LITTLE GOURD (SMALL GOURD, IVY GOURD)

Coccinia grandis (L.) Voigt (syn. Coccinia indica Wight.& Arn., C. cordifolia (L.) Cogn.)

I. Application and Amplification of General Seed Certification Standards

A. The General Seed Certification Standards are basic and, together with the following specific standards 

     constitute the standards for certification of little gourd planting material.

B. The General Standards are amplified as follows to apply specifically to little gourd:

All certified classes shall be produced from planting stakes (stem cutting) cut from the bed of female and 

male whose source and identity may be assured and approved by the Certification Agency.

II. Land requirements

(a) Land to be used for seed production of little gourd shall be free of volunteer plants. Swampy and shaded conditions may be avoided. 

(b) Avoid little gourd residue and drainage from other little gourd fields.

III. Field Inspection

A minimum of two inspections shall be made, the first when plants are nearly large enough after transplanting and second before cutting of the planting stakes (stem cuttings) to verify isolation, offtypes and other relevant factors.

IV. Field Standards

A. General requirements

1. Isolation

Seed fields shall be isolated from the contaminants shown in the column 1 of the Table below by the distances specified in columns 2 and 3 of the said Table:

        Contaminants                                                                                   Minimum distance (meters)

                                                                                                                Foundation        Certified

            1                                                                                                         2                     3

Fields of other varieties                                                                                   20                   20

Fields of the same variety not conforming to 

varietal purity requirements for certification                                                      20                   20

Between the blocks of female and male plants                                                 20                   20

B. Specific requirements

        Factor                                                                                              Maximum permitted (%)*

                                                                                                                Foundation            Certified

      Offtypes                                                                                               0.10                    0.20      

* Maximum permitted at final inspection.                                                         

V. Seed (Planting stakes) Standards

A. Specification in respect of size and age of the planting stakes (stem cuttings) for Foundation and Certified classes shall be as follows:

       1. Age of the crop                                        : About one year

       2. Approximate diameter of the stem            : 0.50 cm

       3. Length of the stem                                    : 12-15 cm        

    B.

        Factor                                                                                              Standards for each class

                                                                                                                Foundation            Certified

    Pure living planting stakes (minimum)                                                        99.50%                98.0%

                                                                                                                (by number)          (by number)

    Other living plants including their stem cuttings (maximum)                         0.50%                  2.0%

                                                                                                                (by number)          (by number)