Swarna Rekha

Swarna Rekha is a pointed gourd variety released by the ICAR Research Complex for Eastern Region (RCER), Ranchi, distinguished from its sister release Swarna Alaukik by a striped rind — its elongated green fruit carries distinct light stripes rather than a plain unstriped skin. It shares the soft-seed trait valued across the Swarna series and is noted for good shelf life after picking, which has helped it become one of the more widely grown named parwal varieties across the eastern belt, from Bihar and Jharkhand through Odisha and West Bengal into eastern Uttar Pradesh. As with all pointed gourd, it is propagated vegetatively from vine or root cuttings and needs male cuttings interplanted for pollination, since the plant is dioecious.

Plant typeVine/root cutting
MaturityFirst harvest ~3–4 months after planting
Yield potential15–20 t/ha
Disease resistanceNo special resistance widely documented
SoilLoam
SeasonAll seasons

• Seed rateVegetatively propagated — about 2,000–2,500 cuttings/ha, roughly 10% male cuttings interplanted for pollination
• SpacingPits 2–3 m apart on an overhead bower

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

• Bihar
• Jharkhand
• Odisha
• West Bengal
• Uttar Pradesh

• Swarna Alaukik

  Released by ICAR Research Complex for Eastern Region, Ranchi. Light greenish, unstriped, elongated fruit with soft flesh and soft seeds, suited to both table use and sweet preparations, on a heavy-bearing vine.

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• Swarna Suruchi

  A third ICAR RCER, Ranchi release alongside Swarna Alaukik and Swarna Rekha — light greenish, unstriped fruit with soft flesh and seeds, bred for heavy yield and good eating and processing quality.

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• Rajendra Parwal-1

  A clonal selection from Dr Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa, Bihar, developed for the state's eastern Gangetic plain conditions with light-green fruit and a heavy-bearing vine.

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• Rajendra Parwal-2

  A later, high-yielding clonal release from the same Bihar university, distributed to farmers as part of state high-value horticulture programmes. Small, light-green fruit (about 25–30 g each) borne heavily — 150–175 fruit per vine.

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• Faizabad Parwal-1

  Released by Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology (NDUAT), Faizabad, for Uttar Pradesh and adjoining Bihar. Attractive, round, green fruit on a well-established commercial variety across the region.

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• Faizabad Parwal-4

  Also from NDUAT, Faizabad. Light-green, spindle-shaped fruit with tapering ends, specifically recommended for bower (pole) cultivation and noted for tolerating reclaimed sodic soils better than most named varieties.

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