The botanical name of Ribbed gourd is Luffa acutangula Roxb; it belongs to family Cucrbitaceae
Varieties: CO 1, CO 2 and PKM 1.
Soil: Sandy loam rich in organic matter with good drainage and pH range from 6.5-7.5. The crop requires a moderate warm temperature.
Season and sowing: July and January.
Seed rate: 1.5 kg/ha. Sow the seeds (5 seeds/pit) treated with Trichoderma viride 4 g or Pseudomonas fluorescens 2g/kg of seeds) and thin the seedlings to two per pit after 15 days.
Preparation of field: Plough the field to fine tilth. Dig pits of 30 cm x 30 cm x 30 cm size at 2.5 x 2 m spacing and form basins.
Irrigation: Irrigate the basins before dibbling the seeds and thereafter once in a week.
Application of fertilizers: Apply 10 kg of FYM, 100 g of NPK 6:12:12 g mixture as basal per pit and N @ 10 g per pit 30 days after sowing.
After cultivation: Hoe and weed thrice and provide support for the plants to reach the pandal erected at a height of 2 m. Spray Ethrel 250 ppm (2.5 ml/10 lit of water) four times commencing from 15th day after sowing at weekly intervals to increase yield.
Plant protection against Pests
Beetles, fruit flies and caterpillars: Spray malathion 50 EC 1 ml/lit. or dimethoate 30 EC 1 ml/lit. or methyl demeton 25 EC 1 ml/lit. or fenthion 100 EC 1ml/lit.
Do not use DDT, lindane 1.3% dust, copper and sulphur dust as these are phytotoxic.
Protection against Diseases -
Powdery mildew: Spray Dinocap 1 ml/lit. or Carbendazim 0.5 g/lit.
Downy mildew: Spray Mancozeb or Chlorothalonil 2 g/lit. twice at 10 days interval.
Yield: 14 – 15 t/ha in 125 days.
