Seed Health Management for Better Productivity - Govind Ballabh ...

(Seed Health Management for Better Productivity)Flowering BehaviourCrop Anthesis Dehiscence Availability ofviable pollenReceptivity of stigmaAsh gourd 6-7 hr 3-4 hr 7-16hr 12 hr before to 36 hr afteranthesisBitter gourd 9-10:30hr 7-8 hr 5-12hr 24 hr before to 24 hr afteranthesisBottle gourd 17-20hr 13-14 hr On day ofanthesis till nextmorning36 hr before to 90 hr afteranthesisCucumber 4:30-7 hr 4:30-0hr Up to 14 hr 2 hr before to 2-3 hr afteranthesisMuskmelon 5:30-6:30 hr 5-6 hr 5-14 hr 2 hr before to 2-3 hr afterWater melon 6-7:30 hr 5-6:30 hr 5-11 hr 2 hr before to 3 hr afteranthesisRidge gourd 17-20 hr 17-20 hr On the day ofanthesis till 2-3days afteranthesis in winterand 1.5days inrainy season6 hr before to 84 hr afteranthesisSnake gourd 18-21 hr Shortly beforeanthesis10 hr beforeanthesis to 49 hrafter dehiscenceSpongegourd4-8 hr 4-8 hr On the day ofanthesisPumpkin 3:30-6 hr 21-3 hr 16 hr afteranthesisIrrigationRouging7 hr before to 51 hr afteranthesis10 hr before to 120 hr afteranthesis2 hr before to 10 hr afteranthesisKalloo (1988)If crops grown in summer, required frequent irrigation preferably in the evening.At least 3 timesHarvestingBefore flowering:a. Rouging on basis of leaf size, shape and colour, vigor, bushy or training habit.During flowering and immature fruit stage:a. Check for flower colour, ovary shape, size, and colour, fruit shape and colour of thevariety to be taken in seed production programme.Maturity stage:a. Check the fruits of the seed crop variety, in respect to size. Color and shape.b. During all the three stages wild species plants as well as mosaic affected plants.Invariably be rouged out.Cucurbits should be allowed to reach full maturity stage to get the seed of higher germination. In bottlegourd, sponge gourd and ridge gourd along with some others do not pose problem for maturity but incase of muskmelon and water melon more care needed to harvest only matured fruits.- 90 -