SEED PRODUCTION OF SNAKE GOURD
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SNAKE GOURD
(Trichosanthes anguina L)
Order: Cucurbitales
Family: Cucurbitaceae
Genus: Trichosanthes
Species: T. anguina
Varieties: Kaumudi, Baby, Harithasree and Manusree.
Season: January to March and September to December are the main growing seasons.
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SNAKE GOURD
(Trichosanthes anguina L)
Seed rate: 3.0 – 4.0 kg/ha
Spacing: 2.0 m x 2.0 m
Manuring: 70:25:25 kg/ha
FYM @ 20-25 kg/ha as basal dose along with half dose of N (35 kg) and full dose of P2O5 (25 kg)
and K2O (25 kg).
The remaining dose of N (35 kg) is applied in several split doses at fortnightly intervals.
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FIELD PREPARATION
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Irrigation and weeding
Basin is irrigated before dibbling the seeds; thereafter, once a week, the pits are irrigated.
Hoeing and weeding thrice are essential.
Main field maintenance
Each plant has to be provided with stacking 20-25 days after sowing for training the vines over
the pandal.
Training operation has to be carried out daily until the fruiting stage.
Conduct weeding and raking of the soil at the time of fertilizer application.
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TRELLIS
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Rouging
During vegetative, fruit formation and harvest phases,
rouging is attempted based on plant characteristics like
height of plant, leaf shape, size, surface of leaf and fruit
characteristics like length of fruit, size, shape and
colour.
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Seed production details of Snake gourd:
Particulars Snakegourd
Isolation Foundation seed 1000 m and certified seed 500 m
Season June - July and Feb – March
Varieties CO1, CO2, PKM1, MDU1
Seed rate / ha 2.5
female flower increased by Spraying of Ethrel 200 - 250 ppm at two true leaf stage and after a
week of 1st spray
Spacing (cm) Take pits of size 45x45x45 cm at 2.5x2.0 m distance
Fertilizers / (NPK g/pit) 12:24:12
Physiological maturity Change of fruit colour in any part or 1/3 of fruit tip to yellow to
red
Processing Hand picking
Fruit to seed recovery (%) 15-16
Seed yield (kg/ha) 220-250
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Genetic purity and seed health standards for snake gourd:
Minimum permitted level(%)
Factors
FS CS
Open pollinated variety
Off-type 0.10 0.2
Objectional weed plant None None
Hybrids
0.01 0.05
Off-type in seed parent
None 0.05
Off-type in pollen parent
Pollen shedders in seed parent - 0.10
Seed borne diseases
Muskmelon 0.1 0.20
Summer squash 0.1 0.5
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Plant protection:
Pests
1. Leaf beetles, and leaf caterpillars
Spray malathion 50 EC 1 ml/L or dimethoate 30 EC 1
ml/L or methyl demeton 25 EC 1 ml/L or fenthion 100
EC 1 ml/L will prevent the pest incidence.
Avoid copper and Sulphur dust since these chemicals
cause injury to the plants.
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Plant protection:
Diseases
1. Powdery mildew
Spray Dinocap 1 ml/L or Carbendazim 0.5 g/L
2. Downy mildew
Spray Mancozeb or Chlorothalonil 2 g/L twice at
10 days interval.
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Harvest
Fruits can be harvested at the visible yellow to orange skin
initiation stage.
Seed extraction
Manually the immature seeds can be removed as water floaters
during wet extraction. After drying the seeds the immature and
small-sized seeds should be removed as air-blown rejects.
16/64" round perforated or BSS 4 x 4 (6.2 mm) sieve may be
used
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SEED EXTRACTION
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Seed certification standards for snake gourd:
Minimum permitted level (%)
Factors
Foundation seed Certified seed
Pure seed (minimum) 98 95
Inert matter (maximum) 2 5
other crop seed (maximum) None None
Weed seed (maximum) None None
Other objectional varieties (only for
5/kg 10/kg
hybrids)
Germination (minimum) 60 60
Moisture for ordinary pack (maximum) 7.0 7.0
Moisture for vapour proof pack
6.0 6.0
(maximum)
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Storage
Seeds dried to 7 to 8 % moisture content and dry dressed with thiram/captan 75% wettable
powder or halogen mixture @ 3 g / kg of seeds, can be stored in cloth bags for up to 10
months and over 18 months in moisture vapour-proof containers.
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GERMINATION TEST AND SEED PACKING
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Financial analysis:
Variety: Baby
Area: 1 acre
Location: Ambalavayal
Cost:
Particulars Cost (Rs.)
Land rent 5000
Land preparation
i. Tractor 6000
ii. Labour 7000
Irrigation (Labour) 63000
Seed cost 5000
Nursery preparation
i. Cost of portray 1620
ii. Labour 900
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Particulars Cost (Rs.)
Cost of pandal 50000
Transplanting (labour) 9000
Cost of Fertilizer (19:19:19 – 90.5 Kg) 2262
Plant protection 2500
Rouging 900
Harvesting 3600
Sorting 900
Seed extraction 18000
Packing
i. Machinery 1600
ii. Packets 4000
iii. Label 1600
iv. Labour 3600
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Yield
Total yield: 5 T/acre
Seed yield: 70 Kg
Total no of Packets: 23333
Price for 1 Packet: 10 Rs
NET BENEFIT= 2,33,333-1,86,982
BC ratio = 46,351 Rs.
Total cost : 1,86,982 Rs.
Total benefit: 2,33,333 Rs.
BC ratio: Total cost/ Total benefit
2,33,333/1,86,982
BC =1.24
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