Articles
Evaluating the yield potential of luffa (Luffa aegyptiaca), bitter melon (Momordica charantia), and yard-long beans (Vigna unguiculata) for regional suitability in Kentucky
Article number
1460_19
Pages
153 – 160
Language
English
Abstract
This study evaluated the yield potential, morphological traits, and adaptability of three ethnic vegetables: luffa (Luffa aegyptiaca), bitter melon (Momordica charantia), and yard-long beans (Vigna unguiculata) in Kentucky growing conditions.
A field trial was conducted during the 2024 summer season at the Harold R. Benson Research and Demonstration Farm using a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three blocks.
Each crop was treated as an independent experiment with crop-specific spacing, planting density, and management practices.
Luffa had four replicates per block, while bitter melon and yard-long bean, each comprising two cultivars, had eight replicates per cultivar per block.
All crops were grown on raised beds with black plastic mulch and drip irrigation.
Data on fruit yield and morphology were collected and analyzed separately for each crop.
Luffa exhibited strong regional adaptability, yielding 18.63 kg plant‑1 (≈96,371 fruits ha‑1), substantially exceeding reported global benchmarks of 2.2-4.7 kg plant‑1 (49,421 luffa ha‑1). Bitter melon cultivars ‘Smooth Bitter Melon’ (SBM) and ‘Satsuma Onaga’ (SO) were not statistically different in yield (8.0 and 5.81 kg plant‑1, respectively) (p=0.153). Still, both surpassed the global average range of 3.0-5.3 kg plant‑1. The cultivars exhibited distinct morphological differences, with SBM producing shorter, thicker fruits with more seeds than SO. Yard-long bean cultivar, ‘Purple Long Bean’ (15,909.9 kg ha‑1), yielding within the high end of the global range, significantly outperformed ‘Dolique De Cuba’ (3,350.5 kg ha‑1) (p<0.001). Stink bugs and cucumber beetles were observed primarily on yard-long bean and bitter melon, whereas luffa remained largely pest-free.
These results demonstrate that all three ethnic vegetables are well-adapted to Kentucky’s summer growing conditions, with high yield potential achievable through strategic cultivar selection.
A field trial was conducted during the 2024 summer season at the Harold R. Benson Research and Demonstration Farm using a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three blocks.
Each crop was treated as an independent experiment with crop-specific spacing, planting density, and management practices.
Luffa had four replicates per block, while bitter melon and yard-long bean, each comprising two cultivars, had eight replicates per cultivar per block.
All crops were grown on raised beds with black plastic mulch and drip irrigation.
Data on fruit yield and morphology were collected and analyzed separately for each crop.
Luffa exhibited strong regional adaptability, yielding 18.63 kg plant‑1 (≈96,371 fruits ha‑1), substantially exceeding reported global benchmarks of 2.2-4.7 kg plant‑1 (49,421 luffa ha‑1). Bitter melon cultivars ‘Smooth Bitter Melon’ (SBM) and ‘Satsuma Onaga’ (SO) were not statistically different in yield (8.0 and 5.81 kg plant‑1, respectively) (p=0.153). Still, both surpassed the global average range of 3.0-5.3 kg plant‑1. The cultivars exhibited distinct morphological differences, with SBM producing shorter, thicker fruits with more seeds than SO. Yard-long bean cultivar, ‘Purple Long Bean’ (15,909.9 kg ha‑1), yielding within the high end of the global range, significantly outperformed ‘Dolique De Cuba’ (3,350.5 kg ha‑1) (p<0.001). Stink bugs and cucumber beetles were observed primarily on yard-long bean and bitter melon, whereas luffa remained largely pest-free.
These results demonstrate that all three ethnic vegetables are well-adapted to Kentucky’s summer growing conditions, with high yield potential achievable through strategic cultivar selection.
Authors
S. Thapa Magar, K.W. Pomper, S. Thapa Magar
Keywords
underutilized crops, morphological traits, field trial, ethnic vegetables
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