ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the origin and distribution, nutritional composition, medicinal uses, climatic requirement, cultivated varieties, post-harvest management and soil requirement of snake gourd. Snake gourd is cultivated in Southeast Asia, China, Japan, West Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, and tropical Australia. Snake gourd can be grown almost on any type of soil except very heavy soil. The edible part of snake gourd has long immature fruits, which are used both as salad and cooked as vegetable in various ways as well. In snake gourd, population density generally varies from 3500 to 10,000 plants per hectare, depending upon varieties, season of cultivation as well as the cultural methods adopted. The critical stages of irrigation for snake gourd include immediately after seed sowing, active vegetative growth stage, flowering and fruit setting stage as well as fruit development stage. Downy mildew is one of the most destructive foliar fungal diseases attacking the snake gourd and other cucurbits.
