Pusa Do Mausami

Pusa Do Mausami is a long-standing open-pollinated bitter gourd from ICAR-IARI, New Delhi. Its name means "two seasons": it can be sown for both the summer crop (January–February) and the rainy-season crop (June–July). The fruit is long, tapering, dark green, about 18 cm, with medium tubercles and a moderate bitterness. It is a dependable general-purpose karela for the northern plains, giving steady yields over a two-to-three-month picking period, and because it is open-pollinated, farmers can save their own seed.

Plant typeOpen-pollinated
MaturityFirst pick ~60–65 days
Yield potential12–14 t/ha
Disease resistanceNo special resistance; standard fruit-fly and mildew watch
SoilLoam
SeasonZaid / summer

• Sowing timeSummer crop January–February (after frost); rainy-season crop June–July
• Seed rate4–6 kg/ha (about 1.6–2.4 kg/acre); soak the seed 24 hours before sowing
• SpacingRows 1.5–2.0 m apart, hills 0.5–1.0 m; train on a bower for a clean, straight fruit and higher yield

Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.

• Uttar Pradesh
• Punjab
• Haryana
• Delhi
• Bihar

• Pusa Vishesh

  An IARI open-pollinated variety with a compact, less spreading vine and medium-long, dark green, glossy fruit with a mild bitterness — the shorter vine suits closer spacing and smaller plots.

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• Pusa Hybrid-1

  An IARI F1 hybrid bred for higher, more uniform yield, with medium-long, uniform, dark green fruit and vigorous vines — one of the most widely grown karela hybrids in the north.

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• Pusa Hybrid-2

  An IARI F1 hybrid with glossy dark green, slightly less bitter fruit and good early yield, suited to both seasons in the plains — uniform fruit that travels and displays well.

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• Arka Harit

  An ICAR-IIHR (Bengaluru) open-pollinated variety with spindle-shaped, glossy green fruit carrying smooth, regular tubercles and low seed content — popular in the south for its attractive, uniform fruit.

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• Kashi Pragati

  An ICAR-IIVR (Varanasi) open-pollinated variety (also sold as VRBT-77) with medium-long green fruit, early and steady bearing, and wide adaptability across the eastern and northern plains for both seasons.

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• Coimbatore Long (CO-1)

  A TNAU (Coimbatore) selection with extra-long, medium-green fruit up to 30–40 cm and a light bitterness, favoured in Tamil Nadu and the south where a long fruit sells well — best grown on a bower so the fruit hangs straight.

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