Cultivation

Bottle gourd rootstock

Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl.

Lagenaria siceraria is used as a highly effective rootstock for cucurbits, providing resistance to Fusarium wilt and root rots, as well as the ability of the root system to function at low soil temperatures.

In the reference 7 varieties crop Calabash, where this is mentioned in the description.

Lagenaria is characterized by high cold tolerance: its root system is capable of actively absorbing nutrients at soil temperatures of 6–8°C, whereas under these conditions, watermelon development ceases or root death occurs. The rootstock possesses genetic resistance to Fusarium wilt and root rots and is also moderately resistant to root-knot nematodes.

Grafting onto Lagenaria promotes early ripening of watermelon fruits by 10–15 days and increases yield. Compared to interspecific squash hybrids, Lagenaria provides better fruit quality, including higher sugar content. Compatibility with scions is high, although when using melon, specific rootstock genotypes must be selected to ensure effective graft union.

Technologically, Lagenaria as a rootstock requires accounting for seed coat density, which causes delayed germination and necessitates preliminary preparation. When grafting using approach or hole-insertion methods, removing the Lagenaria growth point allows resources to be directed exclusively toward scion development, eliminating competition for nutrients.

General information about the subject — on the page Scion.

Sources8

Varieties of Calabash mentioned in the description

Selection based on the description text, not on official evaluation: these data are absent from registers. For specific variety details, please refer to its profile.