Effect of Nature of Cultivation and Different Varieties on Flowering, Yield Attributes and Yield of Bottle Gourd (Lagenaria siceraria Mol. Standl.)

An investigation on effect of nature of cultivation on different varieties of bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria (Mol.) Standl.) was carried out during summer season i.e. from February to June 2012 in the open field condition at Horticulture Instructional Farm, C. P. College of Agriculture, Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University, Sardarkrushinagar. The results revealed that among two nature of cultivation, the trelling system (s₁) was found superior over other nature of cultivation in terms of flowering and yield characteristics like minimum days taken to initiation of first female flower (52.45), number of node on which first female flower appeared (9.93), sex ratio of male and female flowers (9.15), days taken for first picking after sowing (62.99) and maximum number of female flower (33.70) also recorded under trelling system of cultivation. Similarly, yield character like highest average weight of fruit (684.71 g), yield per plant (6.32 kg) and yield per hectare (316.20 q) as well as with regards to quality parameters like maximum length of fruit (36.28 cm) and fruit volume (739.38 cc) registered under trelling system of cultivation. Further, it also observed that, in different varieties minimum days taken for initiation of first female flower of 47.60, number of nodes on which first female flower appeared of 08.93, number of male flower per plant 273.05, sex ratio of male and female flower of 07.52, days taken for female flower initiation to first picking of 08.73 and days taken for first picking after sowing of 56.33 were found in variety Pusa Samridhi (v₃). Whereas, maximum number of female flower 36.63, number of fruit 10.80, yield per plant 6.85 and yield per hectare 342.54 q were also recorded in variety Pusa Samridhi, while variety Local (v₅) was recorded maximum average weight of fruit (734.72 g). Quality parameter like maximum fruit length (42.60 cm) and fruit volume (793.38 cc) were recorded in variety Local (v5) and variety Pusa Santishthi (v₄) registered maximum diameter (6.90).