Benefits of gourd and gourd as a vegetable

The leaves are green and soft. Male and female flowers bloom between 42-45 days and 56-60 days after planting respectively. The shape of the light green fruit is long (40-45) and the fence is about 30-35 cm. The weight of each fruit is 1.5-2 kg. Each tree bears an average of 10-12 fruits. The first fruits can be picked within 60-70 days after planting. Gourds are mainly in the winter season. Yield is higher in winter. It is tolerant to high temperatures and heavy rains and can grow throughout the year. It can be cultivated all year round in all areas of Bangladesh. Bhadra can be cultivated as an early crop for winter cultivation.

✔Climate

Climate that is neither too cold nor too hot is good for pumpkin cultivation. The winter of Bangladesh is more suitable for pumpkin cultivation. However, the temperature in some parts of Bangladesh in winter is sometimes 100C. It goes down, which poses a serious threat to gourd cultivation. The difference between day and night temperature is 8-90. The yield of lau decreases at a significant rate.

✔Seed purification

Seed treatment is essential for prevention of seed borne diseases and production of vigorous fresh seedlings. Seed treatment can be done using 2 Vitavex / Captan per kg.

✔Seedbed made

Seedlings should be produced in polybags in nurseries for pumpkin cultivation. For this, a bed 20-25 cm high should be made in a place where light air is normally available. A house of 4-5.2 m size should be made on the fence. The height of the house from the ground along the edges of the house will be 0.8 m and the height of the middle of the house from the ground will be 1.6 m. The house will need bamboo, bamboo twigs, plastic for the tent and twine to tie them.

✔Seedling care in the seedbed

Necessary care of seedlings should be ensured in the nursery. Seed germination is a problem in winter. Therefore, in case of winter seedling production, the polybag should be covered with plastic every night till seed germination and kept open during the day. The seedlings should be watered as required but care should be taken so that water does not fall on the seedlings. If the soil of the polybag is tied, it should be broken.

✔Irrigation

The pumpkin crop is very sensitive to water. Excess of water will disrupt the fruit bearing and the fruit will fall off slowly. Therefore, regular irrigation should be given as per the need with irrigation. Flood irrigation can never be done by soaking all the lands in the land of Lau. Only if it is blocked with water in the irrigation ditch, the tree will draw water. In the dry season, it is necessary to give sage at intervals of 4/5 days.If you want to get the desired yield of lau, you must cultivate on the platform. When gourd is cultivated in the soil, one side of the fruit fades and the market value decreases, resulting in rot and natural pollination. As a result the yield also decreases.

✔The nutritional value of gourd

Water - 95.4 g
Energy - 14 kcal
Protein - 0.62 g
Carbohydrates - 3.39 g
Fiber - 0.5 g
Lubricant - 0.02 g

Minerals
Calcium - 26 mg
Iron - 0.2 mg
Magnesium - 11 mg
Phosphorus - 13 mg
Potassium - 150 mg
Sodium - 2 mg
Zinc - 0.7 mg

Vitamins
Vitamin B1 0.029 mg
Vitamin B2 0.022 mg
Vitamin B3 0.32 mg
Vitamin - B6 0.04 mg
Vitamin B9 6 µg
Vitamin - C 10.1 mg

Fats / fatty acids
Saturated - 0.002 g
Monounsaturated - 0.001 g
Polyunsaturated - 0.009 g

✔Harvesting (maturity identification)

The edible maturity of the fruit can be identified as follows.

1. There will be a lot of shung on the fruit.
2. If you put pressure on the fruit with your fingernails, the nails will fall off very easily.
3. It is suitable for fruit collection 12-15 days after pollination.

The fruit should be cut with a sharp knife leaving a long stem of the fruit. Care should be taken while cutting the fruit so that there is no damage to the tree. The more pumpkins can be collected, the higher the yield will be.