Momordica charantia (Karela)
(2n = 28 Dioecious species)
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Spermatophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Dicotyledonae
Order: Violales
Family: Cucurbitaceae
Genus: Momordica
Species: Momordica charantia
Introduction
Momordica charantia, known as bitter melon, bitter gourd, bitter
squash, or balsam-pear, is a tropical and subtropical vine of the family
Cucurbitaceae, widely grown in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean for its edible
fruit. Its many varieties differ substantially in the shape and bitterness of
the fruit. It is
grown for its immature tuberculate fruits which have a unique bitter
taste. Fruits are considered as a rich
source of vitamins and minerals and 88 mg vitamin C per 100 g. Fruits are used after cooking and delicious
preparations are made after stuffing and frying. During periods of glut in market, fruits are
sliced, partially boiled with salt and dried under direct sunlight and stored
for months. This is used after frying.
Bitter gourd fruits have medicinal value and are used for curing diabetes, asthma, blood diseases and rheumatism. Drinking fresh bitter gourd juice is recommended by naturopaths. Roots and stem of wild bitter gourd are used in many ayurvedic medicines.
Bitter gourd fruits have medicinal value and are used for curing diabetes, asthma, blood diseases and rheumatism. Drinking fresh bitter gourd juice is recommended by naturopaths. Roots and stem of wild bitter gourd are used in many ayurvedic medicines.
International Common Names
English: balsam apple; balsam pear;
bitter balsam apple; bitter cucumber; bitter melon; carilla gourd; paria; wild
balsam-apple
Spanish: achochilla; archicha;
balsamina; carilla; cundeamor; estropajo; pepinillo
French: margose; margose a piquant;
momordique a feuilles de vigne; pomme de merveille
Portuguese: melao de Sao Caetano
Origin and distribution
Bitter
gourd is of old world origin and is a native of tropical Asia, particularly in
the Indo Burma region. It is widely
grown in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, China and tropical Africa.
Botany
Genus
Momordica, to which bitter gourd belongs, has the following four species.
·
M. charantia (cultivated bitter gourd)
·
M. charantia var. muricata (Highly bitter and small fruited wild bitter gourd)
·
M. dioica (kakrol, spine gourd)
·
M. cochinchinensis (sweet gourd of Assam)
·
M. balsamina – Immature fruits are used as vegetable or picked.
M.
charantia is propagated through seeds and is monoecious. M. dioica and M.
cochinchinensis are propagated through underground tubers and are dioecious in
nature. Both species have small fruits
covered with spines.
Bitter
gourd is a monoecious annual climber with duration of 100-120days. Leaves are palmately 5-9 lobed. Flowers are axillary with long pedicel and
are yellow in colour. Stamens are 5 in
number with free filaments and united anthers.
Stigma is divided. Fruit is
pendulous, fusiform, ribbed with numerous tubercles. Bitterness of fruit is due to the presence of
an alkaloid, Momordicin. Anthesis is
from 4.00 a.m. to 7.00 a.m. Anther
dehiscence takes place in between 5.00 a.m. and 7.30 a.m. Stigma is receptive 24 hours before and after
anthesis.
Climate
and soil
Bitter
gourd is a warm season crop with wide adaptability. Ideal temperature for its growth and
flowering is 25-30 degree C. Crop can be
grown even in places of slightly lower temperature and high rainfall
areas. Production of female flowers,
fruit set and growth of plant are seen affected above 35oC and will be
susceptible to viral infections. As
seeds have a hard seed coat, germination is affected below 10oC.
Well
drained and fertile sandy loam or silt loam is ideal for the crop.
Season
In
hills, the crop is sown during April-May. In plains where season is early,
bitter gourd is sown during January-March.
In states where winter is late and prolonged, sowing is done in
February-March. In areas where winter is
mild, crop is sown throughout the year.
Land preparation and sowing
Preparation
of land, sowing and other cultural practices for bitter gourd is similar to
that of cucumber except that bitter gourd is trained to bower or cut branches
of trees. Land is ploughed to a fine
tilth and pits of 60 cm diameter and 30-45 cm depth are made at a spacing of
2.0-2.5 x 2.0 – 2.5 m. well rotten
farmyard manure at 20-25 ton/ha is applied in pits and filled with top soil up
to 3/4th height and 4-5 seeds are sown in each pit @ 5.0-6.0 kg/ha. Since
bitter gourd seeds have a hard seed coat, soak 2-3 months old seeds overnight
in cold water. Seeds are then stored in
moist cloth and kept for one or two days for germination. Seeds immediately after germination are sown
in pits. Mechanical scarification is
effective for germination of seeds soon after harvest.
Irrigation
Bitter
gourd cannot tolerate drought or water stagnation. Frequent irrigation at 2-5 days interval especially at fruiting
stage is necessary for high yield. Under
Kerala condition, crop is irrigated at 3-4 days interval during initial stage
and at alternate days during fruiting.
Manures and fertilizer
application
In
addition to 20-25 t/ha of farmyard manure, a fertilizer dose of 70 kg N, 25 kg
P2O5 and 25 kg K2O / ha is recommended.
Initial dose of farmyard manure is applied in pits and incorporated with
top soil. Apply 1/3rd N and full dose of
P and half dose of K either just before sowing or 10-15 days after sowing as
basal dose. ½ K can be applied 45 days
after sowing. Remaining fertilizers can
be applied in several split doses (5-6) at fortnightly intervals. Since bitter gourd is harvested frequently,
fertilizer also should be applied in several splits.
Drenching
pits with cow dung slurry at fortnightly intervals, top-dressing with poultry
manure and organic cakes are practiced by bitter gourd farmers.
Application of
fertilizers:
Apply
10 k of FYM per pit (20 t/ha) 100 g of NPK 6:12:12 per pit as basal and 10 g of
N per pit 30 days after sowing.
Interculture
Being
a shallow rooted crop, deep intercultural operations should be avoided. Land, particularly pits, should be kept
weed-free by frequent hand weeding, hoeing and light earthing up along with application
of fertilizers. Excess lateral branches,
if any, may be pinched off for allowing plants to reach bower height at the
earliest. Erect bower when plant starts
vining. Plants may be trailed to bower
by erecting small twigs in pits.
Erection of bower or pandal is a costly operation and nearly 20% of cost
of production is for making bower alone.
Height of bower is adjusted as 2 m and is usually made of bamboo poles,
G1 wire and thin coir or plastic wire.
Bower once erected can be utilized for raising at least three crops.
Plant growth regulators
Application
of several plant growth regulators like MH (50-150 ppm), CCC (50-100 ppm), Ethrel (150 ppm), silver
nitrate (3-4 ppm), boron (3-4 mg/ha) at 2-leaf stage and 4 leaf stage increases
the female flowers and yield in bitter gourd.
Soaking of seeds with Ethrel or boron (3-4 mg/kg) also increases yield
in bitter gourd.
Harvesting
Harvesting
starts 55-60 days after sowing. Picking
is done when fruits are fully grown but still young and tender. Seeds should not be hard at the time of
harvest. From a good crop, 15-20
harvests are possible and harvesting is done twice a week. If fruits are allowed to ripen on vines,
further bearing is adversely affected.
Fruits
after harvest are packed in thin gunny bags or directly packed in tempo and
marketed. Since keeping quality of
fruits is less, fruits should be marketed without any delay to nearby markets
on the same day itself. Otherwise
tubercles will be dropped and freshness and appearance of fruits will be
adversely affected.
Yield:
11-25 t/ha.
Seed Production
For
seed purpose, fruits are harvested when fruits turn yellow in colour. Seeds along with red placenta are rubbed
against a hard surface and washed in running water and dried under shade. Seed yield: 200-250 kg/ha.
Summary of Momordica in
Nepal
Variety
|
Harvesting days
|
Yield (M.Ton/Ha)
|
Cultivable Area
|
हरियो करेला
|
90-100
|
20-25
|
Terai and Mid-Hills
|
चन्द्रा
|
48-50
|
19.8
|
Terai and Mid-Hills
|
लक्ष्मी
|
50
|
28
|
Terai and Mid/High Hills
|
पिपल
|
50
|
20.9
|
Terai and Mid/High Hills
|
शिव
|
48-50
|
21.4
|
Terai
|
सेती
|
46-48
|
26.9
|
Terai and Mid/High Hills
|
कोमल
|
48-50
|
35.6
|
Terai and Mid/High Hills
|
गगां
|
40-45
|
24
|
Terai
|
समृद्धि
|
48-50
|
35.8
|
Terai and Mid/High Hills
|
हिरा
|
48-50
|
24.3
|
Terai
|
एन एस ४५३
|
40-50
|
40-45
|
Terai and Mid/High Hills
|
एन एस ४५४
|
40-50
|
40-45
|
Terai and Mid/High Hills
|
एन एस १०२४
|
40-50
|
40-45
|
Terai and Mid/High Hills
|
एन एस ४३१
|
40-50
|
40-45
|
Terai and Mid/High Hills
|
एन एस ४३४
|
40-50
|
44-48
|
Terai and Mid/High Hills
|
एन एस ४३३
|
40-50
|
40-45
|
Terai and Mid/High Hills
|
केशव
|
50
|
28.5
|
Terai and Mid-Hills
|
हरित
|
60-70
|
30-35
|
Terai and Mid-Hills
|
Variety
|
Transplantation Time
|
||
High Hills
|
Mid Hills
|
Terai
|
|
हरियो
करेला
|
Baishak-Jestha
|
Falgun-Chaitra
|
Magh-Jestha
|
कोयम्ब्टुर
लगं
|
Baishak-Jestha
|
Falgun-Chaitra
|
Magh-Jestha
|
कृपर
|
Baishak-Jestha
|
Falgun-Chaitra
|
Magh-Jestha
|
Variety
|
Manures/Fertilizers (RDF, K.g/Ropani)
|
|||
Compost
|
Nitrogen
|
Phosphorus
|
Potassium
|
|
हरियो
करेला
|
1500
|
10
|
6
|
3
|
कोयम्ब्टुर
लगं
|
1500
|
10
|
6
|
3
|
कृपर
|
1500
|
10
|
6
|
3
|
Variety
|
Spacing
|
Seeds/’Berna’/Sprouts
Rate
|
|
Row * Row
|
Plant * Plant
|
Gram or Numbers
|
|
हरियो
करेला
|
150 cm
|
100 cm
|
100 Gram
|
कोयम्ब्टुर
लगं
|
150 cm
|
100 cm
|
100 Gram
|
कृपर
|
150 cm
|
100 cm
|
100 Gram
|