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Sechium edule

Authority
Family	Magnoliopsida:Dilleniidae:Violales:Cucurbitaceae
Synonyms
Common names	chayote, chistophine, chocho, choko, chuchu, cidrayota, gayota, huisquil (Mexico), machiche, machuchu (Brazil), Madeira marrow, mirliton, papa del arie (Argentina), Sioko, vegetable pear, xuxu, zucchetta spinosa
Editor
Ecocrop code	1930

Notes
BRIEF DESCRIPTION A herbaceous, tendrilled vine reaching a length of 9-30 m, with underground tuber, vigorous annual foliage, and pear-shaped fruits with one large seed. USES The fruit is peeled, cubed, and eaten boiled, baked, or combined with other dishes. Young leaves and vine tips are eaten as vegetables. The tuberous roots are considered a valurable source of starch. GROWING PERIOD Annual or perennial. May be harvested for the first immature fruits after 100-120 days and for mature fruits after 120-180 days. COMMON NAMES Choyote, Christophine, Cho-cho, Chouchou, Chouchoutte, Sou-sou, Choko, Cristofine, Choyote, Chayote, Sayote, Labu Siam, Fat shau kwa, Tallon, Tallote, Guispui, Apupu, Tayote, Choko, Chako, Choco, Chinchayote, Pipinella, Vegetable pear, Mango squash, Waluh jepang, Sako, Hayuti, Su-suu, Saveex, Nooy th'ai, Ma-kheua-kreua, Taeng-kariang, Su su. FURTHER INF Scientific synonym: S. americanum, Sicyos edulis, S. laciniatus, Chayota edulis. Choyote is probably native of southern Mexico and Central America. The natural habitats of wild chayote are moist steep hillsides. In the tropics, choyote is best grown at elevations between 300-2000 m. In Java it is abundant between 700-1800 m. Cool night temperatures appear to promote fruit development and the crop grow well during wet periods. It requires high relative humidity (80-85%). Flowering occurs in daylengths of 12-12.5 hours and some cultivars produce higher yields when grown in light shade. The plant require trellising. Yields may be about 40-60 t/ha of mature fruits and individual fruits may weigh up to 0.5 kg each. Photosynthesis pathway C3. Temperature requirements at different phenological stages are: 1) sowing; 18-25°C, 2) emergency, growing, reproduction and ripening; 20-30°C, 3) dormancy; 10°C.
Sources
SOURCES (S. edule (Jacq) Swartz) Tindall H 1983 pp 182-184 [RAIN, TEMP, DRA, FER, PH, PHO, LIG] Purseglove J 1974 pp 134 [USE, RAIN] Duke J 1975 pp 27 [PH, RAIN, TEMP] Eswaran H 1986 pp 51 Roecklein J 1987 pp 481 [USE] Hackett C 1982 pp 75 [FER, PHO, DEP, PH, TEXT, TEMP] Rice R 1990 pp 249-251 [RAIN, TEMP, DRA, FER, PH] Deng-lin Wu 1995 (pers. comm.) Martin F 1984 pp 196-198 [TEMP, RAIN, PHO, TEXT, USE] Siemonsma J 1993 pp 246-248 [USE, RAIN, TEMP, PHO, KTMP, LIMIT, FER, DRA, TEXT]