CUCUMBER AGRONOMY PRACTICE

INTRODUCTION

·       CUCUMBER(CUCUMIS SATIVUS)IS CULTIVATED FOR FRESH CONSUMPTION OR AS PICKLING CUCUMBER FOR PRESERVATION,MARINATED WITH VINEGAR,SALT,DILL OR OTHER SPICES.IT IS AN IMPORTANT SALAD CROP CULTIVATED BOTH IN NORTH AND SOUTH AND LOWER AS WELL AS HIGHER HILLS IN INDIA.FRUITS VARYING IN SHAPE,SIZE AND COLOUR CONTAIN 0.4% PROTEIN,2.5% CARBOHYDRATES,1.5MG IRON,2MG OF VITAMIN C IN 100 GM OF FRESH WEIGHT.FRUITS ARE GOOD FOR PEOPLE SUFFERING FROM CONSTIPATION,JAUNDICE AND INDIGESTION.

LOCAL NAMES

·       KAMAL KAKDI (HINDI), KAKKARI (MALAYALAM),KAKDI-MARAIHI) DOSAKAYA/KEERA (TELUGU), VELLARIKKAI (TAMIL).

CULTIVATION

·       CUCUMBER S IS A WARM SEASON CROP GROWN MAINLY IN TROPICAL AND SUB TROPICAL REGIONS.IT IS VERY SUSCEPTIBLE TO FROST.EXCESS HUMID CONDITIONS PROMOTE FOLIAR DISEASES AND PESTS LIKE FRUIT FLY.CUCUMBER PREFERS SLIGHTLY LOW TEMPERATURE,HENCE IT IS GROWN IN SUBTROPICAL REGIONS.THE OPTIMUM TEMPERATURE FAVOURING ANTHESIS AND DEHISCENCE IS 13-18 DEGREE CELSIUS.NEVERTHELESS,FOR OPTIMUM VEGETATIVE GOWTH AND YIELD,THE TEMPERATURE REQUIREMENT IS 18-24 DEGRE CELSIUS. A WELL DRAINED LOAMY SOIL IS PREFERRED BY CUCUMBER.IT IS NECESSARY THAT SOILS SHOULD BE FERTILE AND WELL PROVIDED WITH ORGANIC MATTER.CUCUMBER PREFERS A PH OF 5.5-6.8.IT CANNOT TOLERATE HIGH SALT CONCENTRATION.THE TEMPERATURE OF 18-20 DEGREE CELSIUS IS OPTIMUM.SOIL MOISTURE IS IMPORTANT FOR RAPID GROWTH,IT SHOULD BE AT LEAST 10-15 DEGREE ABOVE THE PERMANENT WILTING POINT.

CLIMATE AND SOIL

·       IN SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL INDIA,IT IS SOWN IN OCTOBER-NOVEMBER.IN PLAINS OF NORTH EASTERN INDIA,SOWING TIME IS FROM NOVEMBER TO MARCH WHEN WEATHER IS COMPARATIVELY DRY.IN MAHARASHTRA,IT SOULD BE SOWN IN JANUAY-FEBRUARY(SUMMER CROP) AND JUNE-JULY(RAINY SEASON CROP) GENERALLY SOAKING OF SEEDS IN WATER OR 0.1% BAVISTIN FOR A FEW HOURS BEFORE SOWING ENHANCES THEIR GERMINATION. IN INDIA,FURROW BED AND PIT(DEEP AND SHALLOW MOUNDS)SOWING METHODS ARE FOLLOWED.IN FURROW SOWING,FURROWS ARE MADE AT 1.0-1.5M APART.USUALLY SOWING IS DONE ON THE TOP OF THE SIDES OF FURROWS AND VINES ARE ALLOWED TO TRAIL ON THE GROUND ESPECIALLY IN SUMMER SEASON.THE HILLS SHOULD BE MADE AT A DISTANCE OF 0.5-0.75M.ABOUT 5-6 SEEDS ARE SOWN IN A PIT AND FINALLY TWO VINES ARE RETAINED.ABOUT 2.5-3.5KG SEED IS ENOUGH FOR SOWING ONE HECTARE CROP.

SOIL PREPARATION

·       THE MAIN FIELD SHOULD BE PREPARED THOROUGHLY SOWING OF SEEDS. PLOUGH THE LAND AROUND FOUR TIMES AND FORM LONG CHANNELS AT 1.5 METER APART.

BEST SEASON, SEED RATE AND SEED TREATMENT

·       SOW THE CUCUMBER SEEDS DURING JUNE OR JANUARY TO APRIL. ABOUT 3 KG OF CUCUMBER SEEDS ARE REQUIRED FOR A HECTARE. TREAT THE CUCUMBER SEEDS WITH SEUDOMONAS FLUORESCENS 10 GRAMS/KG OR TRICHODERMA VIRIDE 4 GRAMS/KG OR CARBENDAZIM 2 GRAMS/KG OF SEEDS BEFORE SOWING.

SOWING METHOD

·       THE CUCUMBER SEED IS SOWN BY METHOD OF DIBBLING AT A DISTANCE OF 1.5 M TO 2.5 M (ROW TO ROW) X 60 CM TO 90 CM. (PLANT SPACING). TWO TO THREE CUCUMBER SEEDS ARE SOWN IN EACH PIT. LAYOUT IN RING & BASING METHOD IS PREFERRED.

MANURE AND FERTILIZERS

·       40 TO 50 CARTLOAD WELL DECOMPOSED FARM YARD MANURE (FYM) SHOULD BE ADDED AT THE TIME OF SOIL PREPARATION. , 25 KG P/HA 50 KG N, SHOULD BE GIVEN ½ N AND FULL PHOSPHORUS SHOULD BE GIVEN AT THE TIME OF SOWING CUCUMBER SEEDS AND REMAINING HALF N SHOULD BE GIVEN 30 DAYS AFTER SOWING OF SEEDS.

IRRIGATION/WATER SUPPLY

·       DRIP IRRIGATION IS MOST EFFECTIVE METHOD FOR CUCUMBER FARMING. INSTALL DRIP SYSTEM WITH MAIN AND SUB-MAIN PIPES AND PLACE THE INLINE LATERAL TUBES AT AN INTERVAL OF 1.5METER. PLACE THE DRIPPERS IN LATERAL TUBES AT AN INTERVAL OF 60 CM AND 50 CM SPACING WITH 4 LPH AND 3.5 LPH CAPACITIES RESPECTIVELY. FOR SUMMER CROP IRRIGATION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO MAINTAIN MOISTURE AND FOR RAINY SEASON CROP IRRIGATION IS NEEDED.

WEED CONTROL

·       SHALLOW CULTIVATION CAN BE GIVEN DURING THE EARLY STAGES OF CUCUMBER PLANT GROWTH TO CONTROL THE WEEDS. HERBICIDES MAY BE USED FOR CONTROLLING THE WEEDS.

HARVESTING

·       HARVESTING CAN BE DONE @ 40 TO 45 DAYS AFTER SOWING. ON AN AVERAGE OF 8 TO 10 HARVESTS CAN BE DONE. TIMELY PICKING OF CUCUMBER IS MORE IMPORTANT FOR BETTER QUALITY FOR FRUIT.

YIELD

·       8 TO 10 T/HA IN 80 TO 90 DAYS FOR SALAD AND THE AVERAGE YIELD IS ABOUT 60 TO 15 QUINTALS/HA.