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Occurrence of Gymnopetalum cochinchinense (Lour.) Kurz. (Apolka) in Garo

Hills of Meghalaya, India

Ornella K Sangma1, Arindam Barman

2, Chinky M Marak

3 and Cheana S Sangma

4

1 PG Scholar, Department of Horticulture, North-Eastern Hill University, Meghalaya, India

2Assistant Professor, Department of Horticulture, North-Eastern Hill University, Meghalaya, India

3 JRF, Department of Horticulture, North-Eastern Hill University, Meghalaya, India

4 PG Scholar, Department of Horticulture, North-Eastern Hill University, Meghalaya, India

Corresponding author: Ornella K Sangma

Abstract

Gymnopetalum cochinchinense (Lour.) Kurz. (Apolka) occurs widely in all the parts of Garo Hills

of Meghalaya. Twenty (20) germplasm lines of Apolka were collected from different parts of Garo

Hills of Meghalaya. All twenty (20) germplasms were characterized based on eight (8) qualitative

and three (3) quantitative traits. The accession GC 4 had the maximum fruit length, fruit weight

and number of seeds per fruit. Considering the importance of this crop in livelihood of local

population the aim of this paper is to provide information on occurrence and variation among

various qualitative and quantitative traits of Apolka found in Garo Hills of Meghalaya. Keywords: Apolka, Gymnopetalum cochinchinense, Garo Hills, Meghalaya, Qualitative trait,

Quantitative trait.

I. INTRODUCTION

Meghalaya is blessed with unique flora and is considered to be the home of many vegetables

which remain underutilized. The state of Meghalaya consists of three hills viz. the Khasi Hills, the

Jaintia Hills and the Garo Hills. All these three hills have distict agro-climatic conditions. The

proposed research was conducted in the Garo Hills region of Meghalaya, India. The Garo Hills lies

between 25º 9’ and 26º 1’ North latitudes covering an area of 81,689 sq km. The Garo Hills of

Meghalaya is further divided into 5 districts. The Garo Hills region of Meghalaya are rich in

diversity of different cucurbits (Cucurbita sp., Sechium sp., Lagenaria sp., Benincasa sp. etc) and a

lot of variability is found among the different cultivars and unknown lines of these crops. Cucurbits

are most nutritive and widely spread in the Garo Hills of Meghalaya, India [3]. Different cucurbits

found in the Garo Hills of Meghalaya have significant diversity with respect to morphological traits

of plants, fruit shape, fresh colour etc and also in terms of flowering and fruiting, yield etc. The geo

climatic situation of Meghalaya offers an ideal scope for cultivating different types of horticultural

crops. Gymnopetalum cochinchinense (Lour.) Kurz. is one of the underutilized vegetable which

occurs widely in Garo Hills of Meghalaya and belongs to the family cucurbitaceae.

In Garo Hills of Meghalaya it is locally known as Apolka and is a popular vegetable crop

among the local people. The immature fruits are edible and bitter in taste. Apolka is maintained by

the local growers or farmers of Meghalaya unscientifically and very less scientific literature is

available with regard to proper evaluation or characterization or documentation of these lines from

this region and hence by carrying out the systematic study on qualitative and quantitative traits of

diferent germplasm lines of this crop found in different districts of Garo Hills of Meghalaya will

enable us to understand scientifically more on this crop.

International Journal of Applied and Pure Science and Agriculture (IJAPSA)

Volume 02, Issue 04, [April - 2016] e-ISSN: 2394-5532, p-ISSN: 2394-823X

@IJAPSA-2016, All rights Reserved 12

II. MATERIALS AND METHODS

A survey was conducted in various parts of Garo Hills of Meghalaya, India to explore the

occurrence of Gymnopetalum cochinchinense (Lour.) Kurz. (Apolka). After the survey, twenty (20)

germplasm lines of Gymnopetalum cochinchinense (Lour.) Kurz. (Apolka) were collected from

different districts of Garo Hills, Meghalaya, India. Each germplasm lines were assigned an accession

number (Table. 1). The collected germplasms were characterized based on the NBPGR (National

Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, New Delhi, India) descriptors. Various qualitative traits taken

under study were fruit skin colour, fruit shape, fruit surface, fruit skin lustre, blossom end fruit shape,

bitterness, seediness and seed lustre and various quantitative traits taken under study were fruit

length, fruit weight and number of seeds per fruit.

Table 1. Collection of Apolka Germplasms from Garo Hills of Meghalaya, India

III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Gymnopetalum cochinchinense (Lour.) Kurz. (Apolka) is widely distributed in North Eastern

part of India, China, Phillipines, Bangladesh and Malaysia [2]. From the study it was found that the

Apolka plants are trailing in nature, dioecious in sex form and have tendrils. The plant have hairy

stems, leaves are 4-5cm long and reniform, flowers are white in colour, fruits are green to dark green,

elliptical, ribbed and bitter in taste. Seeds are small and brownish black in clour. A similar report is

also available for Gymnopetalum cochinchinense (Lour.) Kurz. germplams from Bangladesh [1].

Table 2. Quantitative traits of twenty (20) germplasm lines of Apolka

SL

No.

GERMPLASM

ACCESSION NO.

FRUIT LENGTH

(cm)

FRUIT WEIGHT

(g)

NUMBER OF

SEEDS PER

FRUIT

1. GC 1 4 0.030 26

2. GC 2 3.5 0.030 22

3. GC 3 4.3 0.030 26

4. GC 4 5.0 0.050 30

SL

NO.

GERMPLASM

ACCESSION NO.

PLACE SL

NO.

GERMPLASM

ACCESSION NO.

PLACE

1. GC 1 Adokgre 11. GC 11 Garobada

2. GC 2 Amindagre 12. GC 12 Jengjal

3. GC 3 Ampanggre 13. GC 13 Melim

4. GC 4 Anogre 14. GC 14 Okapara

5. GC 5 Bismagre 15. GC 15 Rongram

6. GC 6 Boldamgre 16. GC 16 Selsella

7. GC 7 Danakgre 17. GC 17 Songsak

8. GC 8 Darichikgre 18. GC 18 Tebronggre

9. GC 9 Dengasi 19. GC 19 Wakagre

10. GC 10 Dengnakpara 20. GC 20 Williamnagar




5. GC 5 4.0 0.020 22

6. GC 6 3.4 0.020 25

7. GC 7 3.8 0.030 20

8. GC 8 4.2 0.020 26

9. GC 9 3.8 0.030 22

10. GC 10 4.2 0.010 25

11. GC 11 3.1 0.020 20

12. GC 12 3.3 0.010 20

13. GC 13 3.5 0.020 18

14. GC 14 3.1 0.030 20

15. GC 15 4.3 0.020 22

16. GC 16 3.2 0.020 17

17. GC 17 3.1 0.020 22

18. GC 18 3.0 0.010 18

19. GC 19 4.1 0.020 20

20. GC 20 3.5 0.020 18

A range of variation was observed among twenty (20) germplasm lines of Gymnopetalum

cochinchinense (Lour.) Kurz for different quantitative traits like fruit length, fruit weight and number

of seeds per fruit. Fruit length was found to be maximum in accession GC 4 (5.0 cm) followed by

accession GC 3 (4.3 cm) and accession GC 15 (4.3 cm) and the least was observed in accession GC

18 (3.0 cm). Accession GC 4 (0.050 gram) had the maximum fruit weight and accession GC 10

(0.010 gram), GC 12 (0.010 gram) and GC 18 (0.010 gram) had the least fruit weight. The number of

seeds per fruit was found to be maximum in accession GC 4 (30) and least in accession GC 16 (17).

From the study it was found that the accession GC 4 had the maximum fruit length, fruit weight and

number of seeds per fruit.

Figure 1. Different Germplasm lines of Aploka

GC 4




GC 10

GC 12

GC 18

GC 4 (Plant)

Table 3. Qualitative traits of twenty (20) germplasm lines of Apolka

SL.

NO

GERMPLASM

ACCESSION

NO.

FRUIT

SKIN

COLOUR

FRUIT

SHAPE

FRUIT

SURFACE

FRUIT SKIN

LUSTRE

BLOSSOM

END FRUIT

SHAPE

FRUIT

BITTERNESS

SEEDINESS SEED

LUSTRE

1. GC 1 Green Elliptical Ribbed Intermediate Acute Strong High Matt

2. GC 2 Dark

Green

Elliptical Ribbed Intermediate Acute Strong Medium Matt

3. GC 3 Green Elliptical Ribbed Intermediate Acute Moderate High Matt

4. GC 4 Green Elliptical Ribbed Intermediate Acute Moderate High Matt

5. GC 5 Dark

Green

Elliptical Ribbed Intermediate Acute Moderate Medium Matt

6. GC 6 Dark Elliptical Ribbed Intermediate Acute Strong Medium Matt




Green

7. GC 7 Green Elliptical Ribbed Intermediate Acute Strong Medium Matt

8. GC 8 Green Elliptical Smooth Intermediate Acute Strong High Matt

9. GC 9 Green Elliptical Smooth Intermediate Acute Strong Medium Matt

10. GC 10 Dark

Green

Elliptical Ribbed Intermediate Acute Moderate Medium Matt

11. GC 11 Dark

Green


12. GC 12 Dark

Green


13. GC 13 Dark

Green

Elliptical Smooth Intermediate Acute Moderate Medium Matt

14. GC 14 Dark

Green

Elliptical Smooth Intermediate Acute Strong Medium Matt

15. GC 15 Green Elliptical Ribbed Intermediate Acute Moderate Medium Matt






Among the different qualitative traits, fruit shape (elliptical), fruit skin lustre (intermediate),

blossom end fruit shape (acute) and seed lustre (matt) showed similarity in all the twenty (20)

germplasm lines of Gymnopetalum cochinchinense (Lour.) Kurz. collected from different districts of

Garo Hills, Meghalaya. Main variation with respect to the qualitative traits was found for the traits

like fruit colour (dark green-green), fruit surface (ribbed-smooth), bitterness (strong-moderate) and

seediness (medium-high) in all the twenty (20) germplasm lines of Gymnopetalum cochinchinense

(Lour.) Kurz.

IV. CONCLUSION

The study revealed the occurrence of underutilized cucurbitaceous vegetable, Gymnopetalum

cochinchinense (Lour.) Kurz (Apolka) in different parts of Garo Hills of Meghalaya, India and the

germplasm lines of Gymnopetalum cochinchinense (Lour.) Kurz (Apolka) of this region showed a

range of variability based on various quantitative and qualitative traits. As it is an underutilized

vegetable, no such conservation practices have been followed for this crop. Further study in this crop

would help in conserving the gene pool and to explore its genetic and nutritional potential and also

for its improvement.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

[1] Shaikh (2012) http//.GYMNOPETALUM%20COCHINCHINENSE%20 (Lour.) Kurz.html (Accessed on

01/02/2016).

[2] De Wilde WJJO and Duyfjes BEE (2006) Review of the genus Gymnopetalum (cucurbitaceae) BLUMEA 51, 281-

296. DOI 10.3767/000651906X622229.

[3] Hore, D.K. 2001. North East India- A hot-spot for agrodiversity. Summer school on agriculture for hills and

mountain ecosystem, 361-362.

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