Know Bottle Gourd Cultivation, Complete information

Bottle gourd is often favored as a vegetable choice by many. It stands out as a popular and nutritious vegetable annually. Cultivation typically takes place during the summer months of February to March, bringing substantial profit to farmers with minimal effort. Bottle gourds manifest in two distinct shapes round and elongated. States such as Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh are recognized for their significant production of this vegetable. Additionally, bottle gourd finds utility in Ayurvedic treatments. Besides its culinary uses, it features prominently in dishes like raita and halwa. Its leaves, stems, and pulp are utilized in the preparation of various medicinal formulations. Farmers can enhance their yield and profitability by cultivating bottle gourd during the monsoon season. The consistent high demand for this vegetable persists in the market throughout.

Bottle Gourd Cultivation:

Bottle gourd is cultivated three times a year. The first planting occurs during the winter months, from January to March, followed by the second in May-June, and the third in September-October. Bottle gourds start yielding fruits in 60 to 65 days and continue to do so for 120-130 days. It is a four-month crop.

Improved Varieties for Bottle Gourd:

Several improved varieties are suitable for bottle gourd cultivation, including Coimbatore-1, Arka Bahar, Pusa Summer, Prolific Round, Punjab Gold, Narendra Rashmi, Pusa Sarera, Pusa Hybrid, Kashi, Ganga, Kashi Kundal (VRBO-16), Punjab Bahar, VNR Haruna Hybrid, Pusa Navin, Arka Ganga, and Kashi Ganga.

Climate and Soil Requirements:

Bottle gourd cultivation thrives in a warm and humid climate. It can be grown in various types of soils, with light loamy soil being optimal. Some acidic soils are also suitable for cultivation. Bottle gourd is best suited for warm-season crops, with temperatures ranging between 18-30°C.

Fertilizers and Manure:

It is important to test the soil before using fertilizers and manure. Prior to sowing, it is recommended to incorporate 100-150 quintals of cow dung manure per hectare into the soil. Additionally, adding 1 quintal of neem cake per hectare is beneficial for enhancing yields. As the crop matures, apply 30-35 kilograms of nitrogen, 20 kilograms of phosphorus, and 15-20 kilograms of potassium per hectare of soil. Initially, only half the recommended nitrogen should be applied. When the bottle gourd plants begin to flower, mix 2 kilograms of fertilizer (19:19:19 NPK) with water and spray it on the plants. This practice helps prevent flower and fruit drop, ensuring a successful yield.

How to Bottle Gourd Cultivate:

After harvesting the wheat crop, plow the field thoroughly 2-3 times with a tractor and ensure proper leveling. Then, leave the field open for some time, followed by deep plowing to address any compacted areas and prevent damage to the crop. Use a soil inverter attachment with the tractor for thorough plowing. Next, prepare beds in the field and mulch them. Mulching can be done using plastic or by incorporating rice straw. Then, you can either directly transplant seedlings or plant them in pre-prepared beds using a pro-tray method. The distance between plants should be 5-6 feet, and between rows should be 10 feet. It is advisable to use mulching in conventional techniques. In the vertical method, you can use bamboo sticks, wood, or nets to support the plants, allowing vines to climb over them. This ensures good exposure to sunlight and better airflow, resulting in improved fruit yield. Another method is the trellis method, where plants are grown vertically similar to a roof.

Watering Bottle Gourd Plants:

Immediately after sowing, the first watering should be provided promptly. Regular watering is essential for the crop. During the summer season, the crop should be watered at intervals of 4-5 days, while during the monsoon season, watering should be reduced during rainfall. It is advisable to water the crop once a week.

Harvesting, Care, and Market: Depending on the weather and variety, the crop is usually ready for harvesting within about 60-70 days of sowing. Only soft and medium-sized fruits should be picked, which are still tender and have a shiny color. During peak seasons, harvesting should be done every 3 or 4 days. Abnormal and diseased plants should be removed. Fruits become dull and slightly yellowish when ready for harvest. Harvested fruits are dried, seeds are extracted, and then they are packed. Bottle gourd cultivation is cost-effective and yields good results. The cultivation of bottle gourd costs approximately 15 to 20 thousand per acre, and an acre can yield approximately 70 to 80 quintals of bottle gourd. Good profits can be earned in the markets.

Benefits of Bottle Gourd:

1. Mixing honey in bottle gourd juice and using it helps in quick relief from insomnia.
2. Consuming bottle gourd is beneficial for stomach ailments such as acidity, and applying bitter bottle gourd seed oil on the forehead reduces headache.
3. Rubbing crushed bottle gourd flowers on the gums reduces toothache.
4. Crushing bitter gourd seeds and feeding them with goat's milk helps in vomiting, stomach disorders, and digestive issues.
5. Applying the juice of bottle gourd leaves on the scalp may help in getting rid of baldness.
6. Vitamin E and antioxidants found in bottle gourd are highly beneficial, assisting in the treatment of diseases like cancer.

Pest Management:

1. Loosen the soil around the plant so that fruit fly pupae, natural enemies, can be exposed.
2. Mulching around the plant can prevent fruit fly eggs from entering the soil and can expose them to natural enemies.
3. Use oil traps to trap fruit flies, such as citronella oil, eucalyptus oil, vinegar (acetic acid), and lactic acid.
4. Spray biopesticides like NSKE (5%).
5. Successful fruit fly management practices have been developed through bet sprays made from molasses (10%), insecticide (0.2%), and yeast hydrolysate (0.1%).

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