Snake Gourd
Wednesday 02 November 2016
Other Local Name : Serpent Gourd, Chchinda, Padwal
Botanical Name : Trichosanthes cucumerina
Family : Cucurbitaceae
Main Use : Vegetables
Other Uses : A popular green vegetable in cuisines of South Asia and Southeast Asia; in recent yeras African are also learning its use and cultivating in their gardens. With some cultivars, the immature fruit has an unpleasant odor and a slightly bitter taste, both of which disappear in cooking. The fruit becomes too bitter to eat as it reaches maturity, but it does contain a reddish pulp that is used in Africa as a substitute for tomatoes.[ The shoots, tendrils, and leaves are also eaten as greens.
Know More
The common name "snake gourd" refers to the narrow, twisted, elongated fruit. The soft-skinned immature fruit can reach up to 150 cm (59 in) in length. Its soft, bland, somewhat mucilaginous flesh is similar to that of the luffa and the calabash.
Snake gourd is a vegetable of summer season . It may be sown at any time between February to June.Field duration is about five months. Time may vary depending on variety and weather.Excepting two to three months during winter season snake gourd may be grown at any time in Bangladesh. It is suitable for any type of soil. However, it grows best in loamy soil rich in organic matter.
BADC has been multiplying the seeds of a variety named ' Jhum long'. It's fruits are long and blue-green in color. There are many varieties of snake gourd grown in bangladesh including Tista,Turag, Shurma,Rupsha,etc.
Seed rate :3-4 kg per hectare (16-20 grams/decimal ).