Ash gourd (Benincasa hispida Cogn.

) Cucurbitaceae Varieties Co 1 and Co 2 are the popular varieties Soil A deep loamy soil with the pH range of 5 - 7.5 is suitable. A warm tropical climate is ideal for higher yield. Season Planting is done during July and January. Seed rate 2.5 kg of seeds required are required for a hectare. Seed treatment Soak the seeds in double the quantity of water for 30 minutes and incubate for 6 days. The seeds are treated with Trichoderma viride 4 g or Pseudomonas fluroscens 10 g or Carbendazim 2 g/kg of seeds before sowing. Preparation of field Plough the field 3 4 times. Dig pits of 30 cm x 30 cm x 30 cm at a spacing 2 x 1.5 m and form basins. Sowing Five to six seeds are sown in each pit. After germination, the seedlings are thinned to two/ pit. Irrigation Irrigate the basin before dibbling the seeds and thereafter once in a week. Application of fertilizers Apply 10 kg FYM and 100 g of NPK 6:12:12 mixture/pit as basal and 10 g N/pit 30 days after sowing. After cultivation Hoeing and weeding can be done as and when necessary. Spray Ethrel 250 ppm (2.5 ml/10 lit of water) four times at weekly intervals commencing from 15th day after sowing. Plant protection Pests Leaf beetles and leaf caterpillars Leaf beetles and leaf caterpillars can be controlled by spraying Malathion 50 EC 1 ml/lit or Dimethoate 30 EC 1 ml/lit or Methyl demeton 25 EC 1 ml/lit.

Fruit fly 1. Collect the affected fruits and destroy them. 2. The fly population is low in hot day conditions and it is peak in rainy season. Hence adjust the sowing time accordingly. 3. Expose the pupae by ploughing. 4. Use polythene bags, fish meal trap with 5 g of wet fish meal and 1 g of Dichlorvos in cotton, 50 traps are required per hectare. Fish meal and Dichlorvos impregnated cotton are to be renewed once in 20 and 7 days respectively. 5.Neem oil @ 3.0 % as need based foliar spray. 6.Aphid: Spray Imidacloprid @ 0.5 ml/lit along with sufficient quantity of stickers like Teepol, triton X100, apsa etc., for better adhesion and coverage. Do not use DDT, lindane 1.3% dust, copper and sulphur dust, as these are phytotoxic. Diseases Powdery mildew Powdery mildew can be controlled by spraying Dinocap 1 ml/lit or Carbendazim 0.5 gm/lit. Downy mildew Downy mildew can be controlled by spraying Mancozeb or Chlorothalonil 2 g/lit twice at 10 days interval. Yield About 20 t/ha of fruits can be obtained.

Ash gourd

CO 1 (1971)

It is a selection from a local type from Tamil Nadu with crop duration of 150 days. It yields 20-25 t/ha with good cooking quality. The vine is moderately vigorous, trailing upto 400 cm. The leaves are dark green. Fruits are globular, green, large oblong oval in shape, ashy coated, about 35 cm length and 22 cm in girth with a mean weight of about 6.8 kg. The flesh is white and thick and less seeded (0.8%). The first harvest can be done in about 100 days and it extends upto 140-150 days after sowing. Moderately resistant to pests and diseases.

CO 2 (1982)

It is a selection from Coimbatore local with a duration of 120 days. It is a small fruited variety each weighing 2-3 kg with good cooking quality. Vine is moderately vigorous and trail upto 200250cm. Leaves are medium dark green. Fruits are attractive, ashy coated, oblong or cylindrical in shape and are compressed on both sides. Fruits are 25-30 cm long and 20-25 cm girth thick with white flesh. It is suitable for both kitchen garden and commercial cultivation.

Ash gourd Hybrid CO1

F1 hybrid between PAG 3 x CO 2. Fruits are oblong and medium sized and suitable for small family. Duration - 130 135 days Yield - 91.82 t/ha