Use and cultivation of fig-leaf gourd in altitude regions of Southern Brazil

Abstract

The fig-leaf gourd or pumpkin (Cucurbita ficifolia) is a plant native to the Americas, and it is used in Portuguese cuisine which was spread to other countries. It is an important territorial asset in the higher plains of Southern Brazil, where it is commonly used in cooking and presents ethnobotanical relevance. In recent years it has been highly valued and is becoming a commercial product. The production of plants normally occurs spontaneously, although commercial crops have appeared recently. Besides the use in cooking, recently interesting medicinal properties were discovered. Existing studies are very incipient and there is a great lack of technical information. There is only one officially registered cultivar, and the rest are regional ecotypes that has been passed from generation to generation of farmers, probably since the beginning of colonization. This plant presents little genetic variability, shows high resistance to diseases and pests and is undemanding in soil fertility.