Pusa Samridhi
An IARI open-pollinated lauki with long fruit and no neck, listed with better nutritional quality. The national checklist gives 50–55 days, an average of 27 t/ha and 31 t/ha in spring-summer, ahead of Pusa Naveen by 19% in spring-summer and 14% in the rainy season.
Quick facts
- Type
- Open-pollinated
- Season
- Zaid / summer
- Maturity period
- First pick about 50–55 days
- Expected yield
- 27–31 t/ha
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Disease resistance
- No special resistance claimed
- Release
- Released by ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Pusa Samridhi is an open-pollinated bottle gourd from ICAR-IARI, New Delhi. The fruit is long and has no neck. The national checklist says it gave 19% more than Pusa Naveen in spring-summer and 14% more in the rainy season, and has better nutritional quality. It matures in 50–55 days. The average yield is about 27 t/ha, with about 31 t/ha in spring-summer. It is recommended for the NCR. Because it is open-pollinated, farmers can save their own seed.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Pusa Samridhi if you farm near Delhi-NCR and want an open-pollinated lauki that is listed 19% ahead of Pusa Naveen in spring-summer and 14% ahead in the rainy season, with long neckless fruit in 50–55 days. You can save seed. Choose Pusa Naveen if you want the older, better-known variety. Choose Kashi Bahar or Pusa Hybrid-3 if you will pay for hybrid seed for more yield.
Sowing & cultivation
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Long fruit with no neck, and better nutritional quality per the national checklist
- Listed ahead of Pusa Naveen by 19% in spring-summer and 14% in the rainy season
- Open-pollinated, so seed can be saved
Things to consider
- No special disease resistance — manage the melon fruit fly and mildews
- 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
- Madhya Pradesh
- Punjab
- Haryana
Turn the 19% and 14% into your own number
The checklist puts Pusa Samridhi 19% ahead of Pusa Naveen in spring-summer and 14% ahead in the rainy season. If Pusa Naveen gives you 35 t/ha, a 19% gain would be about 6.7 t/ha more, and a 14% gain about 4.9 t/ha more. That is the best case.
Test it. Sow one equal strip of each variety on the same day, on the same type of soil, with the same water and spray. Pick both on the same days and weigh the fruit.
If Pusa Samridhi is not at least 10% ahead on your land, the extra effort of changing seed is not worth it.
Can you keep your own planting material?
This is an open-pollinated variety, so seed from a healthy crop of your own can be sown again. Keep seed only from disease-free plants, dry it properly, store it cool and dry, and bring in fresh certified seed every three to four years so the variety does not drift.
How it compares with other varieties
Every Bottle Gourd (Lauki) variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Maturity | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arka Bahar | An open-pollinated lauki with straight, 1 kg, light green fruit that tolerates blossom end rot | First pick ~60–65 days | 40–45 t/ha | Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh |
| Kashi Bahar | A high-yielding F1 lauki with long, straight, 780–850 g fruit for the eastern plains | First pick ~55–60 days | 50–55 t/ha | Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Bihar, Jharkhand |
| Punjab Komal | An early, CMV-tolerant PAU bottle gourd with oblong, light green fruit, about 200 q/acre | First fruit in about 70 days after sowing | About 200 q/acre (about 49 t/ha) | Punjab |
| Pusa Hybrid-3 | An F1 lauki built for easy packing and long-distance transport, recommended for all of India | First pick about 50–55 days | 42.5 t/ha in summer, 47 t/ha in the rainy season | Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra |
| Pusa Naveen | An open-pollinated lauki with straight, 550 g fruit and no crooked neck, for two seasons | First pick ~60–65 days | 35–40 t/ha | Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra |
| Pusa Samridhithis page | An open-pollinated lauki with long, neckless fruit, listed 14–19% ahead of Pusa Naveen | First pick about 50–55 days | 27–31 t/ha | Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana |
| Pusa Sandesh | An open-pollinated round lauki of about 600 g, for kitchens and markets that buy the round type | First pick about 55–60 days in the rainy season, 60–65 days in summer | About 32 t/ha | Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi |
Tools for this crop
The numbers you need next: how much seed to buy, whether the lot germinates, what the fertilizer bill looks like and what Bottle Gourd (Lauki) is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Bottle Gourd (Lauki) plot needs, corrected for the germination of the lot you bought.
- Germination CalculatorTest 100 seeds from the bag before sowing and see whether the lot is fit to sow.
- Seed Variety FinderFilter every Bottle Gourd (Lauki) variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Bottle Gourd (Lauki) into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop CalendarMonth-by-month sowing, weeding, irrigation and harvest dates for Bottle Gourd (Lauki) in your state.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Bottle Gourd (Lauki) rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Bottle Gourd (Lauki) seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
How much better is Pusa Samridhi than Pusa Naveen?
The national checklist says 19% better in spring-summer and 14% better in the rainy season in the release trials. On your farm, expect a smaller and less certain gain, so test a strip beside Pusa Naveen.
What yield should I plan on for Pusa Samridhi?
The checklist gives an average of about 27 t/ha, with about 31 t/ha in spring-summer. Plan on the average. It is lower than the hybrids, which are listed at 42.5 t/ha and above.
How long does Pusa Samridhi take to first picking?
The national checklist gives maturity in 50–55 days. Pusa Naveen is slower, at about 60–65 days.
What does superior nutritional quality mean for Pusa Samridhi?
The checklist says only that it is superior in nutritional qualities, and gives no numbers. Do not promise a specific vitamin or mineral figure to buyers.
Can I save seed from Pusa Samridhi?
Yes, it is open-pollinated. Let the best, longest fruits ripen fully on the vine and take seed from them, keeping the plot away from other lauki.
Sourced from: Checklist of Commercial Varieties of Vegetables (capsicum, carrot, cucumber, bottle gourd, bitter gourd) — TNAU Agritech national bulletin. editorial policy.