CUCUMBER

The botanical name of cucumber is Cucumis sativus.Cucumbers are originated in India. It is a climbing plant which is used as summer vegetable throughout in India.The cucumber fruit is eaten raw or is served as a salad or cooked as a vegetable. The seeds of cucumber are used for oil extraction which is good for body and brain. Cucumbers contain 96% water which is good in summer season.The plants are large sized, leaves are hairy and are triangular in shape and flowers are yellow in color. Cucumber is an excellent source of Mb (Molybdenum) and Vitamin K. Cucumber is used to cure skin problems, kidney and heart problems. In India, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, andTelangana are major cucumber growing states.

It can be sown in variety of soils ranging from sandy loam to heavy soil. But a loamy soil which is rich in organic matter and has well drainage system is best for the cucumber farming. The pH ranging from 6-7 is suited best for cucumber farming.

Pusa Uday: The variety is developed by Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI). The fruits of this variety are light green in color, medium sized and are 15cm in length. Use 1.45 kg of seed in per acre of land. The variety gets mature within 50-55 days. It gives an average yield of 65 qtl/acre.

For cucumber plantation, it requires well prepared and weed free field. To bring soil to fine tilth, 3-4 ploughings must be done before planting. FYM orwell decomposed cow dung@8-10ton/acreis mixed with soil to enrich the field.Prepared bed of 30cm width and of convenient length. Keep distance of 1.5m to 2m between two beds.

 Nutrient Requirement (kg/acre)

Fertilizer Requirement (kg/acre)

In rainy season, it does not require any irrigation. In summer season, it requires frequent irrigation. Provide irrigation at interval four to seven days. Two days before harvesting, apply irrigation. It will keep fruits fresh, shiny and attractive. 

Keep bed weed free during early stage of growth. In absence of proper control measures, weed can cause yield loss of 30%. 15-20days after sowing, carry out intercultural operations. Depending upon severity and intensity of weeds, two to three weeding are required.

• Diseases and their control:
  

Bacterial wilt: It is caused by Erwinia tracheiphila. It affects the vascular tissues of the plant which result in immediate wilting.

Powdery mildew: The symptoms are appearance of white powdery spots on upper surface of leaves which causes leaf withering.

Treatment: Application of carbendazim@2gm in 1ltr of water will help to cure powdery mildew. It can also be controlled by fungicidal sprays of Chlorothalonil, benomyl or dinocap.

Mosaic: The symptoms are stunted growth of plant, leaves turn down and fruit knobs become light yellow in color.

• Pest and their control:
  

Fruit fly: It is serious pest found in cucumber. Females fly lay eggs below epidermis of young fruits. Later on maggots feed on pulp afterward fruits starts rotting and get drop.

Treatment: Foliar application of Neem oil @3.0%is given to cure the crop from fruit fly pest.

Plants start yielding in about 45-50 days after sowing. Mainly 10-12 harvestings can be done.Harvesting is mainly done when the seed of cucumber are soft and the fruits are green and young. Harvesting is done with the help of sharp knife or any sharp object.

Brown color fruits are best for seed production.For seed extraction, fruit pulp is taken out in fresh water for 1-2 days for the easy separation of seeds. The seeds are then rubbed with hands and as a result heavy seeds will settle down in water and then they are preserved for further use.