Sta. Rita Ampalaya: Characteristics
Sta. Rita ampalaya is an IPB UPLB bred open pollinated ampalaya variety, also sold or known as Santa Rita ampalaya or Sta. Rita OPV. It is not a registered variety, so the facts here come from its seller and farm sources.
The average and top yields in tonnes per hectare come from the trials each variety went through to be registered with the NSIC, and from what the seed companies say about their own seed.
What farmers harvest today can be different. Newer harvest records, the season, the place, the soil, the water and the care all move these numbers over time.
So use them to compare varieties, not as a promise for your field. Ask your seller or your agriculturist how the variety did on farms near you in the last few seasons.
If you came here looking for Santa Rita ampalaya or Sta. Rita OPV, this is the same ampalaya. The facts below come from its seller and from farm sources, each one listed at the end. Compare it with the others in our ampalaya variety finder, or see every crop variety we list. For the crop itself, read our guide: Land preparation for gourds and melons.
- Type: IPB UPLB bred open pollinated.
Key facts about Sta. Rita ampalaya
| Trait | What the record shows |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Santa Rita ampalaya, Sta. Rita OPV, Sta. Rita strain |
| Type | IPB UPLB bred open pollinated |
| Days to harvest, per the seller | first harvest about 50 days after transplanting (Allied sheet) |
| Yield, per the seller | about 7.7 t/ha in a 2006 wet season trial in La Union, tied for the highest of five entries |
How long does it take, and how much does it yield?
Days to harvest, by the seller's count: first harvest about 50 days after transplanting (Allied sheet). Yield, by the seller's count: about 7.7 t/ha in a 2006 wet season trial in La Union, tied for the highest of five entries. No trial on record checks these figures yet, so treat them as the seller's own and compare with farms near you before you plan a season around it.
Once you know the day count, anee.io dates every task from each lot's own planting day, with the growth stages and weather beside it.
Is it resistant to pests and diseases?
No pest or disease ratings are published for this variety. So treat it as untested, and scout every week.
The pests and diseases that hit ampalaya fields most often: downy mildew of cucurbits, melon fly, squash beetle, anthracnose, Cercospora leaf spot. Our pest finder and disease finder help you name what you see.
What its seller and farm sources say
- Days to harvest: First harvest about 50 days after transplanting (Allied sheet).
- Yield: About 7.7 t/ha in a 2006 wet season trial in La Union, tied for the highest of five entries.
- Fruit: Cylindrical, dark green, thick fleshed, about 33 to 35 cm long.
- Season: Dry season (Allied sheet).
- Where: Lowland.
- Vigorous vines and many fruits.
- Fruits travel well.
Why farmers know it: an IPB UPLB open pollinated ampalaya, one of the two top yielders in a 2006 DMMMSU wet season trial, and still packed by Allied Botanical (Condor). These are the seller's own figures, from its own trials. So plant a small area first, and compare it with your usual ampalaya on the same ground.
Where and when to plant Sta. Rita ampalaya
Pick by fruit: long and light green for most markets, short and dark for the bitter lovers. Hybrids yield more on a trellis, and some are bred to tolerate the downy mildew of the wet season. Before planting, get the field ready with our guide: Pagtatanim ng gulay.
Before you buy seed
- Buy sealed packs or tagged sacks from an accredited dealer, and check the packing date and germination rate.
- Ask your municipal agriculturist or nearby farmers how it did in your area last season.
- Try it on a small area first, beside the variety you usually plant, before you switch the whole farm.
- Write down the planting day, inputs and harvest, so you can compare varieties on your own ground. anee.io keeps these records for you.
Set the planting day of each lot and anee.io dates every task to harvest, with the weather beside it. Free on the Libre plan.
Start freeAmpalaya varieties like this one
These are the closest matches among the ampalaya varieties we list. So if seed of this one is hard to find, compare these first.
Is Santa Rita ampalaya the same as Sta. Rita?
Can I save its seed?
Where can I buy seed of Sta. Rita?
See how Sta. Rita will do on your farm
With Libre + Anee, see its full record: how it yields, its strengths and weaknesses against pests, diseases and the weather, and whether it fits your farm, your season and your soil.
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