CUCUMBER

Cucumber is important summer vegetable crop grown throughout India. Creeping wine having cylindrical fruits are used for vegetable, salad purpose. Oil extracted from its seeds has medicinal values. It is a good source of Vitamin B. It is used for rehydration of body.

Well drained loam to sandy loam soils having high organic matter is ideal soil for cucumber cultivation. For good growth pH of soil should be in range of 6-7.

Poona Khira: Early growing variety. Fruits are of light green color with delicious, crispy, juicy and sweet flesh. Gives good yield in hot and arid climate.

Himangi: High yielding, medium heighted variety with cylindrical fruits. Skin color is creamy with crispy flesh. 

Kakdi: Also known as Armenian cucumber, snake cucumber and snake melon.

Anupam: Long green variety with crisp, firm flesh.

Poinsettee

Straight Eight

Japanese Long Green

Pusa Uday: Suitable for rainy as well as summer season sowing. Ready to harvest in 50-55 days. Gives average yield of 62qtl/acre.

Pusa Sanyog: Ready to harvest in 50 days. Gives average yield of 80qtl/acre.

Pant Khira 1: Ready to harvest in 50-60 days. Gives average yield of 60qtl/acre.

Phule Shubhangi: Suitable for kharif sowing. Gives average yield of 72qtl/acre.

Plough land and bring to fine tilth. Also remove weeds from land. Prepared long channels at distance of 1.5m.

Time of sowing
Optimum time for cucumber cultivation is from February to March month. It can also grow in the month of June to July.

Spacing
Depending upon sowing method spacing may get vary. For sowing use row to row spacing of 1.5m and plant to plant spacing of 60cm.
 
Sowing Depth
Sow seeds at depth of 2-4cm.

Method of sowing
For sowing use dibbling method. Sow two to three seeds in each pit.  In areas, where temperature is below 20°C, germination not occured properly. In such situation, sow seeds in polythene bag. When optimum temperature reaches transplant them in field.
To get more yield, support vine vertically with help of bamboo sticks or wire poles.

Seed Rate
For sowing one acre land, use seed rate of 800gm-1 kg.

Seed Treatment
Before sowing treat seed with Carbendazim@2gm/kg of seeds. After chemical treatment seeds with Trichoderma viride@4gm per kg of seeds. Dry seeds in shade and then do sowing immediately. 

Fertilizer Requirement (kg/acre)

Nutrient Requirement (kg/acre)

20-25 days before sowing, apply Farm Yard Manure or well decomposed cowdung@80-100kg per acre and mix well in soil. It required Nitrogen@32-40kg, Phosphorus@16kg and Potash@16kg in form of Urea@70-90kg, Single Super Phosphate@100kg and Muriate of Potash@30kg per acre. Apply whole amount of Phosphorus, Potash and one third amount of nitrogen at time of seed sowing. Apply remaining dose of nitrogen in two equal parts, 25-30 days after sowing and second dose at time of flower formation near vines base, avoid touching it and mixed well in soil.   

When crop is of 10-15 days old, for good growth of crop along with good quality,take spray of 19:19:19+Micro-nutrients@ 2-3gm/Ltr of water. Prevent flower drop and increase yield up to 10% take spray of Humic acid@3ml + MAP(12:61:00)@5gm/Ltr of water at flowering stage. After 55 days of sowing spray 13:0:45@100gm + Hexaconazole @25ml/15Ltr water for fast development of fruits and protection against powdery mildew. 65 days after sowing to increase in fruit size, sweetness and colour take spray with 0:0:50 @1.5kg/acre using 100gm/15Ltr of water.

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

For quick germination of seeds apply irrigation immediately after sowing. Apply remaining irrigation at interval of 5-7 days. At time of maturity give irrigation only when needed. Avoid over irrigation also at time of applying irrigation, should not wet the vines or vegetative parts, especially during flowering and fruit-set. To get better sweetness, for better flavour; stop irrigation or reduce watering 3-6 days before harvesting.

• Disease and their control:
  

Anthracnose: It attacks almost all parts of the cucumber which are above the ground. The symptoms are yellowish color circular spots are seen on the older leaves and the circular and sunken spots are seen on the fruit.

Treatment: Fungicidal application of Chlorothalonil and benomyl is given to protect the crop from disease.
 

Blight: Gray color spots are observed on leaves.
If infestation is observed, take spray of Mancozeb@2gm per Ltr of water. If necessary repeat spray with interval of 15 days.

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.

Cucumber Mosaic Virus: It is spread due to aphid. Infected crops, produce smaller leaves and shape less and colorless fruits.  
Use resistant variety. If infestation is observed, remove crop from field and destroyed or burn them away from field.

• 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.

Aphid and Thrips: They suck the sap from the leaves resulting in yellowing and drooping of leaves. Thrips results in curling of leaves, leaves become cup shaped or curved upward.
If infestation is observed in field, to control spray on crop with Thiamethoxam@5gm/15Ltr of water. If infestation of sucking pest and powdery/downy mildew is observed, take spray of Thiamethoxam and 15 days after spraying, spray with Dimethoate@10ml+Tridemorph@10ml/10Ltr of water.

Red beetle: Red color insect, cause damaged by feeding on new leaves. In severe infestation, it destroyed crop completely.

If infestation is observed, take spray of Acephate 75SP@800gm/150 Ltr of water. If necessary take second spray of Acephate with interval of 15 days.  

Leaf Miner: Maggots of Leaf Minor, feed on leaf and make serpentine mines into leaf. It affects the photosynthesis and fruit formation.
If infestation of leaf minor is observed, to control take spray of Abamectin@6ml/15Ltr of water.

Depending upon variety, start harvesting 45 to 50 days after sowing. Harvest green/immature fruits for best taste. On an average, eight to ten pickings can be done. Grading is done on basis of size of fruit.

Cucumber can be stored for less than 14 days for temperature of 10-12°C with relative humidity of 95%.