Adoption of Modern Bottle Gourd Cultivation Technologies: A Review with Field-Level Evidence from East Champaran, Bihar

Abstract

A Bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) is an important vegetable crop of the cucurbit family that is widely grown in eastern India, valued for its adaptability, nutritional benefits, and consistent market demand. The productivity of bottle gourd in Bihar remains below its full potential, despite favourable conditions for such a crop, mainly because only a limited number of modern cultivation techniques are being adopted. This study provides a comprehensive review of modern practices for growing bottle gourd and includes field-level evidence from the East Champaran district of Bihar. The review combines findings from various scientific publications (Singh & Maurya, 2019; Choudhary & Sharma, 2021; Patel & Rajput, 2018; Kumar et al., 2021), reports from ICAR and KVK, government releases, as well as primary data collected through a formal survey of 949 farmers across seven blocks. The adoption of key technologies, including hybrid varieties, mulching, integrated nutrient management, trellising, drip irrigation, and integrated pest management, was thoroughly assessed. The field survey results showed significant variation in adoption rates across different blocks, with Raxaul having the highest percentage of bottle gourd farmers (81.8%). In comparison, Adapur (25.0%) and Motihari (32.2%) showed lower levels of adoption. The reviewed studies generally reported a yield increase of 20-35% and improved benefit-cost ratios with modern cultivation practices compared to traditional methods. However, high initial costs, limited technical knowledge, and inadequate access to quality inputs have been identified as major barriers to adopting these technologies. The review emphasizes the need for a multidisciplinary extension approach, location-specific interventions, and policy incentives to promote the sustainable adoption of modern technologies for bottle gourd cultivation in eastern India.