The local growers earn extra income from a manageable scale bottle gourd cultivation in Kula village, Kyaukse township, Mandalay.
The bottle gourds are growing with natural fertilizer cow dung. The plants of calabashes are raised at least three feet away from each other to have fresh air and enough sunlight.
If the bottle gourds are to be cultivated, the seeds must be germinated to prevent death. Each acre of bottle gourd contains 1,000 plants. The fruits could yield 45 days after growing. The bottle gourds are sold for K300 or K500 per piece depending upon the size. The fruits could be harvested up to 2 months.
The bottle gourds are water-loving plants that need to be irrigated to keep the soil moist. The fruits could yield on alternate days, and the growers could earn daily family income. The bottle gourd is a crop that should be grown, said U Myo Myint, a local grower from Kula village. —Thet Maung (Kyaukse)/GNLM
