Most Favourite Traditional Cucurbitaceous Vegetables and Their Utilization Pattern in Thar Desert of the Western Rajasthan, India

The present study was conducted in five major districts fall under the Thar desert of the Rajasthan, India namely; Bikaner, Naguar, Churu, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer district during the years 2010-2013. The objective of the study was to evaluate the most favourite and traditional cucurbitaceous vegetables and their utilization pattern for nourishment and sustenance of the dwellers in these districts. A total of 270 respondents (farmers) were selected to get intended information and to draw the desirable inferences of the study. During the study, it was found that kachari (Cucumis callosus Rott. Cong.), snap melon (Cucumis melo var. momordica), mateera loia (Citrullus lanatus Thunb.), round melon (Citrullus vulgaris var. fistulous) were the most favourite traditional cucurbitaceous vegetables which were grown and used by 67-100% farmers of the selected districts of the Thar desert as fresh or in the form of value added products throughout the year. These vegetables were mainly grown during the rainy season under mixed cropping system extensively and as sole crops at small scale. The farmers who had irrigation facilities grew these vegetables as sole crops at small scale during summer season also. These vegetables were mostly used freshly for preparation of vegetable in current season and various value added products were also prepared from the same for utilization in future in different forms. The major value added products of these vegetables prepared were: dehydrated slice/pieces/nuggets, pickle, fried chutney, dry chutney, powder, juices, hajmola, squash, jam, papadi, shek, cold drinks, sweets, rousted seeds, highly nutritive magaj (kernels of seeds), mateera oil, rayata, magaj laddu, etc. The respondents of the Thar desert got substantial income from above vegetables and value added products of the same. These vegetables also play a vital role as source of traditional herbal medicine to cure several diseases and health problems of the respondent (farmers) in Thar desert areas of the western Rajasthan.