Scientists’ petite pumpkin boon for Bengaluru folk

size matters

IIHR scientist and vegetable breeder Dr Rajashankar explaining about the new table-top pumpkin variety suitable for urban people.

Rich in anti-oxidants and a cheap source of vitamins and minerals, pumpkins have always been in great demand. But its large size puts urban residents in a fix as they would end up consuming the national vegetable of India for days on end.

Now, coming to their aid and to encourage more people to grow and consume pumpkins, scientists at the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR) at Hessaraghatta in Bengaluru have come up with a table-top variety of the vegetable. Unlike the regular creeper variety, the new variety, temporarily named SQGL-2-5, can easily be grown in pots on balconies and on terrace gardens, according to scientists.

Dr Rajashankar, scientist and breeder of the new variety, told DH that this bushy variety is a 90-day crop. “One fruit weighs about 500 to 600 gms and each plant is capable of producing at least 10 pumpkins. The colour of the flesh varies from orange to deep orange as it is loaded with beta carotene. Commercially also, if you invest Rs 1, this national vegetable will yield Rs 7,” Dr Rajashankar said.

The variety is rich in nutrients and has slightly lower sugar content, making it healthier for diabetics. “More than commercial use, we want urban people to take up cultivation of this variety as it can easily be grown in a single pot all through the year and can be harvested any time,” he said. The variety was a star attraction at the National Horticulture Festival-2021.