Everything you need to know about ivy gourd cultivation, production and growth. Learn about:- 1. Introduction to Ivy Gourd 2. Origin and Distribution of Ivy Gourd 3. Composition and Uses 4. Climate Required for Cultivation 5. Soil Required for Cultivation 6. Transplanting Time 7. Manurial Requirement for Cultivation 8. Irrigation Requirement for Cultivation 9. Intercultural Operations and Few Others.
Contents:
- Introduction to Ivy Gourd
- Origin and Distribution of Ivy Gourd
- Composition and Uses of Ivy Gourd
- Climate Required for Cultivating Ivy Gourd
- Soil Required for Cultivating Ivy Gourd
- Transplanting Time of Ivy Gourd Seeds
- Manurial Requirement for Ivy Gourd Cultivation
- Irrigation Requirement for Ivy Gourd Cultivation
- Intercultural Operations of Ivy Gourd
- Harvesting and Yielding of Ivy Gourd
- Cultivated Varieties of Ivy Gourd
1. Introduction
to Ivy Gourd:
Ivy gourd, a perennial dioecious herbaceous creeper consisting distinct male and female plants, is an important vegetable crop of the family Cucurbitaceae. Gynodioecious sex form consisting of female and hermaphrodite flowers has also been observed in nature. It is highly cross-pollinated crop. Plants bear ovate to oblong leaves with angular basal lobes and develop tuberous roots. Fruits are developed from flowers arising from the leaf axils of new growth.
The fruits are dark green or green with white streaks in the younger stages and become red or deep orange on maturity. The immature fruits of specie Coccinia adenensis are bitter in taste due to the presence of cucurbitacin in the form of glycoside but lose their bitterness rapidly during ripening.
Ivy gourd is cultivated commercially in Madhya Pradesh (Chhattisgarh), Gujarat (Khera and Badodara), Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Assam. There is an ample scope for the export of this vegetable, therefore, there is need to develop lines, which are early, and have bold and tender fruits with good storability and resistance to pests and diseases.
2. Origin and Distribution
of Ivy Gourd:
The original home of ivy gourd or little gourd or scarlet-fruited gourd (Coccina grandis L.) is believed to be India. The nomenclature is derived from the Latin word Coccineus, meaning scarlet, in reference to fruit color. In Indian scriptures, this vegetable has also been mentioned extensively as Bimba fruit (Coccinia) of which ripe red colour fruit has been compared to woman’s lips in several places like Mahabharata and also referred by Kalidasa in his Sanskrit plays.
It has about 35 species distributed in Tropical Africa and Asia, out of which only single species, i.e., Coccina grandis is under cultivation. Its synonym is Coccinia cordifolia (L.) Cogn., Cephalandra indica and Bryonia grandis L. The related species are Coccinia histella and Coccinia sessilifolia, which are widely cultivated in several countries, like Africa, Central America, China, Malaysia, Australia and other tropical Asian countries.
In Ghana, a monoecious species is also cultivated. It has become a vigorous weed in several countries, like Hawaii, Australia, Spain, Texas, and Florida. Under Indian conditions, ivy gourd has naturalized in central and peninsular area.
3. Composition and Uses of Ivy Gourd:
Composition:
The immature fruits are rich source of several minerals and vitamins. The edible portion of ivy gourd constitutes around 90%. In Thailand, nutritious leaves that contain high amount of protein (3.3 to 4.9 g per 100 g edible portion) and vitamin A (8000-18000 IU) are consumed to a greater extent. The nutritional composition of ivy gourd fruit is given in Table 11.1.
Uses:
Ivy gourd is grown for its immature tender fruits, which taste like cucumber and are used as salad or in various vegetable preparations. In Southeast Asia, ivy gourd is cultivated for its long slender edible young shoots and fruits. Young leaves are cooked and eaten as a potherb or added to soups. Ripe scarlet fruits are eaten raw, and sometimes, preserved. In Ethiopia, the specie Coccinia abysinica is cultivated for its edible tuberous roots.
Medicinal and curative properties of stems, leaves, and fruits of ivy gourd are well mentioned in the indigenous medical treatise like Charaka Samhita, Ayurveda, and Unani practices against skin diseases, bronchitis, diabetes etc. Various medicinal qualities like juice of the roots and leaves are used in the treatment of diabetes. Mukherjee et al. (1988) reported blood sugar lowering effect of ivy gourd root.
It reduces the amount of sugar in the urine and improves metabolism. The leaves are used as a poultice in treating skin eruptions and mixed with ghee are applied as ointment to sores. The use of whole plant parts is reported as a laxative. It can also be used internally in the treatment of gonorrhea. Aqueous and ethanol extracts of plant have shown hypoglycemic principles.
4. Climate Required for Cultivating Ivy Gourd:
Ivy gourd plants require well-distributed rainfall and fairly high humidity for successful cultivation and quality produce. Among the climatological factors, relative humidity was significantly correlated with the anthesis of male and female flowers and anther dehiscence.
Its cultivation can be done in areas where average temperature ranges between 25° and 35°C with the annual rainfall of 150- 250 cm. This crop is very much sensitive to frost and chilling temperature since the temperature below 15°C damages vegetative parts of the plant.
In severe winter, the upper portion of plant, i.e., stems and leaves die but the underground tuberous part remains dormant and again sprouting starts in the month of February when temperature increases. In general, fruiting starts from February onward and continues up to December.
In southern India, the plants always remain in vegetative phase and produce fruits in 2-3 flushes though fruiting depends on successful pollination. Various insects of Hymenoptera group including honeybees (Apis melifera) and ants, which are quite helpful in pollination, have been observed on flowers.
5. Soil Required for Cultivating Ivy Gourd
:
Ivy gourd being perennial crop remains active 3-4 years continuously in field for regular bearing, thus, sandy loam or loam soil rich in organic matter is preferred to harvest a reasonably good yield. Soil pH of 5.8 to 6.8 is better for its growth and development since highly acidic and sodic conditions are observed detrimental to plant health.
The soil should be well drained with a minimum depth of 8 cm. The crop is susceptible to water logging. Field preparation is started in the month of May-June by 2-3 deep ploughing. After ploughing, the field should be left open for few days so that weeds, insects, and pathogens are destroyed due to extreme heat. Deep summer ploughing and 2-3 ploughing with harrow or cultivator followed by planking are essential before rain to get a good tilth.
6. Transplanting Time
of Ivy Gourd Seeds:
Planting is preferably done during June-July and February-March when temperature is mild.
Seed Rate, Spacing and Plant Population Density:
Ivy gourd is perennial and dioecious in nature (male and female flowers appear on separate plants), thus, planting of male and female plants in the ratio of 1 : 9 is quite essential for better pollination and higher yield. It is true that male and female plants in field can be identified only at flowering and fruiting stage.
It is propagated through semi-hard vine cuttings. Nearly 2500- 3000 well-rooted and sprouted cuttings are required for the planting of one-hectare land area. Planting is done with the onset of monsoon in pits of 30 × 30 × 30 cm at a distance of 3 m.
The planting of ivy gourd can be accomplished by adopting following methods:
1. Raised Bed Method:
Planting of ivy gourd on raised beds is advisable for getting higher yield with better quality produce. In this method, ridge and furrow is prepared manually with the help of spade or mechanically by using tractor drawn furrow opener. The raised beds are prepared by opening 45 cm wide furrows at a distance of 4.0 m. The well-developed plants are transplanted on the edges of channels.
In this method, shallow pits of 60 × 60 × 45 cm size are dug at recommended distance of 4 m. The pits are left open 3 weeks before sowing for partial solarization. Then, each pit is filled with a mixture of soil and 4 kg well decomposed farmyard manure or compost. A part of fertilizers like urea 40 g, single super phosphate 100 g, muriate of potash 70 g, Furadan 2 g, and neem cake 100 g must be incorporated during pit preparation.
In this method, 15-20 cm raised mounds are prepared. Well-decomposed farmyard manure or compost @ 4 kg and fertilizers like urea 25 g, single super phosphate 75 g, muriate of potash 60 g Furadan 2 g, and neem cake 100 g must be incorporated in the mound. Transplanting is done in the evening at a depth of 20 cm.
Ivy gourd can be propagated through stem cuttings during July-August when vines are available and temperature is conducive for sprouting. Ivy gourd can be propagated directly in the field by using 30 cm long stem cuttings of pencil thickness (roughly 8-10 mm thickness) and planted at the rate of two cuttings per pit. In the plains, sometimes, it becomes difficult to get the planting material in June-July due to flowering and fruiting season.
So, when fruiting stops in the month of October-November and growers start heading back of the plant, nursery can be prepared by collecting vines. Nursery can be raised on ground in polyhouse or in planting tubes. Stem cuttings of pencil thickness (6 mm thick), 25-30 cm length, and having at least 5-7 nodes, are taken from one-year old healthy vines. Cuttings are planted vertically in well-prepared nursery beds having 20 cm height from soil surface.
The planting tubes should be of 15 × 10 cm size having 4-5 holes at bottom and upper surface for better aeration and drainage. These polyethylene tubes/bags filled with a mixture of soil, sand, and well-decomposed farmyard manure or sawdust compost composted for 4 month in equal amount could be used for nursery production.
A single cutting having 5-7 nodes is placed at a depth of 5-6 cm. Sprouting starts after 15-20 days and plants become ready for transplanting in 7-8 weeks. Ivy gourd cuttings sprout very well with the use of plant growth regulators (PGR), i.e., IAA and NAA. Results are presented in Table 11.2.
7. Manurial Requirement
for Ivy Gourd Cultivation:
After field preparation in the month of June-July, pits having a size of 30 × 30 × 30 cm are dug at row to row and plant to plant distance of 3.0 m. Pits should be filled up by mixing 4.0 kg well rotten farmyard manure, 100 g neem cake, 200 g DAP, and 100 g muriate of potash in the soil. After 25 and 40 days of planting, 50 g urea is added to root zone 15 cm away from base as a top dressing. In second year, debris should be burnt and soil is dug around the plant leaving 30 cm from base making a circle of 15 cm deep.
A mixture of 3.0 kg well decomposed farmyard manure, 100 g neem cake, 60 g urea, 200 g single super phosphate, 80 g muriate of potash and 3 g Furadan per pit is filled in the dug circle. In south Gujrat, caster or groundnut cake or well rotten farmyard manure is applied @ 4.5 kg/plant at the time of fruiting. In second year, the same doses of manure and fertilizers are applied again. Every year, the basins are cleared and filled with fresh vermi-compost or farmyard manure.
Plants of ivy gourd are either trained on bower or allowed to spread on the ground. If vines are allowed to creep on the ground, nearly 40% less yield is observed. Since ivy gourd is creeper, so crop bears more and quality fruits on bower or stakes, therefore, it is essential to support the vine on the single pole or on the bower system. The plant starts trailing over bower within 2 months. For the preparation of bower, cemented poles of 2.0 m length that have base of 12.5 × 12.5 cm and upper end 10 × 10 cm size should be selected.
These poles are placed 45 cm deep into the soil at a distance of 4 m. Corners poles are supported and tightened by two extra poles in a bending manner. Apart from this, one heavy stone is kept in each supporting pits. The stone is tied with corner poles with connecting wires of 2.0 mm thickness.
During pole fixation, 30-45 cm long rod is placed at upper end of the pole in such a manner that 15 cm length should be above to poles. Cemented poles or angle iron poles may be used. Wires of 3 mm thickness are tied with stones through nut-bolt. Every year, wires must be tightened after harvesting and vine cuttings. Pole to pole connection should be done by 8 mm thick wire.
8. Irrigation Requirement
for Ivy Gourd Cultivation:
After planting of fresh vine or sprouted cuttings in pits frequent irrigation must be given for proper establishment of plants. After establishment, water requirement and frequency depend on the types of soil and season. Plants are very much sensitive to water stagnation, thus, proper slope must be given to the beds to drain out the excess water. Generally, irrigation should be applied at 15-20 days interval in mild weather and at 5-6 days intervals in summer season.
Ivy gourd requires irrigation once in 10 days, depending upon soil and prevailing climatic conditions. Under irrigation conditions of Poona (Maharashtra), total 31 irrigations are essential in a year for raising a good crop. In this perennial vegetable, drip irrigation technique is observed to be quite useful and using this technique water saving up to 50% can be done.
This system of irrigation is also helpful in controlling weeds. Proper moisture should be supplied during flowering and fruit setting stages, therefore, drainage is an important operation, which requires strict watch. Poor drainage and water stagnation up to 18-24 h may lead to yellowing of crop and wilting.
9. Intercultural Operations of Ivy Gourd:
i. Hoeing and Weeding:
Ivy gourd is a deep-rooted perennial vegetable crop so intercultural operations play a very important role in flowering and fruiting. Initially for better crop growth and yield, 2-3 hand weeding is essential. Hoeing and earthing are very essential operations, which are done to create conducive environment to root zone and also to control weed growth.
If aeration is good in root zone, bumper yield may be obtained. It can be done manually by spade or mechanically by tractor drawn cultivator. The hoeing should be done shallow to avoid damage to feeding roots. Venkataratnam (1966) advised to keep the entire basin weed free following frequent hoeing. When plants find support of bowers, weeds die due to smothering effect.
Mulching in Ivy gourd not only improves the water retention and ground temperature in soil but also improves yield (35%) and quality of fruits. Mulching with organic materials improves the soil organic matter content and soil fertility particularly in infertile sandy soils by decomposing phenomenon at the end of the crop cycle.
Covering soil surface with black polyethylene sheet keeps the weeds under check. It also increases the fruiting period. Mulching with paddy straw, wheat straw, or sugarcane tresses improves the number of fruits per plant and fresh weight per fruits and also reduces the percentage of unmarketable fruits. Mulching also increases early fruit setting (2-3 weeks).
Ivy gourd requires training and pruning for higher yield and better quality fruit. Plant of 30-40 cm length should be trained with the help of coconut twine or thin jute twine and vines are allowed to reach over the bower.
In early stage, bamboo sticks can be used for proper support. For training on the bower, 2-3 branches are allowed. The central shoots growing from the main stem below the bower should be removed in order to encourage shoots on the bower. In ivy gourd, November-December is considered the best time for the pruning of dead and diseased vine since this time vines stop flowering and fruiting due to low temperature.
After pruning, Thiovit or Geigy-1250 are dusted at weekly intervals to save the newly developed shoots. Fresh growth and new vines could be observed with the onset of monsoon. When more branches come out from base, they must be removed with the help of sharp knife, so that, vines reaching to bower may get strength. At the time of pruning, the shoots, which are of finger thickness, are also pruned back to two buds. All weak stems are also cut and removed.
10. Harvesting
and Yielding of Ivy Gourd:
In ivy gourd, flowering and fruiting starts from 10 to 12 weeks after planting, and fruiting continues for longer time (nearly 8-10 months). Generally, fruiting starts from February onwards and continues up to November but maximum yield can be obtained between July and November. In places where the winter is relatively severe, fruit yield during this period is reduced.
In South and Central India, fruiting takes place round the year. Normally, 5 cm long or oval shaped fruits are preferred in the market. In general, 2-3 pickings can be done in a week to get tender fruit of excellent quality. The stage of harvesting is determined by change in colour from dark-green to bright or light green. During harvesting, care should be taken so that injury can be minimized to the vines.
There is tremendous potentiality for the export of ivy gourd. Ivy gourd is mainly exported from important countries like India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Central Africa. This vegetable needs to develop lines, which are early, having bold and tender fruits with good storability, and suitable for pickle preparation. Fruits having 5 cm length are used for processing as pickle. Mature fruits are sometimes preserved. The flesh can be processed into fermented or dehydrated chips, which can be stored over a long period.
It gives an average yield of 120-140 q/ha in first year but an average yield of 300-400 q/ha can be obtained in second and third year, however, its yield potential can be realized up to 1300 q/ ha by adopting bower system. Approximately 10 kg tender green fruits per plant can be harvested. Ivy gourd yields well for 3 to 4 years under proper management conditions.
11. Cultivated Varieties
of Ivy Gourd:
In ivy gourd, so far, no systematic work has been done on varietal improvement even though a large number of local varieties are popular among the growers in their respective areas of adaptability. Ivy gourd can be classified into two distinct types, i.e., bitter and sweet types.
The sweet varieties, which are prolific bearer, producing very tender and soft fruits, are under common cultivation in Chengalepet district. Two varieties of ivy gourd, namely Allahabadi and Aligarhi that are resistant to powdery mildew (Erysiphe cichoracearum) are quite popular among growers.
IGKVV, Raipur (Chhattisgarh) has evaluated and characterized 35 genotypes of ivy gourd. Based on yield performance, the Accession No. 59 that bears long pale yellow regular striping fruit was found excellent. A very useful strain with large and bold fruits has been detected in the Indo-Gangetic region of Bihar. The fruits of this strain are very tender and could be kept safely for about 2 weeks under ambient room conditions without impairing cooking quality.
Based on fruit characters as recorded by Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh), ivy gourd can be categorized into two groups:
(a) Round or Oval Fruited Type:
Basically, the fruits are light green to light-yellow colour striped and round to oval in shape.
(b) Long-Fruited Type:
The fruits are light green colour, long and striped.
Preliminary evaluations of few local collections were made at Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, Varanasi during the year 1996-99, and based on fruiting ability and fruit quality, a few desirable strains identified and recommended for commercial cultivation are VRK-05, VRK-10, VRK-20, and VRK-35. The Accessions showing resistance against viruses (curled/mottled yellow colour) are VRK-05, VRK-14, VRK-15, VRK-22, VRK-31, VRK-57, VRK-58, VRK-61, VRK- 62, VRK-65, and VRK-67, and the Accessions showing resistance against leaf mine are VRK-01, VRK-06, VRK-22, VRK-04, VRK-31 VRK-33, and VRK-55.
The descriptions of few selections giving higher yield with better quality fruits are given as under:
A very early strain bears light green striped fruits of 6.0 cm length and 2.7 cm diameter. The individual fruit weight is about 20 g.
Fruit is somewhat swollen in the middle but pointed at the upper portion. The individual fruit weight is 25-30 g.
A high yielding strain bears highly striped fruits of medium size with fruit weight 15-18 g.
4. VRK 37:
The oval shaped fruits of this strain are round and 1.90 cm in diameter with individual fruit weight 16 g.
Fruits are oval shaped. It is high yielding variety with fruit weight about 15 g.
6. Indira Kundru-5:
A very high yielding variety developed at Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Raipur has been released by State Variety Release Committee, Chhattisgarh State. The plants bear light green oval shape fruits having 4.30 cm length and 2.63 cm diameter. Its fruits yield is 22.94 kg/plant.
A very high yielding variety was isolated at Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Raipur has been released by State Variety Release Committee, Chhattisgarh State. The plants bear light green long fruits having 6.0 cm length and 2.43 cm diameter. Its fruits yield is 21.08 kg/plant.