Sponge Gourd Cultivation

Common name: Sponge gourd/ Torai.

Botanical name: Luffa cylindrical

Family: Cucurbitaceae

Origin: Asia (India)

Introduction:

• Sponge gourd is another important vegetable, widely grown in India. It very similar to ridge gourd.

• Brazil, India, Mexico and Ghana are the country where sponge gourd is grown generally.

• Gilki and Turai is the most common name of sponge gourd in India.

• Sponge gourd is very rich in vitamin A and C. Seed oil of sponge gourd is helpful to cure skin diseases.

• Juice of sponge gourd is very effective in curing diabetes.

Climate:

• Warm and humid climate is suitable for its cultivation.

• Required temperature for the cultivation should be in between 24-37^o

• At the stage of flowering and fruiting, excessive rainfall can cause poor yield.

• Too low temperature can cause delay in germination and retarded early growth.

Soil:

• pH of soil should be in range of 5.5-6.5.

• Although cultivation of sponge gourd can take place in all type of soils but soil should have good moisture holding capacity especially in summer.

• Soil should be rich in organic matter.

• Sandy loam soil is comparatively best for the cultivation of sponge gourd.

Season:

• North India (kharif season): February-March.

• South India (rabi season): December.

(In hilly regions the best time of sowing is April to May).

Fertilizers and Manures:

• At the time of field preparation, 15 to 20 tons of FYM is sufficient.

• Required ratio of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium is 25:35:30.

• Application of excessive nitrogen with high temperature can cause reduction in female flower production.

• Another dose of nitrogen is recommended to apply at the stage of flowering in the quantity of 30 kg/ha.

Land preparation:

• Field should be plough 2 to 3 times for preparing a fine soil tilth and field must also be free from weeds.

• Well rotten farm yard manure in addition with soil would enhance the quality and yield capacity.

Irrigation:

Generally irrigation depends on the weather condition, soil and variety of the crop.

• Irrigation should be applied twice a week in long dry weather.

• On the other hand, there is no need of irrigation in rainy season.

• Mulching can also be practiced in extreme warm areas to prevent the loss of water and also to control weeds.

Variety:

Varieties of sponge gourd with rate, required spacing and features are mentioned below:

Harvesting:

• First harvest can take place after 70-80 days of planting.

• Tender and medium sized fruits should be harvested with an interval of 3-4 days.

Yield:

Yield of the crop depends on the selected method, variety climatic conditions and many other factors.

Generally, average yield of sponge gourd is 160 to 200 quintals per hectare.