Chikkudu Plant
Annual/perennial vine to 3 m, Chikkudu Plant yields purple flowers, grown for ornament or seeds. African origin, thrives in sunny, warm conditions. Non-edible for this use, it’s ideal for trellises.
Habit
Annual/perennial vine
Height
2-3 m
Growth
Fast
Soil
Well-drained, fertile
Shade
Full Sun
Moisture
Moderate
Edible
No
Medicinal
Yes (protein source)
Origin
Africa
Climatic Condition
Tropical/Subtropical
Temperature (°)
22-35
Humidity (%)
50-70
Potting media
Loam+Compost+Sand
Fertilizers
NPK(5:10:10)
Watering
Every 3-5 days, soil moist
Plant Weight
~1-3 kg
Flowering Time
Summer
Soil Ph level
6.0-7.5
Water Ph level
6.0-7.0
Soil EC
0.5-1.5 mS/cm
Yield Per Plant
None (ornamental)
NPK ratio
5:10:10
life Span
3-5 months
Health Benefits
None
Suggested Grow Media or Potting Mix ?
50% loam, 30% compost, 20% sand
Suggested Fertigation/Fertilizers
5:10:10 biweekly during growth
Common Diseases and Remedies
Powdery mildew, downy mildew, mosaic virus, Fusarium wilt, Alternaria blight, phytoplasma (witches' broom).
White powdery spots on leaves/stems, yellow angular spots with gray mold on leaf undersides, mottled/distorted leaves with small deformed fruits, wilting with brown vascular discoloration, brown-black concentric leaf/fruit spots, small leaves with yellowing, phyllody, and witches' broom growth.
Spray neem oil (2 ml/L) or Trichoderma viride (500 g/acre), apply Pseudomonas fluorescens (2 L/acre drench), remove infected plants, use copper-based fungicides (e.g., Bordeaux mixture), practice crop rotation (2-3 years) and trellising, use insecticidal soap to control aphid/whitefly vectors.
Apply carbendazim (0.1%, 2 g/L), mancozeb (0.25%), thiamethoxam (100 g/acre) for vectors, metalaxyl (0.5 g/L), chlorothalonil (0.2%), rotate chemicals to prevent resistance.