in almost all the varieties of Snake Gourd after 8-10 weeks. The fruits should be plucked when they are properly developed but in their immature state.

Yield – The yield of Snake Gourd depends on many things. The main ones among these are fertility of the land, the variety grown and care of the crop. An average vine yields 10-15 fruits but a good vine yields this number up to 50. Up to 100 quintals of fruits are obtained per hectare.