Cucurbits Cultivation under Diara-Land

Diara land farming or riverbed cultivation is very old practice (possibly started during Mughal period with various cucurbits) of growing vegetables on the bank or basin of river after when flood level receded. Presently, in South Asian countries, cucurbitaceous vegetables are extensively being grown in riverbeds (called diara land). These diara lands are formed and subjected to alluvion and diluvion action of perennial Himalayan Rivers and due to inundation caused by swollen rivers during South- West monsoon. Fresh silt and clay deposits received every year, during the monsoons months, especially in Himalayan Rivers, makes these lands suitable for growing vegetables crops, literally on sand. Even though upper layers of land seem unsuitable for growing crops, the subterranean moisture seeped from adjacent river streams, makes it possible to grow early crops. This system is unconnected with any other crop rotation and cucurbits are specially adapted to this system of growing due to their long tap root system. It can be treated as a kind of vegetables forcing where in the cucurbits are grown under sub- normal conditions, literally on sand, during winter months from November- February, especially in North and North- Western India. About 65% of total cucurbit cropped area of the country falls under riverbeds.