Chow chow(Sechium edule); Cucurbitaceae

Green fruited and White fruited.

Requires well drained acidic soil with a pH of 5.5 – 6.5 and thrives best in a temperature range of 18 – 220C and at an altitude of 1200 – 1500m. In plains, it comes up well during winter season.
Dig pits of 45 cm x 45 cm x 45 cm at a spacing of 2.4 x 1.8 m. Fill up the pits with 10 kg of FYM, 250 g of urea, 500 g of superphosphate and 500 g of muriate of potash.

Hills
April – May. Fully matured and sprouted fruits collected from high yielding vines are planted in pits @ 2 –3 per pit.

Hoeing and weeding are done as and when necessary. At initiation of vine growth, stake the plants. Provide pandal at a height of 2m. Prune the plants to ground level during winter from second year after planting. In hills, pruning period is January. Apply 250 g of urea to each vine after pruning and at the time of flowering.

Scales, mealybugs and aphids
 Spray dimethoate 30 EC 1 ml/l.
Fruit fly
1. Collect the affected fruits and destroy.
2. The fly population is low in hot day conditions and it is peak in rainy season. Hence
adjust the sowing time accordingly.

3. Expose the pupae by ploughing.
4. Install cucurbit fruit fly trap @ 4/ acre
5. Neem oil @ 3.0 %
Do not use copper and sulphur dust, as these are phytotoxic

Mosaic
Spray dimethoate 30 EC @ 1.5 ml/l or methyl demeton 25 EC @ 1.5 ml/l thrice at fortnightly intervals to control insect vector.

25 – 35 tonnes/ha

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