Pusa Naveen
An IARI open-pollinated variety with straight, cylindrical, uniform green fruit about 30–40 cm long and no crook neck, cropping in both seasons — the standard commercial long lauki of the northern plains.
Quick facts
- Type
- Open-pollinated
- Season
- Zaid / summer
- Maturity period
- First pick ~60–65 days
- Seed rate
- 3–5 kg/ha (about 1.2–2 kg/acre); soak seed 24 hours before sowing
- Expected yield
- 35–42 t/ha
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Release
- Released by ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi
About this variety
Pusa Naveen is an open-pollinated bottle gourd from ICAR-IARI, New Delhi, and the standard commercial long lauki of the northern plains. Its fruit is straight, cylindrical, uniform, medium green and about 30–40 cm long, with no crook neck — a shape that packs and sells well. It bears early and crops in both the summer and the rainy season. Being open-pollinated, it lets growers save their own seed.
Key characteristics
Sowing & cultivation
- Seed rate3–5 kg/ha (about 1.2–2 kg/acre); soak seed 24 hours before sowing
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
First pick ~60–65 days
Expected yield
35–42 t/ha
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
Pest & disease considerations
Major diseases
- No special resistance; standard fruit-fly and mildew watch
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Straight, uniform, crook-neck-free long fruit that packs and sells well
- Early bearing; crops in both the summer and the rainy season
- Open-pollinated — seed can be saved
Things to consider
- No special disease resistance — the melon fruit fly and mildews need managing
- Use the ethrel seedling spray to bring female flowers and early yield forward
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Uttar Pradesh
- Punjab
- Haryana
- Delhi
- Bihar