ABSTRACT
Sweet gourd is a Southeast Asian fruit found throughout the region from Southern China to Northeastern Australia, mostly Vietnam. It is a nutritious and mildly delicious vegetable that has many medicinal uses. It contains substantial amount of lycopene, beta-carotene and protein. Sweet gourd is a tropical vine plant. However, it can be grown as an annual plant in cooler climates as well. Sweet gourd can be grown on many kinds of soil, out of which, sandy loam or loam soils with high organic matter are the best. A seed rate of 3 to 5 kg is required for raising sweet gourd seedlings enough for planting a hectare area. Generally, a plant produces about 30 to 50 fruits in one season weighing about 3 to 5 kg, which comes out to be 50 to 80 quintal per hectare. Self-fertilization in dioecious plants has been made possible through modifying flower sex by applying growth regulators.
