Abstract:
Underutilized vegetables have several agronomic traits that are beneficial for farmers and
consumers. Crops, which were used in the current study, are traditionally cultivated in the
North Central Province and rarely in the Northern Province. Considering the importance
of promoting their cultivation, this study was carried out to study the performance of four
underutilized vegetables, Sikkim cucumber (Cucumis sativus var. sikkimensis), clove bean
(Ipomoea muricata), hyacinth bean (Lablab purpureus), and sponge gourd (Luffa
cylindrica), with different trellis at the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Jaffna, from
April to July 2023. The trellises were selected based on their growth habits and the
information collected from Anuradhapura district farmers. Sikkim cucumber was
supported with horizontal and inverted “V”, clove and hyacinth beans were supported with
vertical and inverted “V” and sponge gourd was supported with vertical, horizontal and
inverted “V” trellis and their performance was compared with control. The experiment was
conducted in a randomized complete block design with three replicates. Growth
parameters; vine length, leave number, branch number and yield parameters; numbers of
flower buds, fruits, pods, pod weight and total yield were recorded. All parameters were
subjected to analysis of variance. The provision of the trellis significantly (p<0.05)
improved the yield and quality. Highest performance was observed in Sikkim cucumber
with horizontal (17.8 t/ha); hyacinth and clove beans with vertical (3.01 t/ha), (4.19 t/ha)
and sponge gourd with inverted “V” (11.7 t/ha) trellises. Inclusion of these crops will
enthuse a nutrient-rich, climate-resilient, and sustainable agriculture in the Northern
Province.
