Download - Luffa
LUFFA(Luffa acutangula L)
Group no 08Export Agriculture
Scientific Classification
• Kingdom: Plantae• Division: Magnoliophyta• Class: Magnoliopsida• Order: Cucurbitales• Family: Cucurbitaceae• Species : Luffa acutangula L
Introduction
• Belongs to cucurbit family
• Native to Asia and believed to be originated in India
• Can only be eaten when young because mature
fruits become very bitter due to the development
of purgative chemicals
• An annual climbing herb
• It is well grown in low country dry zone, intermediate zone as well as wet zone
Uses
• Edible - cooked or friedStem tops with young leaves and flower buds used as leafy vegetable.Young fruits of cultivars, eaten raw or
pickled.
• Unripe fruit is a good source of calcium, iron , phosphorus, vitamin B
• Used in indigenous medicine
• Mature fruit used as a bath brush or sponge
• Used as a pesticide in some countries
Climatic requirements
• Temperatures 25- 30 0C
– for reasonable (50%) seed germination
– early growth in L. acutangula
• Long days and high temperatures favored the
development of more female flowers
.
• Luffa can be cultivated up to 500 AMSL
• Heavy rain is not suitable for the cultivation
Soil Reqirements
• Prefers - deep well drainedsandy loam soilsrich in organic matter
• pH - 6.5 to 7.5. • Adequate soil moisture is essential• Excessive water can result in poor growth and
root disease
Improved verities
LA 33 • Long• Ovoid in shape• Dull dark green in
colour• 10 ridges.
Asiri
• oblong in Shape• About 30 cm long• 10 ridges• Medium green in colour
Planting & Spacing
• The seeds are sown on flat beds or ridges• 2–3 seeds per hole• 50–60 cm apart in the row and 200 cm
between the rows.• Alternatively, seedlings may be raised in
containers and transplanted• About 1.5 kg of seeds is required for a hectare
Irrigation & water Management
• Irrigate the beds before planting the seeds• Daily irrigation requires at seedling stage• Thereafter irrigate once in a week• Required more during dry conditions at
regular intervals, particularly before the flowering period
• At commercial level – Drip irrigation
Fertilizer Management
• NPK fertilizer is applied to:- enhance growth,
flowering and fruit formation
• Apply a dose of 250:100:100 kg NPK/ha
throughout the cropping period
Other management practices
• Normally grown on supports or trellises up to 3 m high
• Lateral stems are pruned if they grow too abundantly
• It promote flower and fruit development, resulting in a higher yield
• For optimal production, the number of fruits per stem may be limited to 20–25
Pollination
• Natural pollination –cross pollination through bees
• If it is does not occur manual pollination is done,
-picking up male flowers and transferring pollens to female flowers- using cotton buds
• This process should be carried out when flowering is active during the daytime
Pests and Diseases
• Most of the time, Luffa is not very susceptible to diseases and pests
• Some diseases are; Powdery mildew (Erysiphe cichoracearum)
Downy mildew (Pseudoperonospora cubensis)• Some reported pests are;
cucurbit beetletrips caterpillarsleaf miners and aphid
Cucumber beetlePowderly mildew
Downy mildew
Control measures
• For pests-– Continuous inspection– Use of pesticides (ex:- Malathion)
• For diseases-Application of fungicides ( ex:- Captan)-Destroy host plants of vectors
Harvesting
For vegetable :-• Young immature fruits of 300–400 g are picked
12–15 days after fruit set• Fruits can be picked every 3 days throughout
the fruiting season -by hand or with a knife
• Individual plants may produce 15–20 fruits• Yield declines after 8–13 weeks of harvesting
For sponge production :-• The fruits are left for two months on the vines
till turning brown
.
For seed production : -• The seeds are shaken out of the completely
dry fruits
Current Status
• Introduction of Makandura variety–Found from Makandura–Perform as well as DOA recommended
verities–Resistance to some pests
• As a export vegetable–By International Food Stuff Company–To New Zealand
THANK YOUPresented by :A.M.N.S.K.Abeysinghe UWU/EAG/11/0005A.P.Kariyawasam UWU/EAG/11/0006
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