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Evaluation of Luffa (Luffa acutangula (L.) Roxb) varieties under low country intermediate zone of Sri Lanka
By Dewwanthi Karunarathna | January 18, 2008
Luffa (Luffa acutangula) is a popular low country vegetable in Sri Lanka and it is one of the most highly utilized vegetable species in the farming systems of dry and intermediate zones. The existing Luffa varieties in Sri Lanka, recommended by the Department of Agriculture, and the introduced hybrids are vulnerable to pests and diseases and the cost for pest control mainly accounts for the higher production cost of Luffa. Makandura Selection (MK) is a Luffa variety selected from farmer fields and it shows tolerance to fruit fly (Bactrocera cucurbitae (Coquillett)), which is the most serious pest causing high level of economic losses. Therefore, an experiment was conducted at the Regional Agricultural Research and Development Centre, Makandura, to evaluate the performance of Makandura Selection along with the two Department of Agriculture recommended Luffa varieties, Asiri and LA 33. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with four replicates. Evaluation was done based on reproductive, yield and fruit quality parameters. Though the variety LA 33 recorded the significantly highest yield (9.08 t/ha), the higher fruit length (35.02 cm), higher fruit weight (280.5 g) and high fruit firmness (4.38 kg) were not desirable in the context of consumer preference. The variety Asiri recorded a significantly lower yield (7.05 t ha-1) and the lowest fruit firmness (3.89 kg) which are not preferred by the farmers. The variety Makandura Selection showed moderate yields (8.98 t ha-1) and better performance in fruit quality attributes such as lower fruit length (21.7 cm), lower fruit weight (207.2 g) and moderate firmness (4.25 kg). Therefore, the fruit fly tolerant ability, along with these positive fruit characteristics makes Makandura Selection a suitable variety to introduce to the Luffa growers in Sri Lanka after further testing.
R M S S Rajapaksha1, K P D Siriwardana2 and R H M K Ratnayake
Department of Horticulture and Landscape Gardening, Wayamba University of Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka.
Regional Agriculture Research and Development Center (RARDC), Makandura,
Sri Lanka.
Topics: symposium 2006 |