Physico-chemical evaluation of soil conditions suitable for bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) production in Nagaon district of Assam, India

Bottle gourd a good source for food and medicine since long ago is dependent on the condition of the soil for its production. The important parameters of the soil that governs the good quality production of bottle gourd are pH, organic carbon, organic matter, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, iron and zinc. Therefore, a study was conducted during 2018 at ADP College, Nagaon, Assam, India to evaluate the physico-chemical properties of soil suitable for production of bottle gourd. Five soil samples were collected from 5 different areas of Nagaon district of Assam, India which differs in the variety of bottle gourd produced. The samples are then analysed for measurement of pH, organic carbon (OC), organic matter (OM), nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, iron and zinc. The present study revealed that the soil that is ideal for good quality production of bottle gourd should have pH of 6.4, organic carbon (OC) of 0.97%, organic matter (OM) of 1.67%, nitrogen of 247.32 kg/ha, phosphorus of 118.24 kg/ha, potassium of 115.78 kg/ha, iron of 8.28 kg/ha and zinc of 6.21 kg/ha. Soils that are slightly acidic and rich in OC and OM are ideal soil for good quality production of bottle gourd. The bottle gourd plant that grows in a soil having higher content of P and K, have better fruiting capacity.