🌱 How to Grow Pointed Gourd | Time, Medicine and Complete Information

Pointed gourd is a very popular and profitable vegetable crop in India. It is a perennial vine crop of the gourd family, and farmers can get continuous production for many years after planting it once. In rural areas, pointed gourd is also grown as a cash crop because its market demand remains throughout the year.

This crop is mainly grown on a large scale in the Diara regions of Bihar, Eastern Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. Pointed gourd is also called “Green Gold” because farmers can earn good income from its cultivation.

Pointed gourd is also considered very beneficial for health. It contains a good amount of vitamins, carbohydrates, and proteins. Its vegetable is easy to digest and is considered beneficial in many diseases.

In this article, we will learn complete information about pointed gourd farming in detail, including time, improved varieties, fertilizers, irrigation, disease control, production, and profit.

1. 🌿 Introduction of Pointed Gourd

Pointed gourd is a perennial vine vegetable crop. Its scientific name is Trichosanthes dioica Roxb. It is also called Pointed Gourd in English. This crop belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family.

In India, its cultivation has been done since ancient times. It is mainly grown successfully in hot and humid climate regions.

Main Features of Pointed Gourd

🔹 It is a perennial crop
🔹 Gives production for many years after one-time planting
🔹 Fruits do not spoil quickly
🔹 Can be easily transported to distant markets
🔹 Used in making vegetables, sweets, and pickles

2. 🍀 Health Benefits and Uses of Pointed Gourd

Pointed gourd is a nutrition-rich vegetable. Its consumption gives many benefits to the body.

Health Benefits

✅ Easy to digest
✅ Provides coolness to the body
✅ Gives strength to heart and brain
✅ Helpful in increasing body energy
✅ Useful in diarrhea and weakness
✅ Has properties that reduce blood glucose level
✅ Has cholesterol-lowering properties
✅ Has anti-inflammatory properties

Uses

🔸 Used for making vegetables
🔸 Used for making sweets
🔸 Used for making pickles
🔸 Used as diet food for patients

3. 📚 Scientific Classification of Pointed Gourd

Description	Information
Scientific Name	Trichosanthes dioica Roxb
Family	Cucurbitaceae
Crop Type	Vine Vegetable Crop
Nature	Perennial

4. ☀️ Climate and Temperature

Hot and high-moisture climate is considered most suitable for pointed gourd cultivation.

Suitable Climate

✅ Hot and humid climate
✅ 100 to 120 cm annual rainfall
✅ Frost-free area
✅ Environment with high humidity

Suitable Temperature

🌡️ 20 to 25 degree Celsius is suitable for germination
🌡️ Temperature should not go below 5 degree Celsius

Cold and frost damage its plants. Therefore, its cultivation is less in cold regions.

5. 🌱 Soil Requirement

Pointed gourd cultivation can be done in almost all types of soils, but heavy soil is not suitable for it.

Suitable Soil

✅ Sandy loam soil
✅ Organic matter-rich loam soil
✅ Well-drained soil
✅ pH value 6.0 to 7.5

Important Things to Remember

🔸 Water should not stay in the field
🔸 Cultivate on higher land
🔸 Drainage system should be good

The soil of Diara regions is considered highly suitable for pointed gourd cultivation.

6. 🌾 Seed and Improved Varieties

Many improved varieties of pointed gourd are available in the market. Farmers can select the variety according to their area and market demand.

Main Improved Varieties

Uttar Pradesh Varieties

• Faizabad Parwal 1
• Faizabad Parwal 2
• Faizabad Parwal 3
• Faizabad Parwal 4
• Faizabad Parwal 5

Popular Bihar Varieties

• Rajendra Parwal 1
• Rajendra Parwal 2
• Swarna Rekha
• Swarna Alaukik
• Hilli
• Dandali
• Nimiya
• Safeda
• Sonpura

Hybrid Varieties

✅ Swastik
✅ Kalyani
✅ Hisar Selection

Features of Varieties

Swarna Alaukik

🔹 Fruits are green in color
🔹 Oval-shaped fruits
🔹 Suitable for both sweets and vegetables

Swarna Rekha

🔹 Fruits are 8 to 10 cm long
🔹 High-quality variety

7. 🌿 Seed Rate and Plant Population

Pointed gourd cultivation is done through seed, root cutting, and vine cutting methods.

Required Plant Population

✅ 2500 to 3000 vines per hectare
✅ 6000 to 7500 cuttings per hectare

Male and Female Plant Ratio

In pointed gourd, male and female flowers come on separate plants.

📌 It is necessary to keep the ratio 1:19.

If male plants are less, pollination will be less and production will decrease.

8. 🛒 Where to Buy Seeds or Plants

Farmer brothers can buy pointed gourd cuttings or plants from trusted agriculture centers in their area.

Taking plants of improved varieties is more profitable because it gives better production and quality.

Useful Links

🔗 Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
🔗 Krishi Vigyan Kendra Portal

9. 🚜 Field Preparation

For good yield, field preparation should be done properly.

Method of Field Preparation

• Do ploughing with soil-turning plough in May-June
• Leave the field open
• Weeds and insects will be destroyed
• Do 3 to 4 ploughings
• Use plank to make the soil loose and fine

Quantity of Farmyard Manure

✅ 200 to 250 quintal well-rotted cow dung manure per hectare

Mix it into the soil about one month before transplanting.

10. 🌱 Sowing and Transplanting Method

Pointed gourd cultivation is mainly done by three methods.

10.1 By Seed

In this method, plants are prepared from seeds. But more male plants come out in this method, so it is less popular.

10.2 By Root Cutting

In this method, stem part along with roots is planted.

Benefits

✅ Plants grow quickly
✅ Early fruiting is obtained

10.3 Vine Ring Method

This is the most popular method.

Transplanting Time

✅ July to October
✅ September to October in Diara regions
✅ Transplanting is also done in February-March

Spacing

📌 Row to row distance: 2.5 meter
📌 Plant to plant distance: 1.5 meter

Ring Method

In this method, vines are bent in the shape of eight and planted. After one-time planting, production is obtained for 4 to 5 years.

11. 🌾 Manure and Fertilizer Management

Pointed gourd vines require more nutrients.

Manure Quantity Per Pit

✅ 3 to 4 kg compost
✅ 250 gram castor cake
✅ 10 gram urea
✅ 100 gram single super phosphate
✅ 25 gram muriate of potash

Fertilizer Quantity Per Hectare

✅ 90 kg nitrogen
✅ 60 kg phosphorus
✅ 40 kg potash

Top Dressing

🌱 Give the remaining nitrogen at the time of flowering
🌱 Spray zinc and boron

Irrigation must be done after applying fertilizers.

12. 💧 Irrigation Management

Pointed gourd requires moisture, but waterlogging should not happen.

Irrigation Interval

In Summer

💧 Irrigation at every 5 to 7 days

In Winter

💧 Irrigation at every 10 to 12 days

Other Conditions

💧 Irrigation at 8 to 10 days interval

Keep in Mind

✅ Maintain proper drainage
✅ Do irrigation as per need during rainy season
✅ Drip irrigation is beneficial

13. 🌿 Weed Control

Timely weeding and hoeing are necessary in pointed gourd cultivation.

Number of Weeding and Hoeing

✅ 4 to 5 times

Benefits

🔸 Weed control
🔸 Fast growth of vines
🔸 Better fruiting

The vines should be turned again and again so that roots from the nodes do not enter the soil. This increases fruit production.

14. 🐛 Pest and Disease Management

14.1 Red Beetle Insect

Symptoms

🔸 Eats leaves and makes holes in them

Control

✅ Spray ash and kerosene oil
✅ Use Dimecron or Nuvan

14.2 Fruit Fly

Symptoms

🔸 Fruits start rotting

Control

✅ Spray Malathion
✅ Use Profenophos and Cypermethrin

14.3 Aphid

Symptoms

🔸 Leaves become yellow

Control

✅ Spray 0.1 percent Malathion

14.4 Powdery Mildew

Symptoms

🔸 White powder appears on leaves

Control

✅ Sulfex
✅ Karathane
✅ Topaz

14.5 Downy Mildew

Control

✅ Spray Indofil M-45

14.6 Fruit Rot Disease

Control

✅ Do not allow fruits to touch the ground
✅ Spread straw in the field

14.7 Mosaic Disease

Control

✅ Remove infected plants
✅ Spray Rogor medicine

14.8 Nematode

Control

✅ Use neem cake
✅ Follow marigold crop rotation

15. ⏳ Crop Duration

Pointed gourd is a perennial crop.

Production Duration

✅ First crop comes in 3 to 4 months
✅ After one-time planting, production continues for 3 to 5 years

Ratoon Crop

After pruning and cutting in October-November, new branches come again and start giving fruits from March.

16. ✂️ Fruit Harvesting

Harvesting Time

✅ Fruits start coming from mid-March
✅ Harvesting is done after 10 to 12 days

Harvesting Method

🔸 Do harvesting before sunrise in the morning
🔸 Harvest green and soft fruits

Harvesting Interval

📌 Once a week in March-April
📌 Twice a week in May

17. 📦 Storage

The biggest feature of pointed gourd is that its fruits do not spoil quickly for a long time.

Storage Benefits

✅ Remain fresh for many days
✅ Can be easily sent to distant markets
✅ Transportation by truck and rail is possible

Because of this, farmers can store the produce until they get a better market price.

18. 📈 Production Per Acre

The yield of pointed gourd depends on cultivation method, variety, climate, flood condition, and care. According to available information, production is given per hectare, which should be correctly converted into per acre.

Production Per Hectare

✅ First Year Production
75 to 90 quintal per hectare

✅ Second and Third Year Production
175 to 200 quintal per hectare

✅ Normal Improved Farming Production
150 to 200 quintal per hectare

Production Per Acre

1 hectare = about 2.47 acre

On this basis, the correct per acre production will be as follows:

🌱 First Year Production
About 30 to 36 quintal per acre

🌱 Developed Crop Production
About 60 to 80 quintal per acre

🌱 Normal Improved Farming Production
About 60 to 81 quintal per acre

In Diara regions, if flood comes in mid-August, production is higher, while early flood in July may reduce production.

19. 💰 Market Price and Profit Per Acre

The market demand of pointed gourd remains throughout the year. Its price keeps changing according to season, quality, and market.

Market Price

✅ Normal Market Price
About ₹40 per kg has been mentioned.

At some places, old data also mentions ₹500 per quintal, but according to available latest information, ₹40 per kg market price is considered more practical.

Income Per Hectare

✅ Production
About 150 to 200 quintal per hectare

✅ Total Possible Sale
If the market price is ₹40 per kg, then total income can be around ₹6 lakh to ₹8 lakh per hectare.

Possible Income Per Acre

🌱 With production of 60 to 80 quintal per acre

💵 Total Possible Sale
About ₹2.4 lakh to ₹3.2 lakh per acre

20. 📢 Information Related to MSP

Pointed gourd is a vegetable crop. Minimum Support Price (MSP) is not fixed for it.

Its market price is decided according to market demand and season.

21. 🏛️ Government Schemes

Farmer brothers can take benefit of government schemes available for vegetable crops.

Possible Benefits

✅ Irrigation support
✅ Drip irrigation scheme
✅ Improved seed support
✅ Organic farming promotion

Useful Links

🔗 PM Kisan Yojana
🔗 National Horticulture Mission

22. 📄 Is Government Permission Required for Pointed Gourd Farming

Generally, no special government permission is required for pointed gourd cultivation.

Farmers can cultivate it by following normal agriculture rules.

23. 🧑‍🌾 Important Tips for Farmer Brothers

✅ Give special attention to drainage
✅ Use good quality cuttings
✅ Maintain proper male and female plant ratio
✅ Do irrigation on time
✅ Train the vines on trellis
✅ Do pest and disease control on time
✅ Harvest before sunrise
✅ Select improved varieties

24. ❓ Important Questions Related to Pointed Gourd Farming

Q1. What is the right time for pointed gourd cultivation?

July to October and February-March are considered suitable time for transplanting.

Q2. Which soil is best for pointed gourd cultivation?

Well-drained sandy loam soil is considered best.

Q3. For how many years does pointed gourd give production?

After one-time planting, production is obtained for 3 to 5 years.

Q4. What should be the male and female plant ratio in pointed gourd?

The ratio should be kept at 1:19.

Q5. Which disease occurs most in pointed gourd?

Powdery mildew, fruit fly, and mosaic disease are major problems.

Q6. Which are the improved varieties of pointed gourd?

Rajendra Parwal 1, Swarna Rekha, Swarna Alaukik, and Faizabad Parwal varieties are popular.

Q7. When is the first harvesting of pointed gourd done?

About 3 to 4 months after transplanting.

Q8. Can pointed gourd cultivation be done with drip irrigation?

Yes, drip irrigation is considered beneficial.

Q9. Which fertilizer is useful in pointed gourd?

Well-rotted cow dung manure, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potash are useful.

Q10. Is pointed gourd cultivation profitable?

Yes, it is a profitable cash crop whose market demand remains throughout the year.

🔚 Conclusion

Pointed gourd cultivation is a profitable and long-term income-generating vegetable crop for farmers. Due to its good quality, long storage capacity, and continuous market demand, farmers can earn good profit from it.

If farmers follow timely transplanting, proper fertilizer management, irrigation, and disease control, then better production can be obtained from pointed gourd cultivation for many years.

Therefore, farmer brothers can increase their income by cultivating pointed gourd scientifically.

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