Ash Gourd Farming in India: Step-by-Step Cultivation Process

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Which are the Popular Varieties of Ash Gourd in India?
  • Kashi Surbhi
  • Kashi Dhawal
  • Kashi Ujawal
  • Pusa Ujjwal
  • CO-1
  • CO-2
  • Kau Local
  • Indu
  • PAG-3
• How to Cultivate Ash Gourd in India?
  • Soli & Climate
  • Growing Season
  • Land Preparation
  • Sowing
  • Irrigation & Fertilizer
  • Weeding
  • Plant Protection
    • Pests
    • Diseases
  • Harvesting & Yield

Introduction

Ash Gourd cultivation is done for its immature and mature fruits. It is widely used as a cooked vegetable and in confectionery and ayurvedic medicinal preparations. The delicacy 'Petha', which is quite popular in India, is made up of ash gourd. It has many medicinal properties, and a small fruited medicinal ash gourd is grown in Kerala. Also, 'Kooshmanda rasayana', a popular ayurvedic preparation, is developed from ash gourd. It is good for individuals suffering from nervousness.

Ash Gourd is a unique species in the genus Benincasa, which is part of the Cucurbitaceae family. Its scientific name is Benincasa hispida, and it is also known as Cerifera because of the waxy layer that is produced on the surface of its mature fruits. The name hispida denotes the hairy texture present on its immature fruits and leaves.

Ash Gourd is called by different names in different parts of the world. White gourd, white pumpkin, fallow gourd, winter melon, Chinese preserving melon, hairy melon, or wax gourd are some of the popular names of Ash Gourd among different people worldwide. The regional variations show their cultural importance and widespread use across different countries and communities. The waxy cuticle, which develops naturally on the surface of mature ash gourd fruit, contributes to its longevity and protects the fruit by avoiding moisture loss and preventing it from pests and diseases. This waxy bloom is produced because of high temperatures, making it an adaptive feature in areas where the plant grows.

Which are the Popular Varieties of Ash Gourd in India?

Ash Gourd is available in nine different varieties, and each of them is discussed below:

Kashi Surbhi

This variety is characterized by its medium-sized oblong fruits. Its weight is around 9.5 to 10 kg. It has thick flesh, with a thickness of 8.5 to 8.7 cm, and a high recovery rate, which makes this variety ideal for petha sweets. Each plant of Kashi Surbhi produces around 2.5 to 3 fruits, showing good productivity.

Kashi Dhawal

Kashi Dhawal is developed through a careful selection of indigenous varieties. It produces elongated fruits with a weight of 11 to 13 kg (approx.). Its vines reach a length of around 7.5 to 8 m, ensuring ample fruit production. This makes it a popular choice among farmers looking for vigorous plants.

Kashi Ujawal

This variety has spherical fruits that weigh around 10 to 12 kg. It has a reduced seed count, which makes it an ideal choice for producing sweet confections like petha and candy. Its thick, waxy coating and firm flesh improve its market appeal and shelf life.

Pusa Ujjwal

This variety produces oblong or ellipsoid fruits with a unique greenish-white outer skin. It has white flesh, and it's each fruit weighs around 3 kg. Pusa Ujjwal variety has an impressive yield potential, developing a yield of around 23 to 25 metric tons per hectare in a 120-day growing cycle. This makes it an attractive choice for commercial cultivation.

CO-1

The CO-1 variety features globular fruits with a dimension of 35 cm in length and 22 cm in girth. The average weight of fruits in this variety is 6.8 kg (approx.). This variety is popular for its size and robust nature, making it ideal for different culinary applications.

CO-2

The CO-2 variety is famous for its smaller yet elongated and spherical fruits with an average weight of around 3 kg. It has a remarkable yield potential and develops around 23 to 25 metric tons of fruit per hectare within a 120-day growing cycle. This makes it a good choice for commercial cultivation.

Kau Local

The fruits of this variety possess an oval to oblong shape. They show a green colour in their immature stage and turn white in the mature stage. The dimension of their fruit is around 45 to 55 cm. Their average weight is around 6 to 8 kgs, with a length-to-breadth ratio of 2.05. This variety adapts to the local conditions easily and offers a consistent yield.

Indu

The Indu variety was introduced by the Kerala Agricultural University and is known for its high yield and substantial flesh thickness. It has a remarkable yield potential of 24.5 metric tons per hectare. The average weight of its fruit is 4.82 kg, making it a precious addition to the portfolio of ash gourd cultivation.

PAG-3

This variety has medium-sized globular fruits. Their average weight is around 8 to 10 kgs. In the immature stage, the fruits appear green, and after that, they transition to a shiny white appearance in the maturity stage. This variety yields around 70 to 75 tons of fruits per hectare within a 125-day growing cycle, thereby displaying its adaptability and productivity.

How to Cultivate Ash Gourd in India?

The cultivation process of Ash Gourd involves different steps, which are discussed below:

Soli & Climate

Ash Gourd requires deep, loamy soil with a pH range of 6.5 to 7.5 for better growth. It is a warm-season crop and is susceptible to frost. It also grows well in humid and high-rainfall regions. It requires 24 to 30^oC for ideal growth and production.

Growing Season

Ash Gourd grows throughout the year in those regions where winter is mild. It is a rainfed crop sown by May in Kerala and by June to July in Tamil Nadu. In North India, ash gourd is grown primarily during summer and rainy seasons.

Land Preparation

The land must be ploughed 3 to 4 times. After that, you need to dig pits of 30 cm x 30 cm x 30 cm at a spacing of 2 x 1.5 m to form basins.

Sowing

The seed rate of ash gourd varieties and ash gourd hybrids is different. The seed rate of varieties is 2.5 kg per hectare, and that of the hybrid is 1.5 kg per hectare.

You need to soak the seeds in double water quantity for 30 minutes and incubate them for 6 days. Then, treat the seeds with Trichoderma viride 4 g or Pseudomonas fluroscens 10 g or Carbendazim 2 g/kg before sowing.

After that, you need to sow five to six seeds in each pit. After germination, you need to thin the seedlings to two per pit.

Irrigation & Fertilizer

You need to irrigate the basin before sowing the seeds, and after that, irrigate the field once a week.

Before the last ploughing, you need to apply Azospirillum and Phosphobacteria @ 2 kg/ha and Pseudomonas @ 2.5 kg/ha along with FYM 50 kg and neem cake @ 100 kg. After that, you need to apply 10 kg of FYM and 100 g of 6:12:12 NPK mixture per pit as basal and 10 g of N per pit 30 days after sowing.

Weeding

Hoeing and weeding can be done whenever it is required. You need to spray Ethrel 250 ppm (2.5 ml/10 litres of water) four times at weekly intervals from the 15^th day after sowing.

Plant Protection

Pests

Pests like leaf beetles and leaf caterpillars can be controlled by spraying Methyl demeton 25 EC 1 ml/lit, Dimethoate 30 EC 1 ml/lit or Malathion 50 EC 1 ml/lit.

In case of fruit fly, you need to collect the affected fruits and destroy them. During hot weather conditions, the fruit fly population is usually low, and it peaks during the rainy season, so you need to adjust the sowing time accordingly. Avoid using DDT, copper and sulphur dust as these are phytotoxic.

Diseases

In case of powdery mildew, you can apply spraying of Carbendazim 0.5 gm/lit or Dinocap 1 ml/lit to control this disease.

In case of downy mildew, you can spray Mancozeb or Chlorothalonil 2 g/lit two times at an interval of 10 days to control this disease.

Harvesting & Yield

Ash Gourd fruits are harvested in mature as well as immature stages, depending on the demand in each locality. The immature fruits are harvested one week after anthesis, and their harvesting is done weekly. In case of mature fruits, the harvesting is done on the basis of storage, long distance transport and seed extraction. The fruits are harvested once the waxy coating is developed fully on fruit's surface.

The total yield will be around 10 tons per hectare in 140 days.