Squash Vegetable
Squash Melon or Round Gourd
Botanical Name : Citrullus vulgaris var. fistulosus
Family : Cucurbitaceae
Chromosome No. : 2n = 22
Squash Vegetable is a major summer vegetable of northern India, although it is also grown in Kharif. It is used as fibrous or stuffed vegetable. Apart from this, jam or pickle is also made from it. It is mainly grown in Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, but now it is slowly becoming popular in southern India as well. Although it is grown as a single crop, sometimes it is also grown along with watermelon, pigeon pea, gram, moong or maize.
Origin and History - It is believed that the birthplace of Squash Vegetable is India. From here it reached hot countries. It is being grown all over India since ancient times.
Nutritive value - Squash Vegetable is not only tasty, but also nutritious. Its physical effect is cooling. It is a very beneficial vegetable for patients suffering from dry cough and blood circulation diseases. The food value of Squash Vegetable is shown in the table -
(Nutrition Value of Pointed Gourd per 100 gm)
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Moisture : 93.50 g Fat : 0.20 g Fibre : 1.00 g Protein : 1.40 g Minerals
: 0.50 g Other Carbohydrates : 3.40 g Magnesium : 14.00 mg Sodium : 35.00 mg Copper : 0.12 mg Riboflavin
: 0.08 mg Phosphorus : 24.00 mg Calcium : 25.00 mg Oxalic Acid : 2.00 mg Iron : 0.90 mg Potassium : 24.00 mg Chlorine : 44.00 mg Thiamine : 0.04 mg Nicotinic Acid : 0.30 mg gm Vitamin C : 18.00 mg Vitamin A : 23.00 IU Calories : 21.00
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Improved Varieties
Arka Tinda – This is an early variety, which gets ready in 90-100 days. Fruits are round, light green, soft hairy and have soft pulp. One of the specialties of this variety is that it is resistant to fruit fly and its fruits have very few seeds. It gives 90-100 quintals of yield per hectare. Fruits can be harvested 8-10 times from this.
Tamilnadu Selection – Plants of this variety are vigorous, broad and leaves are dark green in colour. When the fruits are near maturity, they become flattish. This variety can be grown as a summer and rainy season crop.
Tinda S-48 – This is an early variety. The fruits are ready for harvesting 60 days after sowing the seeds. The fruits are round, light green and shiny. The fruit has less seeds, the pulp is white and soft and tasty to eat. 8-10 fruits grow on each vine. 65-70 quintals of yield is obtained per hectare.
Bikaneri Green – The fruits of this variety are ready for the first harvesting 65-70 days after sowing the seeds. The fruits of this variety are medium sized and have hairs on them. The plants spread normally. The fruits are large in size and start forming from the fifth node of the vine. It can be grown as a next or mixed crop. 60-75 quintals of yield is obtained per hectare.
Hisar Selection-1 – The fruits of this variety are round, green and very attractive to look at.
S 22 (Selection 22) - This variety has been developed by ICAR Institute New Delhi through pure line. Fruits are round, green and hairy.
Climate - Squash Vegetable grows well in warm and dry climate, but it can also be easily grown in warm and mild climate, 27-30°C grade temperature is required for its germination. Its seeds do not germinate at low temperature, hence it cannot be grown in low temperature areas.
Soil and Its Preparation - Squash Vegetable can be grown in different types of soils, but to get its abundant yield, sandy loam soil with abundant organic matter is considered the best. It gives more yield in river beds. The pH value of the soil is considered to be 6.0–7.0. Proper drainage in the soil is very important.
Manure and Fertilizers
Use of manure and fertilizers in proper quantity and in proper method is very important for getting good yield of Tinda. Use the following quantity of manure and fertilizers per hectare-
Farm Yard Manure - 20-25 tons
Nitrogen - 100 kg
Phosphorus - 100 kg
Potash - 50 kg
Farm Yard Manure should be applied before preparing the field. Make a mixture of full quantity of phosphorus, potash and 1/2 quantity of nitrogen and put it in the soil at the time of final ploughing and put the remaining quantity of nitrogen in the standing crop as top dressing 40-45 days after sowing the seeds. Sowing - In the plains of northern India, two crops are taken, first crop is sown from mid-February to April and second crop is sown in June-July.
Seed Rate - 4-5 kg seed per hectare is sufficient.
The major insects that attack the Squash Vegetable crop and their control measures are mentioned below-
Red Pumpkin Beetle - It is a shiny red insect, 7 mm long and 2.5 mm wide, its body is covered with red coloured hard wings. There are thin black hairs on the lower surface of the body. Its small insects eat the soft leaves of the plants and destroy them completely. Due to which the development and growth of the plants stops. Its adults cause a lot of damage to the crop. Its caterpillar also causes damage to some extent. Due to the attack of this insect, the leaves become sieve-like.
The following measures should be taken to prevent this insect-
- These insects remain lethargic before sunrise, so at that time they should be caught by hand and killed.
- Quinalphos/ Chlorpyrifos (0.05 percent) should be sprayed on the plants.
Squash Vegetable
Fruit fly - It lays eggs under the skin of the fruit. From which the caterpillars come out and enter the pulp due to which the fruits rot and fall on the ground. The number of this insect decreases a lot in the dry season. But its number increases in the rainy season. At the place where the fly lays eggs, small marks are visible which are covered with a glue-like substance. Before laying eggs, the female makes holes in the fruit several times due to which the juice comes out on the fruit. The fruits infested with the pest either get deformed or look normal from the outside. The adult fly does not cause any direct damage.
The following measures should be taken to prevent this pest-
- The fruits infested with the pest should be plucked and destroyed.
- Malathion (0.03 percent) solution should be sprayed in the initial stage of the fruits so that its caterpillars die.
- Poison baits should be used for the adult fly. For its preparation, Fenthion (0.05%) + 5% sugar syrup is mixed and sprayed.
Epilachana beetle - Both the larvae and adults of this beetle eat the leaves of plants. All its stages from egg to adult are spent on plants only, hence their control is easy.
- This insect can be controlled by spraying 0.05% solution of Chloropyrifos on plants.
Champa (Aphis grassypi and Aphis malve) - This insect sucks the juice of the soft parts of the plant. Due to which the vigour of the plant is adversely affected. This insect also helps in spreading viral diseases.
To control this insect, 0.05% Monocrotophos should be sprayed.
Downy Mildew - This disease is caused by a fungus named Pseudo peronospora cubensis. Due to this disease, yellow spots appear on the upper part of the leaves while the color of the spots on the lower part is purple. The following measures should be taken to prevent this disease -
- During the initial growth period of the crop, Mancozeb (0.25 percent) should be sprayed at an interval of 10 days.
- Keep the crop free from weeds.
- Adopt proper crop rotation.
Powdery Mildew - This disease is caused by a fungus named Erysiphe cichoracearum. Due to this disease, white spots appear on the lower surface of old leaves. Gradually the number and size of these spots increase and later powdery growth appears on both sides of the leaves. Normal growth of the leaves stops and they turn yellow and the plant dies.
The following measures should be taken to control this disease -
- The diseased plants should be uprooted and burnt.
- 3 kg of soluble sulphur like Ilosal or Sulphax should be dissolved in 1000 litres of water and sprayed.
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