Luffa

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Luffa Links

Angled Luffa

• GPPIS (FAO)
• Purdue University, Indiana

Sponge Luffa

• GPPIS (FAO)
• North Carolina State University

Both

• Thailand
• Purdue University, Indiana
• University of Florida

Species: Luffa acutangula (L.) Roxburgh, Hort. Beng. (angled luffa), Luffa aegyptiaca P. Miller (sponge luffa)

Family: Cucurbitaceae

Crop status: New

Varieties

Traditionally, angled luffa was used for vegetable production and sponge luffa for sponge production, as the latter was more fibrous (Davis and DeCourley 1993). Two distinct hybrid groups of sponge luffa exist: one for eating and one for sponge production (Peter McLaughlin 1999, pers. comm.). Producers around Darwin mostly use open pollinated seed. See Seedquest (angled) and Seedquest (sponge) for a list of seed companies.

Figure 1: Production volume and value of luffa in the Northern Territory 1995/96 (from Lim 1998).

Production

Grown commercially in NSW, NT and Qld (Lee 1995).

Climate: Luffa is suited to lowland humid tropics. Heavy rain is harmful during flowering and fruiting (Lim 1998). It needs a long growing season to mature (Larkcom 1991) but fruit is eaten immature. Producers in Florida plant two crops a year, in autumn and spring (Lamberts 1992). Wild forms of sponge luffa are found in north eastern Australia and the crop easily escapes cultivation, but attempts at large scale commercial production in the tropics have failed. Adapted cultivars are grown as a summer crop in Japan (Jansen et al. 1994).

pH: Optimum range is 5.5-6.7 (Desai and Musmade 1998).

Temperature: Optimum temperature is 25-27° C (Desai and Musmade 1998). The plant is frost sensitive (Jansen et al. 1994).

Daylength: Sensitivity varies with cultivar, with short day, long day, and day neutral varieties existing (Jansen et al. 1994). Generally, smooth luffa is short day and angled luffa is day neutral (Robinson and Decker-Walters 1996).

Soil type: Luffa grows best in well drained sandy loam soil, rich in organic matter (Lim 1998).

Soil preparation: Luffa can be grown on flat ground, without raising into beds (Lim 1998). NPK should be incorporated into the soil before planting (Jansen et al. 1994).

Trellising: Generally grown on 2 m high overhead trellises (see trellis page). Climbers should be trained up the vertical supports (Lim 1998), starting when seedlings are 10-15 cm tall (Desai and Musmade 1998). A trellis of sufficient size can increase yields by 40% (Abusaleha and Dutta 1994). Gourds touching the ground develop fruit rot, discolouration and irregular shapes (Davis 1994).

Plant density: Luffa producers in the Northern Territory plant at 40-60 cm between plants and 1.5 - 2.0 m between rows (Lim 1998), a rate considered optimal by Huyskens et al. (1993). Sow seed at 3.5 - 5.0 kg/ha for angled luffa and 2.5-3.5 kg/ha for smooth luffa (Jansen et al. 1994).

Germination: High temperatures are needed for reasonable seed germination, with 50% germination occurring at 30-35ºC (Huyskens et al. 1993). Seeds should be soaked for 24 hours before sowing, and seedlings emerge after 4-7 days (Jansen et al. 1994).

Transplanting: Use of transplanting results in shorter time to harvest and a greater overall yield. Survival rate of transplants is almost 100%, whereas seed germination is much lower (Davis 1994).

Nutrition: Fertilise with chicken manure and nitrofoska during infancy (Peter McLaughlin 1998, pers. comm.). A nitrogen fertiliser should be used up to the period of fruit formation, but excessive nitrogen coupled with high temperature can reduce female flower numbers (Jansen et al. 1994).

Water: Regular irrigation during dry periods is required (Jansen et al. 1994), though the plant is drought tolerant. Smooth luffa is more resistant to water logging than angled luffa (Robinson and Decker-Walters 1996).

Flowering: Luffa flowers 6-10 weeks after sowing, depending on cultivar, ecology and cultural practice. The proportion of female flowers is increased naturally by long days and high temperatures (Huyskens et al. 1993), chemically by spraying with phytohormones (Table 3), and by pruning lateral branches. Top pruning and partial leaf pruning also promote flower and fruit development (Jansen et al. 1994). These chemicals may also affect fruit weight and sugar content such that a lower rate is optimal (Basu et al. 1994, Susmita and Basu 1997). Hand pollination is best done in the morning if flowers are open (Larkcom 1991), but an Indian study reported them to open at 4 to 4:30 pm (Deshpande et al. 1980). Hand pollination can be avoided either by introducing bee hives or by blowing pollen around with an unloaded mister. Bees don't work in prolonged wet overcast conditions, and pollen can only be blown when it is dry (Peter McLaughlin 1998, pers. comm.). The earliest female flowers are sometimes culled (Robinson and Decker-Walters 1996).

Pruning: Davis (1994) reported slightly lower sponge yields after pruning the main stem at node six ('topping'), and no yield effect from pruning the first four lateral branches. The topping observation is likely to disappear if plants are topped higher.

Harvest: Harvest immature fruit every 3-4 days (Desai and Musmade 1998) at a size of 10-15 x 2-5 cm (Cantwell et al. 1996), 12-15 days after fruit set (Jansen et al. 1994), which occurs 9-13 weeks after planting (Lim 1998). Fruit must be eaten at this stage since the fruit develops purgative chemicals (Yang and Walters 1992) and becomes fibrous as it matures. Sponges are harvested from smooth luffa at maturity, about 4-5 months after planting (Jansen et al. 1994).

Yield: Smooth luffa produces approximately 20-25 fruit per plant, angled luffa about 15-20, both weighing between 0.2 and 0.8 kg/fruit (Jansen et al. 1994). Reports of reasonable yield vary from 3.5 to 5.0 t/ha (Cantwell et al. 1996), to 8-12 t/ha (Jansen et al. 1994). Israeli experiments gave a higher yield when grown on a trellis, reaching 47 t/ha (Huyskens et al. 1993). Yields of sponge quality fruit varies from 48 000 to 77 000 fruit/ha (Robinson and Decker-Walters 1996).

Postharvest

Packaging: Fruit is easily damaged and requires careful wrapping and packaging (Jansen et al. 1994).

Temperature:

• Optimum temperature for the fruit is 10°C (Cantwell et al. 1996), but the optimum temperature for setting refrigeration will be lower, and is different for each set of transport/storage conditions. If air circulation is low, heat will build up in the cartons causing fruit temperature to be higher than air temperature.
• Lower temperatures will minimise quality loss regarding overall weight, sugars and amino acids, but increase chilling damage (Cantwell et al. 1996). Symptoms of chilling injury include discolouration and watery black/brown spots on and under the skin, followed by a serious black rot once fruit has been transferred to 15°C (Zong et al. 1992).

Relative humidity: 85-90% (Cantwell et al. 1996).

Shelf life: A shelf life of up to 3 weeks is possible (Jansen et al. 1994, Lim 1998). Shelf life can be improved by dipping fruit in 50 mg/L benzyl adenine (Kumar et al. 1988).

Fruit is very perishable after harvest, with common defects including over maturity, seed development, dehydration and hardening of the peel, loss of green colour, damage to ridges and chill injury in the form of discolouration, sunken areas and decay (Cantwell et al. 1996).

Processing

Sponges are made by immersing a sponge luffa in running water until the rind dissolves, then washing out the pulp and seeds and bleaching with hydrogen peroxide, then drying in the sun (Jansen et al. 1994).

Pests / Diseases

The plant is quite resistant, with little damage during an infection Pests include powdery mildew (Erysiphe cichoracearum), downy mildew (Pseudoperonospora cubensis) and fruit fly (Dacus spp.) (Jansen et al. 1994). Fruit fly and beetles were controlled with Roger, fungal infections controlled with Copper Oxychloride (2 g/L) with Mankoyeb (4 g/L) and Cinetrol oil (wetticide) (Peter McLaughlin 1998, pers. comm.). Potential viruses are listed at Plant viruses online (Brunt et al. 1996). See also Hawaiian pests & diseases.

Figure 2: High and low prices of luffa at Flemington Markets during 1996 (green), 1997 (blue) and the first half of 1998 (red), recorded on a half monthly basis (Flemington Market Reporting Service, NSW Agriculture).

Domestic market

Development potential was rated as high for the fresh domestic market (Vinning 1995, Lee 1996). Melbourne is supplied year round from Queensland and the Northern Territory, and prices are quite stable (Chew and Morgan 1996). At $1.50 - $1.80 across the season, price is low but yield is high (Peter McLaughlin 1998, pers. comm.).

Export market

(click here for exchange rates).

Exports are limited by problems with postharvest preservation and handling damage (Vinning 1995).

Japan is the main exporter of sponges, followed by Brazil, and USA is the main importer (Jansen et al. 1994).

Throughput and prices are both increasing in Taipei, reaching NT$23/kg and 10 500 tons in 1994 (Vinning 1995).

Malaysia planted 1 181 ha in 1994 (Lim 1998).

Thailand planted 5 080 ha in 1987 (Lim 1998).

The Philippines produced 8 055 tons in 1987 (Lim 1998).

Chinese use luffa for a range of medicinal purposes (see Yang and Walters 1992).

Indonesia imported 3 t from Taiwan in 1992 and then none from 1993 to 1995 (Taiwanese official trade statistics).

References

Abusaleha and Dutta, O. P. (1994). Response of ridge gourd (Luffa acutangula) to different training systems. Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences 64(8): 570-571.

Arora, S. K., Pandita, M. L. and Dahiya, M. S. (1987). Effect of plant growth regulators on vegetative growth, flowering and yield of ridge gourd (Luffa acutangula Roxb.). Haryana Agricultural University Journal of Research 17(4): 319-324.

Basu, P. S., Banerjee, S. and Susmita, D. (1994). Hormonal regulation of flowering and fruit development: effects of dikegulac on flowering, fruit setting and development of Momordica charantia L. and Luffa acutangula Roxb. Indian Journal of Plant Physiology 37(4): 282-285.

Bisaria, A. K. (1977). Effect of a morphactin on growth, sex expression, fruit-set, and yield in Luffa acutangula. Canadian Journal of Botany 55(7): 752-756.

Brunt, A.A., Crabtree, K., Dallwitz, M.J., Gibbs, A.J., Watson, L. and Zurcher, E.J. (eds.) (1996 onwards). `Plant Viruses Online: Descriptions and Lists from the VIDE Database. Version: 16th January 1997.'

Cantwell, M., X. Nie, R. J. Zong and M. Yamaguchi (1996). Asian vegetables: Selected fruit and leafy types. Progress in new crops. Ed.: Janick, J. Arlington, VA, ASHS Press: 488-495.

Chew, M. and W. Morgan (1996). Melbourne retail Asian vegetable survey. Melbourne, Agriculture Victoria 143 pp.

Davis, J. and C. D. DeCourley (1993). Luffa sponge gourds: a potential crop for small farms. New Crops. Ed.: J. Janick and J. E. Simon. New York, Wiley: 560-561.

Davis, J. M. (1994). Luffa sponge gourd production practices for temperate climates. HortScience 29(4): 263-266.

Desai, U. T. and Musmade, A. M. (1998). Pumpkins, squashes and gourds. In: Handbook of vegetable science and technology: production, composition, storage and processing. (Ed; Salunkhe, D. K. and Kadam, S. S.). New York, Marcel Dekker 273-298.

Deshpande, A. A., Bankapur, V. M. and Venkatasubbaiah, K. (1980). Floral biology of ridge gourd (Luffa acutangula Roxb.). Mysore Journal of Agricultural Sciences 14(1): 5-7.

Ghosh, S. and Basu P. S. (1984). Hormonal regulation of sex expression and some physiological and biochemical changes in Luffa acutangula Roxb. Biochemie und Physiologie der Pflanzen 179(4): 277-287.

Huyskens, S., S. Mendlinger, A. Benzioni and M. Ventura (1993). Optimization of agrotechniques in the cultivation of Luffa acutangula. Journal of Horticultural Science 68(6): 989-994.

Jansen, G. J., Gildemacher, B. H. and Phuphathanaphong, L. (1994). Luffa P. Miller. In: Plant Resources of South-East Asia: Vegetables. (Ed.: Siemonsma, J. S. and K. Piluek). Wageningen, The Netherlands, Pudoc Scientific Publishers 194-197.

Kaushik, M. P. and Bisaria, A. K. (1973). Influence of morphactin on sex expression in Luffa acutangula Roxb. Journal of Experimental Botany 24(82): 921-922.

Kumar, J., Arora, S. K. and Mehra, R. (1988). Effect of antisenescent regulators on shelf life of ridge gourd (Luffa acutangula L. Roxb.). Crop Research 1(1): 124-127.

Lamberts, M. (1992). Production trends for specialty Asian vegetables in Dade County, Florida. Acta Horticulturae 318: 79-85.

Larkcom, J. (1991). Oriental vegetables: the complete guide for garden and kitchen. London, John Murray 232 pp.

Lee, B. (1995). Audit of the Australian Asian vegetables industry. RIRDC Research Paper No. 95/13. Canberra, Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation 97 pp.

Lee , B. (1996). Assessment of economic benefits for Asian vegetables. RIRDC project CON-4A review meeting 14 November 1996.

Lim, T. K. (1998). Loofahs, gourds, melons and snake beans. The New Rural Industries. Ed.: K. W. Hyde. Canberra, Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation: 212-218.

Nguyen, V. Q. (1992). Growing Asian vegetables. Agfact, NSW Agriculture H8.1.37.

Robinson, R. W. and Decker-Walters, D. S. (1996). Cucurbits. New York, CAB International 226 pp.

Susmita, D. and Basu, P. S. (1997). Effect of cephalexin on flowering fruit setting and development of Luffa acutangula Roxb. Indian Journal of Plant Physiology 2(1): 18-20.

Vinning, G. (1995). Market Compendium of Asian Vegetables. RIRDC Research Paper No. 95/12. Canberra, Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation 386 pp.

Yang, S. L. and T. W. Walters (1992). Ethnobotany and the economic role of the Cucurbitaceae of China. Economic Botany 46: 349-367.

Zong, R. J. (1992). Postharvest studies on four fruit-type Chinese vegetables. Acta Horticulturae 318: 345-354.