This presentation is done by 2010/2011 batch of Export Agriculture students of Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka as a requirement for the subject which is “Fruit & Vegetable Cultivation”. Note that the information included here is relevant to Sri Lankan condition.

1. LUFFA
(Luffa acutangula L)
Group no 08
Export Agriculture

2. Scientific Classification
• Kingdom: Plantae
• Division: Magnoliophyta
• Class: Magnoliopsida
• Order: Cucurbitales
• Family: Cucurbitaceae
• Species : Luffa acutangula L

3. Introduction
• Belongs to cucurbit family
• Native to Asia and believed to be originated in India
• Can only be eaten when young because mature fruits
become very bitter due to the development of
purgative chemicals
• An annual climbing herb

4. • It is well grown in low country dry zone,
intermediate zone as well as wet zone

5. Uses
• Edible - cooked or fried
Stem tops with young leaves and flower
buds used as leafy vegetable.
Young fruits of cultivars, eaten raw or
pickled.
• Unripe fruit is a good source of calcium, iron ,
phosphorus, vitamin B

6. • Used in indigenous medicine
• Mature fruit used as a bath brush or sponge
• Used as a pesticide in some countries

7. Climatic requirements
• Temperatures 25- 30 0C
– for reasonable (50%) seed germination
– early growth in L. acutangula
• Long days and high temperatures favored the
development of more female flowers
.

8. • Luffa can be cultivated up to 500 AMSL
• Heavy rain is not suitable for the cultivation

9. Soil Reqirements
• Prefers - deep well drained
sandy loam soils
rich in organic matter
• pH - 6.5 to 7.5.
• Adequate soil moisture is essential
• Excessive water can result in poor growth and
root disease

10. Improved verities
LA 33
• Long
• Ovoid in shape
• Dull dark green in
colour
• 10 ridges.

11. Asiri
• oblong in Shape
• About 30 cm long
• 10 ridges
• Medium green in colour

12. Planting & Spacing
• The seeds are sown on flat beds or ridges
• 2–3 seeds per hole
• 50–60 cm apart in the row and 200 cm
between the rows.
• Alternatively, seedlings may be raised in
containers and transplanted
• About 1.5 kg of seeds is required for a hectare

13. Irrigation & water Management
• Irrigate the beds before planting the seeds
• Daily irrigation requires at seedling stage
• Thereafter irrigate once in a week
• Required more during dry conditions at
regular intervals, particularly before the
flowering period
• At commercial level – Drip irrigation

14. Fertilizer Management
• NPK fertilizer is applied to:- enhance growth,
flowering and fruit formation
• Apply a dose of 250:100:100 kg NPK/ha
throughout the cropping period

15. Other management practices
• Normally grown on supports or trellises up to
3 m high
• Lateral stems are pruned if they grow too
abundantly
• It promote flower and fruit development,
resulting in a higher yield
• For optimal production, the number of fruits
per stem may be limited to 20–25

17. Pollination
• Natural pollination –cross pollination through
bees
• If it is does not occur manual pollination is done,
-picking up male flowers and transferring
pollens to female flowers
- using cotton buds

18. • This process should be carried out when
flowering is active during the daytime

19. Pests and Diseases
• Most of the time, Luffa is not very susceptible to
diseases and pests
• Some diseases are;
Powdery mildew (Erysiphe cichoracearum)
Downy mildew (Pseudoperonospora cubensis)
• Some reported pests are;
cucurbit beetle
trips
caterpillars
leaf miners and aphid

20. Cucumber beetle
Powderly mildew
Downy mildew

21. Control measures
• For pests-
– Continuous inspection
– Use of pesticides (ex:- Malathion)
• For diseases
-Application of fungicides ( ex:- Captan)
-Destroy host plants of vectors

22. Harvesting
For vegetable :-
• Young immature fruits of 300–400 g are
picked 12–15 days after fruit set
• Fruits can be picked every 3 days throughout
the fruiting season
-by hand or with a knife
• Individual plants may produce 15–20 fruits
• Yield declines after 8–13 weeks of harvesting

23. For sponge production :-
• The fruits are left for two months on the vines
till turning brown
.

24. For seed production : -
• The seeds are shaken out of the completely
dry fruits

26. Current Status
• Introduction of Makandura variety
–Found from Makandura
–Perform as well as DOA recommended
verities
–Resistance to some pests
• As a export vegetable
–By International Food Stuff Company
–To New Zealand

27. THANK YOU
Presented by :
A.M.N.S.K.Abeysinghe UWU/EAG/11/0005
A.P.Kariyawasam UWU/EAG/11/0006
Export Agriculture