Optimizing bottle gourd and luffa gourd production in greenhouses through vine management and insect pollination

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

The subtropical bottle gourd and luffa gourd cucurbits are grown for their immature fruits as vegetables. Both crops are not locally grown in Ontario. However, all major Canadian supermarkets carry these vegetables. The present project is aimed to introduce bottle and luffa gourds to the Canadian agriculture for domestic and international consumption. Other cucurbits (pumpkin, squash and cucumber) are grown in Canada, suggesting that bottle and luffa gourds could also be produced here. OMTEC Inc is working closely with the greenhouse industry in Ontario to develop heat, power and carbon dioxide delivery systems. This company is expanding its activities to include the cultivation of bottle and luffa gourds and is partnering with the University of Guelph to evaluate the potential of commercial production of these vegetables and resolve production constraints. With funding from an NSERC Engage grant, and in collaboration with OMTEC Inc., we developed hydroponic production systems in rockwool slabs for both bottle gourd and luffa in a greenhouse at the University of Guelph. A screen of 15 luffa and 5 bottle gourd varieties showed that there was variation in their potential to produce of commercial quality fruit. It also identified that vine management and the lack of a good pollination system for bottle gourds as significant barriers to commercialization of these crops. Therefore, the objectives of the proposed work are to: 1) develop effective vine management systems for luffa and bottle gourd, and 2) evaluate effectiveness of nocturnal insects, such as moths, as pollinators for bottle gourds. The work will test different training systems and pruning techniques to determine which are effective in maintaining the vines in a productive state with appropriate plant architecture for harvesting the fruit. Nocturnal moths, like the tomato hornworm, will tested for their effectiveness in pollinating bottle gourds. The results will be shared with OMTEC Inc to allow them to develop long term strategies for producing these vegetables at their facilities in Ridgetown, Ontario. The addition of two new vegetables will increase the choice of locally grown vegetables to consumers and will add to the choice of crops that can be grown in rotation in greenhouses.