Cultural Bottle Gourd
Season	Wet Season : June -July Summer : Jan - March
Climate	Warm season crop (tropical / subtropical), it requires long period of warm preferably dry weather with abundant sunshine. Susceptible to frost. Humidity promotes DM, 0 0 Anthracnose, virus disease & pest fruit fly. Average Temperature 30 -35 C.
Temperature	Av. temperature 30 C, Min. 20 C & Max. 40 C; Above 30 C % of male flower increases which is not desired.
Nursery	Direct Sowing
Soil & Land Preparation	Well drained, loamy, sensitive to acid pH, below pH 5.5 no cucurbits can grow. Long tap root system is adapted to the growth of cucurbits in river beds
Seed Rate	1-1.2 Kg/acre
Irrigation	Irrigate as & when required based on the soil type & the local practices
Spacing	Row to Row : 180 cm & Plant to Plant : 60 cm
Fertilizer Kg/Acre	NPK-100:80:80
Flower Initiation	50-58 days
1st Picking	60-65 DAS
Growth Regulator	i) Ethrel - increases the % of female flower which in turn enhances the yield ii) MH @50-100 ppm at 2 leaf stage and a week later improves % of Female flowers
Yield T/ha	26-30 T
Avg. per Fruit Weight (g)	600-700 g
No. of Fruits Per Plant	7 & above
Major Impediment	Powdery Mildew / Leaf Minor
Remedies / Control Measures	Ulala 0.5 g/l for Leaf Minor, Imidagold 0.5 ml/l for Aphids & Thrips, Lancergold 2.5 g/l for White Flies control.
Harvesting:	Fruits should be picked in 15-20 days from fruit set on every alternate day; Tenderness: Judged by pressing the skin & little pubescence persisting on skin & seeds should be soft if examined in transverse section, hence smaller fruits fetch better prices.
Key Points	Staking / hanging vines improves quality (appearance & shape), yield. For this structure erection should be completed before vine attains height of 30-45 cm. Advantages of staking : Induces new growth, more fruit set, improves duration (6-7 months compared 3-4 of unstaked one), reduces pest dis. infestation, fruits - straight since pendant, colour attractive as it gets uniform sunlight, spraying easier.
Export Standards	Light green, uniformly cylindrical, 25-30 cm in length
# of Seeds /g	6