Cut tuber enhances growth and propagation efficiency in teasel gourd (Momordica subangulata Blume subsp. renigera)

Teasel gourd is a semi-domesticated vegetable valued for its nutritious, non-bitter, tender fruits. In Kerala, its cultivation remains limited primarily due to the poor availability of quality planting material. A study was conducted (2023–2024) at the Department of Vegetable Science, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, Kerala, to standardise the rooting media and tuber type for propagation. The treatments were factorial combinations of three media (soil + cocopeat + farmyard manure (FYM) in a 1:1:1 ratio, cocopeat + vermicompost in a 1:1 ratio and sand alone) and two types of tubers (cut tuber (3–5 cm²) and whole tuber), arranged in a completely randomised design with four replications. Cut tubers exhibited the earliest sprouting (15.36 days), the highest sprouting and survival percentages (75.83 and 74.83 %, respectively) and the highest shoot length and root length. In contrast, the highest number of shoots (2.97) and roots (42.22) were recorded in whole tubers. Among the potting media, soil + cocopeat + FYM (1:1:1) showed the highest sprouting and survival percentages, which were on par with cocopeat + vermicompost (1:1). Cut tubers planted in soil + cocopeat + FYM (1:1:1) recorded the highest survival percentage (86.50 %), shoot length (158.49 cm), number of leaves (27.83) and root length (31.61 cm) at 45 days after planting (DAP). The study revealed that cut tubers of 3–5 cm² planted in soil + cocopeat + FYM (1:1:1) were the most effective for the production of quality planting material in teasel gourd, which can boost its cultivation on a commercial scale.