Introduction

Ivy gourd/Coccinia grandis is a tropical perennial plant and belongs to the same family of pumpkin (Cucurbitaceae).Ivy gourd also knows as ” baby watermelon, little gourd, gentleman’s toes” and popularly known as “Tindora/Tondli/Kundru” in India. This vine has aggressive climbing properties and spreads easily over fences, trees, shrubs, & other supports. Basically this plant is an outdoor plant and these vegetables are being used in Indian dishes and their

Climatic Conditions

This vegetable crop thrives best in humid and warm climatic conditions. The ideal temperature range of 20°C to 32°C is best for its growth, quality and good yield. This vegetable can be cultivated throughout the year. However, peak seasons of fruiting are rainy season & summer.

Soil Requirement

Well drained rich sandy loam soils are best for its cultivation. Heavy clay soils, acidic and alkaline soils should be avoided. The soil pH of 6.0 – 6.5 results in best yield and quality of the vegetable.

Land Preparations

Plough the land/soil until fine tilth is achieved and to kill any weeds. Apply any well rotten manure along with micro nutrients. Propagation and Planting Method in Ivy Gourd Farming:- Normally this crop is propagated vegetatively through stem cuttings (in some areas by seeds, but it takes more than year to establish a plant, if they are propagated through seeds). The stem cuttings should be semi hardwood and about 20 cm long with thickness about 2cm.The stem cuttings should have at least 4 to 6 leaves.2 or 3 cuttings should be planted about 6 cm deep with basin diameter of 60 cm. The distance between the basins should be about 2 meters.

Season

The planting should be done before rainy season/monsoon starts (June to July) or in spring season (Feb to Mar). The ratio of female and male plant population in a field should be 10:1. As the ivy gourd plants are perennial, replanting is recommended after every 4 years. The plant vines should be supported by 2 meter bamboo (http://agrifarming.in/tag/bamboo) sticks.

Application of manures and fertilizers

Add about 25 tonnes of Farm Yard Manure (FMY) at the time of land preparation and plantation. The fertilizer N: P: K requirement is about 60-80: 40-60: 40 kg/ha. Both manures & fertilizers should be applied every year @ flowering/fruiting stage.

Pruning in Ivy Gourd

The Tindora plants start fruiting in about 3 months after planting. Once fruiting is completed, the vines should be pruned leaving about 70 cm long vines. For each plant, about 5 kg of FMY should be applied after pruning.

Irrigation

Irrigate the plants immediately after plantation is done. During hot summer season, these plant requires light irrigation @ 1 week interval. Irrigation may not be required in rainy season. Using drip irrigation (http://agrifarming.in/tag/dripirrigation) will be beneficial to maintain adequate moisture during flowering stage. As these plants are sensitive to water stagnation, make sure the soil to have well drainage to avoid water logging in the field.

Weed Control

In Ivy gourd farming, weeding & light hoeing should be done during the early phase of plant vine growth.

Yield

The Tindora plant starts flowering after 2 months of planting. The average yield of 12 to 15 tonnes per hectare can be obtained with good farm management practices.