Study of Soil Samples and Pathogens from Two Cucurbita Plantations in Goa

SSawaiker Ranjita¹*, Sangodkar Pratiksha², Gaude Sneha², Gawade Rakshanda² and Phadke Jidnyasa²

¹Associate Professor, Department of Botany, P.E. S’s R. S.N College of Arts and Science Farmagudi Ponda, Goa, India
²B.Sc. Students of Department of Botany, P.E. S’s R. S.N College of Arts and Science Farmagudi Ponda, Goa, India

*Corresponding Author: Sawaiker Ranjita, Associate Professor, Department of Botany, P.E. S’s R.S.N College of Arts and Science Farmagudi Ponda, Goa, India.

Received: April 04, 2018; Published: May 18, 2018

Citation: Sawaiker Ranjita., et al. “Study of Soil Samples and Pathogens from Two Cucurbita Plantations in Goa". Acta Scientific Agriculture 2.6 (2018).

Abstract

  Fertile soil is the most important resource for the entire living world. Apart from providing a solid substratum, soil provides most of necessities to mankind through the plant and animal communities which develop on it. Soil quality protection is a challenging issue for the use of resources in a sustainable way as it is a prime factor for land use, economic development, thereby maintaining soil health. Mankind cannot survive the depletion of this thin crust of loose material. Lot of agricultural activities is dependent on the type of soil. Cucurbits are vegetable crops belonging to family Cucurbitaceae, which primarily comprised species consumed as food worldwide. The family consists of about 118 genera and 825 species. The Present study was carried out by selecting two study sites where Cucurbits are cultivated extensively viz., Sacorda and Farmagudi area in the state of Goa. Cucurbita plantation is the first priority source of income for the farmers of both Farmagudi and Sacorda. The study aimed to understand variations in physico chemical parameters of soil samples from two cucurbita plantations viz., Sacorda and Farmagudi area from Goa where cucurbits are cultivated extensively and to know the type pathogens attacking them.

  Study revealed that the soil samples collected from Farmagudi plantation area showed more variations in physico chemical pa- rameters as well as higher concentration of potassium, electrical conductivity, organic carbon as well as the phosphorus as compared to Scaorda plantation area except for pH which was higher at Sacorda. Cucurbits grown in these areas were affected by aphids, belly rot lesions were caused by fungus Rhizoctonia. High degree of infection was recorded at Sacorda as compared to Farmagudi plantation. This reduced the yield of cucurbits in this area. Mining activities in surrounding areas may be also responsible for reducing the soil fertility and in turn production at Sacorda.

Fertile soil in Farmagudi area and lower degree of infection resulted in more yield at Farmagudi area.

Keywords: Cucurbits; Nutrients; Batrocera cucurbitae; Rhizoctonia; Belly Rot; Aphid

Copyright: © 2018 Sawaiker Ranjita., et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.