Cucurbitaceous
vegetables
Cucurbits
• Cucurbits term- Coined by Dr. L.
Bailey
• by seed except for Pointed gourd,
Ivy gourd and Chow-chow
• Bitter principle-
Cucurbitacins
• Richer in Methionine than
legumes
• Cucumis and Cucurbita-
unsaturated fatty acids
(Oleic acid and linoleic
acid).
Cucumber:
•Cucumis sativus
•2n=2x=14
•Origin- India
•Thermophilic crop (18-24 )
•First sequenced vegetable
crop.
•Pre-dominant sex form-
Monoecious
Seed rate:
• 2.5-4 kg/ha
AVG (Aminoethoxy-vinyl glycine)
• induce male flowers only.
AgNO3 (Silver nitrate)
Male & bisexual flowers in gynoecious lines.
Ethrel
increase number of female flowers.
Varieties:
• Introduced varieties:
• Japanese Long green
• Straight-8
• Other specific varieties:
• Pusa Uday: Throughout year
• Pusa Barkha: Extra early variety
• Phule Shubangi: Poinsette × Kalyanpur
Ageti
• First gynoecious F1 Hybrid in India:
• Pusa Sanyog = Japanese gynoecious line ×
Green Long Naples
Physiological disorder:
•Pillow:
•Ca deficiency
•An abnormal white
styrofoam like porous
textured tissue is formed
in the mesocarp of the
fleshy harvested fruits.
Muskmelon:
Wholesome food/ Kharbooz
Cucumis melo
2n= 2x = 24
Origin- Tropical Africa
Seed rate: 2-3 kg/ha and
Dibbling method- 1 kg/ha
Immature melons (pickling)
Mature melons (Fresh
consumption)
Climacteric fruit
Edible portion of melons contain
water 90% and CHO 10%
Ideal for sugar accumulation:
Cool nights and warm
weather
High quality melons should
have TSS: 12-15% or more.
Harvested at full slip stage
Long distance – Half slip
stage
Varieties of muskmelon:
Varieties/Hybrid Remark
IIHR varieties
Arka jeet High TSS variety
Arka Rajhans For transport
IARI varieties
Pusa Madhuras -
Pusa Sharbati -
Pusa Madhurima -
Pusa Sarda Suitable for net-house under north Indian plains
IIVR Varieties:
Kashi Madhu - Long storage capacity
Punjab Raseela Phoot x Indian cultivar Moderately resistant to downy mildew
Punjab Sunehri Hara Madhu x Edisto -
Hisar Madhur - -
Hara Madhu - Don't slip stage at maturity
Durgapura Madhu - -
Jobner 96-2 - -
F1 Hybrid:
Pusa Rasraj M-3 x Durgapura Madhu Utilization of monoecious line
Punjab Hybrid MS-1 x Hara Madhu 1st F1 hybrid
Watermelon:
Food for 22nd century/common
man fruit:
Botanical name: Citrullus lanatus
Chromosome no: 2n = 2x =22
Origin: Tropical Africa
The watermelon fruit contains
93% water.
Seed rate: 3-5 kg/ha
Triploid watermelon was
develoed by japan scientist Dr.
Kihara (1951)
Among cucurbit, 1st hybrid
developed in watermelon
White heart is the
physiological disorder
commonly found in Indian
varieties.
Varieties of Watermelon:
Varieties Breeding method Features
Asahi Yomato Introduced from japan -
Sugar Baby Introduced from USA -
New Hampshire Midget Introduced form USA Suitable variety for home garden
Durgapura Meetha Selection from local cultivar -
Durgapur Kesar Selection from local type Yellow fleshed variety
Durgapura Lal Sugar Baby X K-3 Unlobed leaf marker
IIHR Varieties:
Varieties Breeding method Features
Arka Akash - -
Arka Manik IIHR-21 X Crimson sweet Resistance to anthracnose and
powdery mildew
F1 Hybrid:
Arka Jyoti IIHR-20 X Crimson sweet -
Arka Madhura Triploid seedless Suitable for year-round
production under protected
condition
Arka Aishwarya - -
Pusa Bedana (2n = 33) Tetra-2 (4x) X Pusa Rasal (2x) Triploid (3x) seedless watermelon
Round melon:
Round melon: Citrullus
vulgaris var. fistulosus
Chromosome no.: 2n =
2x = 24
Origin: India
Round melon is also known
as squash melon or Indian
squash or Tinda
Economic part: Immature
fruits
Round melon is useful for
cough and improving blood
circulation
MH is the most
effective PGR which
enhances femaleness in
tinda
Tinda fruit is harvested
at tender stage
Variety: Arka Tinda,
Pusa Raunak (New
variety)
Bittergourd:
Balsam pear/Bitter
Melon
B.N.: Momordica
charantia
Chromosome no.: 2n =
2x = 22
Bitter gourd fruits are rich source of iron
(2mg/100g)
Cheratin- cucurbitacin like alkaloids':
Antidiabetic property present in fruits
Seed protein- Ricine (anti-HIV)
Progenitor of bittergourd: Momordica
charantia var. abbreviate
Seed rate: 4.5-6 kg/ha
Varieties of bitter gourd:
Varieties Remarks
Pusa Aushadhi New variety
Pusa Purve Small Bittergourd variety
Pusa Rasdar Suitable for protected structure
Pusa Do Mausami Suitable for spring summer and rainy seasons
Pusa vishesh Suitable for pickling and dehydration
Arka Harit -
Arka Anupama -
Varieties Remarks
Priyanka White colour variety
Preethi White colour variety
Konkan Tara Long shelf life and export variety
Phule Green Gold Tolerant to downy mildew
MDU-1 Mutant variety
CMB-12 Anti-diabetic variety
BOTTLE GOURD:
Bottle gourd/ white flowered Gourd
B.N.: Lagenaria siceraria
Chromosome no: 2n = 2x = 22
Origin: Africa and India
Varieties of bottle gourd:
Varieties Breeding methods Special features
IARI Variety:
Pusa Summer Prolific Long (PSPL) - Suitable for both summer and kharif
seasons
Pusa Summer prolific Round (PSPR) - Suitable for both summer and kharif
seasons
Pusa Sandesh - -
Pusa Samridhi Non-crook neck -
variety
Pusa Santushti Pear shaped fruits Suitable for throughout the year, Hot
and cold set variety
Pusa Naveen Non-crook neck Suitable for packing for long distance
variety transportation
Varieties Breeding Special features
methods
Samart - -
Pant sankar Lauki 1 - -
IIVR Varieties:
Kashi Bahar - Long fruited hybrid
Kashi Ganga IC-92465 x DVBG-151 Early variety
F1 Hybrid
Pusa Meghdoot PSPL x Sel. 2 Suitable for summer and rainy seasons
Pusa Manjari PSPR x Sel. 11 Suitable for summer and rainy seasons
Pusa Hybrid -3 Pusa Naveen x sel P-8 Suitable for easy packing and long
distance transportation
SNAKE GOURD:
Cucumber of the southern
barbarians
B.N.: Trichosanthes cucumerina
Chromosome No: 2n = 2x = 24
Origin: India
Flower colour: White
POINTED GOURD:
King of gourds/Parwal
B.N. Trichosanthes dioica
Chromosome no: 2n = 2x = 24
Origin: India (Primary centre of
origin: Bengal-Assam area)
Dioecious, perennial climbing
or trailing habit
Salicylic acid enhanced post-
harvest life of fruits
IIVR Variety: Kashi Alankar
Commercial propagation by
stem cuttings
Cuttings prequirement: 2000-
2500 cuttings/ha
ASH Gourd:
Wax gourd/Hairy melon/Winter Melon/,
Ash Pumpkin/White Pumpkin/Chinese
Preserving melon//White Gourd
B.N.: Benincasa hispida
Chromosome no.: 2n = 2x =24
Origin: Japan and
Java
Monoecious annual
climber
Ash gourd is good
for people suffering
from weak nervous
system.
Varieties:
Pusa Ujjwal: Ideal variety
for petha preparation
Mudliar is a variety of
ashgourd
LUFFA GOURDS:
Sponge gourd (Luffa cylindrica)
Ridge gourd (Luffa acutangula)
Chr. Number: 2n = 2x = 26
Origin: India
Gelatinous compound present
in Luffa is called as
"Luffein"
Flower colour of sponge
gourd: Deep yellow at
morning hours
Flower colour of ridge
gourd: Pale yellow at
evening hours
Varieties of ridge gourd and sponge gourd:
Ridge gourd Sponge gourd
Pusa Nutan Pusa Chikni
Pusa Nasdar Pusa Supriya
Arka Sumeet Pusa Sneha
PKM-1-Induced mutant Phule Prajakta
Punjab Sadabahar
Satputia-Hermaphrodite variety
Konkan Harita
PUMPKIN
Cucurbita moschata
Chromosome no: 2n = 2x = 40
Origin: Tropical America
Pumpkin festival celebrated in
USA
Yerusseri- prepared from
immature fruits of
pumpkin.
Flowers of pumpkin are
more nutritive than fruits.
Male and female parent
can be grown in 1:3 ratio.
SQUASHES
Summer squash (Ornamental/
Bushy cucurbits): Cucurbita pepo
Winter Squash: Cucurbita maxima
Chromosome no: 2n = 2x = 40
Origin: Tropical America
CHOW-CHOW:
B.N.: Sechium edule
Only single seeded
vegetable.
Viviparous germination
habit
Common name of tomato is?
1. Eggplant
2. Wolf apple
3. Poor
• Poor man’s
man’s orange
orange
4. All of these
Pear shaped variety of tomato is?
•Punjab chhuhara
• Punjab chhuhara
•Pusa Red Plum
•Improved Meeruti
•Pusa Early Dwarf
Solanum pimpinellifolium is commonly
known as ?
•Pear Tomato
•Upright Tomato
•Currant tomato
• Currant Tomato
•Potato leaf type
Non-climacteric mutant of tomato?
•Nor
• Nor
•Inr
•Nri
•Orn
Indeterminate type of tomato is
suitable for?
• Open fields
• Processing purpose • Greenhouse
• Greenhouse
• All of these
Origin place for Cucumber is?
• South America
• Ethiopia • India
• India
• Tropical America
Ancestor of Cucumber is?
• Cucumis sativus
• Cucumis metuliferus • Cucumis
• Cucumis anguria hardwickii
• Cucumis hardwickii
Bitterness in Cucumber is due to?
• Momordicin
• Cucurbitacin • Cucurbitacin
• Oleic acid
• Linoleic acid
Food for 22nd century is?
• Musk melon
• Snap melon • Water melon
• Water melon
• Long melon
King of gourds is?
• Bottle gourd
• Bitter gourd • Pointed gourd
• Sponge gourd
• Pointed gourd
Agra Petha is made from?
• Muskmelon
• Squashes • Ash gourd
• Pumpkin
• Ash gourd
Which of the following is ornamental
cucurbit?
• Ash gourd
• Pointed gourd • Squashes
• Pumpkin
• Squashes
Single seeded fruit among cucurbits?
• Parwal
• Chow chow • Chow chow
• Squashes
• Little gourd
