Abstract Intercropping trial in coconut (Cocos nucifera L), was carried out for generating more income/yield. The experiment was conducted at Coastal Agricultural Research Station (CARS) Farm, PARC, Karachi. The Tori varieties planted ridge gourd (Luffa acutangulla Roxb.) and sponge gourd (Luffa cylindrica L.) under the trail staked and unstaked Tori were grown satisfactory under coconut plot. The results showed that the staked method compared to unstaked had 30-35% increase in yield and also insect pest protection. The yield data recorded showed that staked gave maximum yield. It was also found that the intercropping did not affect the agronomic trails and yield of the coconut, but increase the yield compared to palms alone

Abdul Hameed Solangi

Javeed Akhtar Baloch

M Zafar Iqbal

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Pak. J. Bot., 41(5): 2537-2541, 2009. 
EFFECT OF  VERTICAL  TRAILING  ON VEGETATIVE, 
REPRODUCTIVE AND YIELD OF LUFFA AS INTERCROP  
IN COCONUT FIELD 
 
ABDUL HAMEED SOLANGI*, JAVEED AKHTAR BALOCH* 
AND M. ZAFAR IQBAL** 
 
*Coastal Agricultural Research Station, SARC, PARC, Karachi, Pakistan 
**Department of Botany, University of Karachi, Karachi-75270, Pakistan. 
 
Abstract 
 
 Intercropping trial in coconut (Cocos nucifera L), was carried out for generating 
more income/yield. The experiment was conducted at Coastal Agricultural Research 
Station (CARS) Farm, PARC, Karachi. The Tori varieties planted ridge gourd (Luffa 
acutangulla Roxb.) and sponge gourd (Luffa cylindrica L.) under the trail staked and 
unstaked Tori were grown satisfactory under coconut plot. The results showed that the 
staked method compared to unstaked had 30-35% increase in yield and also insect pest 
protection. The yield data recorded showed that staked gave maximum yield. It was also 
found that the intercropping did not affect the agronomic trails and yield of the coconut, 
but increase the yield compared to palms alone. 
 
Introduction 
 
The sponge gourd and ridged gourd belonging to family Cucurbits are common 
vegetable throughout Pakistan. There is difference in the nutritive value of these two 
species. This crop is an annual of climbing or trailing habit and grown for its fruit, when 
tender is considered a good vegetable. The vegetables constitute an important item of 
human diets, according to a dietician, is 284g per head, i.e. about 20 per cent of the daily 
requirement of the total food of an adult (ICAR, 2004). The dry, fibrous, inner portion of 
the mature fruit of luffa is used for bathing, cleaning utensils, making shoe sales, and also 
as filters in factories (Malik, 1994). According the Pocha & Sons (1952) the fruits when 
ripened form inside a tough fibrous mass which when the seeds and shell removed are 
used for bathing and for scouring cooking utensils. The ridge gourd has longitudinal ribs 
and is light-green in colour. Its seeds are dark black and rough textured. The sponge 
gourd has a smooth, dark green skin, its seeds are white and black.  
Training is an important cultural practice which is done for a lot of horticultural crop. 
This is particularly critical for a cop that possesses heavy foliage which tends to restrict 
light penetration to lower leaves and thus lowers also the photosynthetic efficiency of the 
crop. The dense veining canopy also hampers proper air circulation and enhances high 
humidity that can promote the occurrence and spread of disease. Luffa requires a lot of 
space, so plant seeds in hills spaced 6 feet apart or space plants about 3-4 feet apart in a 
single row. Provide a trellis or plant along a fence. Fruits touching the soil develop decay 
so mulch will be helpful (James, 2003). Two to three seeds are planted per hill, which are 
later thinned to one or two plants per hill. If support is provided for climbing, yield is 
considerably increased (Malik, 1994).  
ABDUL HAMEED SOLANGI ET AL., 2538 
Vertical training or trellising has been reported to improve the yield and quality of 
Cucumber and to aid in the control of its foliar and fruit diseases (Konsier & Strides, 
1973). Improved photosynthetic efficiency has also been cited as one of the possible 
reasons for the observed increased yield (Hanna. et al., 1987). Anjum & Amjad (1999) 
revealed that plant height, number of leaves per plant, number of pods per plant, pod 
length and green pod yield were affected significantly by using different fertilizer 
combination.  
Intercropping of coconut is a way of increasing productivity by planting inter-spaces 
of a coconut farm. Thus using the same land area with no other crop or land area with no 
other crops or land use displaced usually increases crop production per hectares. 
Simultaneous growing of several crops in coconut areas offers several advantages over 
mono-cropping, such as increased utilization , increased productivity per unit area due to 
yield of intercrops and increased coconut production and over all the farm production 
(Magat,1990).  The manure and fertilizer requirements of ridge and sponge gourd grown 
in interspaces of coconuts, the highest yield of the crop and the benefit cost ratio was 
recorded in recommended dose of NPK +50% of FYM. The intercropping also improved 
the yield of coconut palm from70 to 75 nuts per palm per year (Nair & Nair, 2006). 
Pepper on G. sepium gave almost double the yield (nut/palm/year) compared to pepper 
trained on to coconut palms. Coconut yields in the trial area was higher than that of the 
rest of the estate (Anon., 1985). Therefore this study was undertaken to find out the effect 
of different methods on growth and yield of tori in coconut crop under the agro- climatic 
condition of Karachi, Pakistan. 
 
Materials and Methods  
 
The study was conducted at the Coastal Agricultural Research Station, Malir, 
Karachi during the growing season 2006-2007. The experiment was laid out in 
randomized complete block design (RCBD) using 5 different methods alongwith control 
treatment.   
Two cultural methods were used as staked and unstaked treatments. In the staked 
treatment, the main stem of the plant was tied with support post (bamboo). Plastic rope 
was used to connect one support to another for trailing of lateral stems. Spaced the plant 
30cm apart. Three rows (each row length of 10m) were assumed as replicates with a 2m 
distance between rows. All the experiments were designed under coconut crop to observe 
the effect of intercrop on the coconut yield. 
In the unstaked treatment, the plants were allowed to vine on the ground using the 
same plant spacing. The observation were taken on percentage of germination, number of 
leaves every week, vine length, leaf width, length (cm) and number of female flowers on 
the main stem and the lateral stems. 
 The fruits of the selected 5 were plants regularly harvested to determine the number 
and fresh weight of fruits harvested per week. Fresh weight of the fruit after the harvest 
was also determined. Two varieties of Tori (Luffa acutangulla) and spong gourd (Luffa  
gladrica) were used for experiment. The experimental treatments were T1=unstaked, 
T2=staked, T3=Tori on ground (unstaked), T4=Tori and Tori on staked, T5=Tori and 
T6=Tori on ground (unstaked). 
 
EFFECT OF VERTICAL TRAILING OF LUFFA CYLINDRICA IN COCONUT FIELD 2539
Results and Discussion 
 
Both the varieties (L. acutangulla and L. gladrica) performed well at soil pH 8.5. 
The fruit was about 10 to 12cm long when fully grown. It was club shaped and dark 
green in color. Ghiya Turai was smooth and cylindrical. It was about 12 to 15cm long.   
The seeds of two varieties of Tori i.e., smooth and ridge were propagated on staked 
and unstaked methods. It was observed that the staked method was better than unstaked 
method with reference to production of fruits. Table 2 showed the vegetative features 
such as vine length and number of leaves was almost same in staked and unstaked 
methods. Both the varieties smooth and ridge gave higher yield of fruits on staked 
method. The fruit width was greater in staked as compared to unstaked. It was also 
observed that the insect pests attack was less on staked method than unstaked method. 
Smooth luffa fruits were shaped like cucumbers but are larger as 1-2 feet in length 
and 4-5 inches width. The exterior was green, sometimes mottled and smooth with 
longitudinal lines. Fruit of the angled luffa was characterized by sharp, elevated ridges 
running the length of the pods. These results are similar to those of James (2003). The 
expenditure on control measures was less on staked method as compared to unstabled. 
The studies regarding effect of vertical trailing on vegetative growth and yield of Tori 
and Ghiya Turai planted on staked and un-staked methods (Tables 1 and 2) showed that 
the staked method was better as compared to un-staked method. The other vegetative 
parameters like vine length, number of leaves were same in both methods. As far as 
attack of insect pest is concerned, plants grown under staked method were found less 
affected by insect pests. Intercropping of Luffa under coconut plantation indicated that 
the coconut nut production was more as compared to control (Table 3).  
The nut yield data for the year 2006 to 2007 were studied and the nut yield per palm 
for the different applications is given in Table 3. The data indicated a positive effect on 
the yield due to the two Luffa varieties. Four harvest moving average of the nut yield due 
to the Luffa vegetable was compared with the control according to Sreekala & 
Jayachandran (2006). It was concluded that vegetables like Luffa can be intercropped 
with coconut as they did not affect the growth of the palm. It was also proved that a 
profitable venture to augment farmer’s income could be achieved by intercropping. It 
indicated that intercropping did not affect the yield of coconut in those areas where 
sufficient soil water storage and both crops are not properly managed.  
 
Conclusion 
 
Among the different methods, the staked method proved as the best method due to its 
production of longest fruit, height, fruit weight, number of fruit per plant and ultimately 
the highest yield. Results from the intercropping of tori under coconut palm suggest that 
these crops are particularly important as alternate source of income if replanting is under 
way.  It needs further confirmation of the same investigation as the results of the present 
study have been based on the single experiment data.  
 
ABDUL HAMEED SOLANGI ET AL., 2540 
Table 1.  Effect of the staked and unstaked methods on the vegetative  
and yield of Turai (Smooth). 
Staked (Turi) smooth Unstaked (Turi) smooth Characters Mean s.e (±) Mean s.e (±) 
Vine length (cm) 514.6 ± 28.02 877 ± 15.20 
No. of leaves 55.2 ± 2.67 53.2 ± 1.82 
Leaf length (cm) 24.2 ± 1.71 20.56 ± 0.65 
Leaf width (cm) 23.02 ± 0.75 16.28 ± 1.03 
Fruit length (cm) 23.62 ± 1.37 15.86 ± 1.14 
Fruit width (cm) 5.2 ± 0.35 4.62 ± 0.34 
Fruit wt. (g) 163.1 ± 21.69 104.98 ± 8.88 
Fruits/vine (no.) 38.8 ± 5.33 55.2 ± 3.69 
 
Table 2. Effect of the staked and unstaked methods on the vegetative  
and yield of   Tori (Ridge). 
Staked (Turi) Ridge Unstaked (Turi) Ridge Characters Mean s.e (±) Mean s.e (±) 
Vine length (cm) 528.2 ± 21.86 580.2 ± 36.98 
No. of leaves 70.2 ± 3.09 88.4 ± 8.47 
Leaf length (cm) 31 ± 2.34 27.86 ± 7.76 
Leaf width (cm) 25.06 ± 1.69 21 ± 0.88 
Fruit length (cm) 20.26 ± 1.20 12.58 ± 1.20 
Fruit width (cm) 5.98 ± 0.26 4.76 ± 0.40 
Fruit wt. (g) 109.4 ± 8.73 81.56 ± 5.48 
Fruits/vine (no.) 65.2 ± 5.26 53.8 ± 2.17 
 
Table 3. Nut yield of coconut as intercropped with luffa. 
Treatment Control Tori ( Smooth) Tori ( Ridge) 
1 55 72 75 
2 66 78 82 
3 45 85 93 
4 78 90 88 
5 60 84 92 
Total 304 409 430 
Mean 60.8 81.8 86 
SD 12.31 6.94 7.51 
± SE ± 5.52 ± 3.11 ± 3.36 
 
References 
 
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EFFECT OF VERTICAL TRAILING OF LUFFA CYLINDRICA IN COCONUT FIELD 2541
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(Received for publication 10 January 2009) 


EFFECT OF VERTICAL TRAILING ON VEGETATIVE, REPRODUCTIVE AND YIELD OF LUFFA AS INTERCROP IN COCONUT FIELD

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EFFECT OF VERTICAL TRAILING ON VEGETATIVE, REPRODUCTIVE AND YIELD OF LUFFA AS INTERCROP IN COCONUT FIELD

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