ON-FARM TRIAL OF FOUR BOTTLE GOURD VARIETIES IN HILL VALLEYS OF BANDARBAN DISTRICT

A field experiment was carried out in the Bikricchara hill valleys of Bandarban district during the rabi seasons of 2020-21 and 2021-22 to assess the efficacy of four bottle gourd varieties (BARI Lau-3, BARI Lau-4, BARI Lau-5, and Hybrid Khet Lau) in farmers’ fields. The experiment was designed as RCBD with six dispersed replications. The result exhibited that BARI Lau-4 was a standout performer, with the highest number of fruits per plant (9.42), maximum fruit weight (2.43 kg), and an impressive yield of 38.03 t ha^-1. Hybrid Khet Lau closely followed, with a yield of 31.16 t ha-1, while BARI Lau-5 showed the lowest yield potentiality (24.47 t ha^-1) among all varieties. The highest gross return (501750 Tk. ha^-1), gross margin (352450 Tk. ha^-1), and benefit-cost ratio (BCR) (3.36) were observed in the BARI Lau-4. Overall, BARI Lau-4 and Hybrid Khet Lau showed promising potential for higher yields among varieties.