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Vegetables

Vegetables

Introduction
Nutritional Profile
Area and Productivity
Climatic Requirements
Suitable Soil Type
Recommended Varieties
Agronomic Practices
Plant Protection
Harvest And Post Management

Introduction

Pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata )

It is a popular vegetables crop which mostly grown in rainy season. It is belonging to Cucurbitaceae family. India is the second largest producer of pumpkin. It is used for cooking purpose and is used to make sweets. It is good source of vitamin A and potassium. Pumpkin helps to boost eye vision, lower blood pressure and has antioxidant properties. Its leaves, young stems, fruit juice and flowers contain medicinal properties.

Pumpkin

Nutritional Profile

Pumpkins are used as a food source in many parts of the world and are very nutritious. They are rich in vitamin A, vitamin E, thiamine, niacin, vitamin B6 and iron. They are also rich in dietary fiber.

Area and Productivity

In Assam, area of pumpkin is 110000 hectares and production is 2312000 MT.

Climatic Requirements

Pumpkin needs minimum temperature of 18°C at the early stage of growth. Temperature required for growth is 25 to 28°C for its cultivation. It adopts a wide range of rainfall condition and also can tolerate low temperature.

Suitable Soil Type

Well drained sandy to moderately heavy soil rich in organic matter with pH 6.0-6.5

Recommended Varieties

Arka Suryamukhi
  • Bears 8-10 fruits/plant
  • Fruit small (1.0 kg), round with flat ends
  • Skin deep orange
  • Flesh firm, orange-flavoured
  • Maturity 100 days
  • Yield about 335 q/ha
  • Highly resistant to fruit fly
  • Rich in Vitamin C
  • Keeping and transport qualities are good
Arka Chandan
  • Bears 2-3 fruits/plant
  • Fruit medium-sized (2-3 kg), flat with depressed polar ends
  • Rind light brown with creamy patches at maturity
  • Flesh thick, firm, sweet (TSS 8-10%)
  • Bright orange with pleasant aroma
  • Maturity 120 days
  • Yield about 335 q/ha
  • Rich in Vitamin A
  • Cooking and keeping qualities are good

Agronomic Practices

Land Preparation:

Land should be prepared by removing weeds from the previous crop. The land should be given a couple of ploughings with a tractor. Farmyard manure (FYM) should be applied to increase soil fertility.

Seed Rate:

1.7 kg/ha (250 g/bigha)

Time of Sowing:
  • January – April (For summer harvest)
  • September – October (For spring harvest)
Spacing:
  • 2.5-3.0 m x 0.9-1.0 m (Spring)
  • 2.5-3.0 m x 1.0-1.5 m (Summer)
Water Management and Irrigation:

Water management should be done at 8-10 days' interval during dry spells.

Nutrient management

FYM @ 20-25 t, N 75 kg, P2O5 80 kg, K2O 80 kg, CaO 30 kg/ha basal application (2.7 t FYM, 22.0 kg Urea, 67.2 kg SSP, 18.1 kg MOP and 4.0 kg CaO/bigha).

Plant Protection

Fruit Flies

Scientific Name: Bactrocera cucurbitae
Symptoms:

The insects lay eggs inside the immature fruits and upon hatching, the maggots feed away the pulps of the fruits. An oozing of resinous fluid from the sunken spot develops on the fruits while laying of eggs. Infestation usually leads to premature damage and dropping of fruits thereby, becoming unfit for consumption.

Pumpkin
Management:
  • Collect and destroy infested and fallen fruits.
  • Raking of soils and use poison baiting with jaggery + Thiamethoxam 25 WG or Methyl eugenol + Thiamethoxam 25 WG at 1:1 ratio.
  • Install pheromone trap (Bractolure) @ 10 nos./ha and need-based spraying of Thiamethoxam 25 WG @ 2 ML/L mixed with 1 % jaggery.

Powdery Mildew

Causal Organism: Erysiphe cichoracearum
Symptoms:
  • The first sign of powdery mildew is pale yellow leaf spot.
  • White powdery spots can form on both upper and lower leaf surfaces and quickly expand into large blotches.
  • Large blotches can cover the entire leaf, petiole, and stem surfaces.
  • Infected plants weaken and fruit ripens prematurely.
Pumpkin
Management:
  • Controlled by spraying Azoxystrobin 23% SC @ 1 ml/L or by spraying Propiconazole 25% EC @ 1ml/L.

Downy Mildew

Causal Organism: Pseudoperonospora cubensis
Symptoms:
  • Yellow necrotic angular spots on the upper surface of the leaf.
  • Spots are angular and golden yellow in color.
  • Infected leaves later turn black due to necrosis and finally dry up.
Pumpkin
Management:
  • Controlled by spraying Chlorothalonil @ 2 g/l twice at 10 days’ interval.
  • At high disease pressure, spray Ridomil MZ-72 @ 2.5 g/l once only.

Mosaic

Causal Organism: Pumpkin Yellow Vein Mosaic Virus (PYVMV)
Symptoms:
  • Plants are severely stunted, foliage is covered in distinctive yellow mosaic.
  • Causes leaf chlorosis and vein clearing, plants infected in early stages remain stunted.
  • Virus is transmitted by whiteflies.
Pumpkin
Management:
  • Controlled by spraying Spiromesifen (Oberon) @ 1.5 ml/L and Acetamiprid @ 1.5 ml/L of water.

Bacterial Wilt

Causal Organism: Erwinia tracheiphila
Symptoms:
  • Wilting of entire plants.
  • Leaves and stems of affected parts turn dark green.
  • Affected plant parts turn necrotic.
Pumpkin
Management:
  • Drench soil with 200 ppm Streptomycin.
  • Apply Asafoetida – turmeric powder mixture (1 g Asafoetida + 5 g turmeric powder in 10 L of water) to drench the soil.

Harvest And Post Management

Harvesting & Postharvest Management

Harvesting is mainly done when the skin of the fruits turns pale brown in color, and the inner flesh becomes golden yellow in color. Mature fruits have good storage capacity, therefore they can be used for long-distance transportation. Harvesting of immature fruits is done for sale purposes.

Yield
  • 65-75 q/ha (Small varieties)
  • 120-200 q/ha (Large varieties)
Helpline and Support

0376 -2340001

Assam Agricultural University

Jorhat, PIN - 785013 Assam

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