HORT-401
CUCUMBER
Introduction
• Cucumis sativus
• Family Cucurbitaceae
• Native to Asia and Africa.
• Cultivated on a large scale in the Indo-Pak.
Importance
• It is an important crop.
• It is eaten raw with salt or as a salad with onion and
tomato.
• Fruit contains vitamins B & C.
• It has a cooling effect and prevents constipation.
• It is helpful to check jaundice.
• Seeds are used in Ayurvedic preparations.
• Seed oil is considered good for the brain and body.
Production Statistics (2014-15)
• Area
– 23.3 thousand hectares
• Production
• 52.8 thousand tonnes
• Average Yield
3.5 kg acre-1
Plant Description
• Vines have laterals.
• Stem and leaves have fine spines or hairs.
• Monoecious plant.
• More male flowers than female flowers.
• Male flowers appear first and then female.
• The lower the main stem node on which female flowers
appear, the earlier is the variety.
• The female:male flower ratio increases with the age of plant.
Climatic Requirements
• Crop requires high temperature.
– planted in spring or summer.
• Very sensitive to cold and is killed by a slight
frost.
• Germination
– is nil below 11°C.
– at 18°C is about 68%.
– is quick and rate is high at 25 to 30 °C.
Sowing Time
• Spring-summer crop
– Early January to March
• Rainy season crop
– Late June to July
Soil Requirements
• Deep, fertile, well drained sandy to clay loams.
• For early crop sandy to sandy loam soil.
• For higher yield, loams, slit loam and clay loam.
• Soil pH 5.5 to 6.7.
Nutritional Requirements
• Well-rotted FYM @ 35 to 45 t/ha (incorporated
3-4 weeks before planting).
• At the time of final seed bed preparation:
– Ammonium sulfate @ 50kg/ha
– Single super phosphate @ 100kg/ha
– Sulfate of potash @ 55kg/ha
• When plants start to form runners
– Ammonium sulfate @ 20-30 kg/ha is applied
• At start of fruiting
– Ammonium sulfate @ 20-30 kg/ha is applied
Seed Rate and Sowing
• 2.5 to 3 kg/ha.
• Planted on 1.5 m wide beds
• 4-6 seeds are sown on both sides of
beds
• Hill (plant to plant) distance is 0.5m.
• Seeds are scattered over an area of
15-20 cm and not bunched at one
place.
Cultural Practices
• About 3 weeks after sowing, when danger
of beetles is over, thinning is done,
keeping 2 plants per hill.
• Staking is required in areas with high
rainfall.
Irrigation Requirements
• Need frequent irrigation with one week
interval.
• Duration can be changed depending upon
temperature.
• Irrigation water should not touch the
foliage and fruit.
Varieties
• Varieties are classified into • Some of the varieties
4 groups. grown in Pakistan are:
• European-American • Japanese long green
– English cultivated varieties. – Green fruit, 30-35 cm long.
• Straight eight
• West Asiatic – White spined, medium long,
thick straight green colored
– A very xerophytic species. fruit.
• Balam Khira
• Chinese – Fruit is medium sized, has net
– Very large, long fruits with like structure, pale-green and
semi-glossy rind. dull-red colour.
• Local or desi varieties
– Sialkot local, Commander
• Indo-Pak-Japanese PARC-I.
– Himalayan and hermaphrodite
types.
Varieties Available in Pakistan
• Hybrids • Open Pollinated
– Sharmeen Varieties
– Royal
– Alpha • Sialkot local
– Alki
–
• Commander
Pran
– Saad • PARC-I.
– Hana
– Kohinoor
– Kareem
– Bomber
– Constable
– Diomede
Harvesting and Yield
• Crop matures in 60-70 days after sowing.
• Fruit should be harvested as soon as it is ready.
• If fruit is allowed to mature then growth of new
fruit will be retarded and yield is decreased.
• Fruit is usually picked after every 3-4 days.
• Average yield of cucumber is 12-14 tones/ha.
– depends upon variety, cultural practices and location.
Insect-Pests
• Cut worm
• Red pumpkin beetle
– Seven-85, Bifenthrin, Polytrin-C, Dimethoate
0.02%, Malathion 0.05%, or Lorsban
• Spotted and stripped beetle
– Seven-85, Bifenthrin, Polytrin-C, Dimethoate
0.02%, Malathion 0.05%, or Lorsban
• White fly
– Confidor, Bifenthrin
• Aphid
– Confidor, Bifenthrin
• Squash bug
• Leaf miner
• Fruit fly
• Fruit borers
– Lorsban, Polytrin-C,
Bifenthrin, Emamectin
Diseases
• Powdery mildew, Downy mildew, Stem canker,
Fusarium/Verticillium wilt, and Bacterrial wilt.
• Control
• Remove the diseased plant.
• Burning of the plant debris.
• Crop rotation.
• Use resistant cultivars.
• Apply fungicide to seeds before sowing.
• Downy mildew---Sulfex Gold, Dithane M-45, Karzate, Aliette,
Score, Melody Duo, Fumex.
• Powdery mildew--- Sulforon and Sulfex Gold.
Diseases
Powdery mildew in
watermelon
Alterneria spot Powdery mildews
Bacterial wilt Yellow spots of
downy mildew
Diseases
Anthracnose Downy mildew
Browning of
vascular tissue
due FW
Fusarium wilt
Viral Diseases
Cucurbit yellow
stunting
disorder virus
(CYSDV) in melon
Leaf mosaic
Squash mosaic virus Tobacco ring spot virus Squash leaf
curl virus
Viral Diseases
Watermelon mosaic virus
Zucchini yellow mosaic virus
