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Cucumber(Cucumis sativas L.); Cucurbitaceae

Varieties
Japanese Long Green, Straight Eight and Poinsette
Hybrids

KPCH 2, Pant C 2

Soil

Sandy loam rich in organic matter with good drainage and pH range of 6.5-7.5

Preparation of Field

  • Plough the field four times.
  • Form long channels at 1.5 m apart

Season and Sowing

  • Sow the seeds during June or January to April at 2.5 kg/ha after treating with
    Trichoderma viride 4 g or Pseudomonas fluorescens 10 g or carbendazim 2g/kg on one sideof channel giving a spacing of 0.6 m between hills.
  • Thin the seedlings to two per hill.

Irrigation
Irrigate the field before dibbling the seeds and thereafter once in a week
Application of Fertilizers

  • Apply FYM 40 t/ha as basal and 35 kg of N/ha at 30 days after sowing.
  • Apply Azospirillum and Phosphobacteria 2 kg/ha and Pseudomonas 2.5 kg/ha along with FYM 50 kg/ha and neem cake @ 100 kg/ha before last ploughing.

Drip Irrigation

  • Install drip system with main and sub-main pipes and place the inline lateral tubes at
    an interval of 1.5m.
  • 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.

Field Preparation
Form raised beds of 120 cm width at an interval of 30 cm and the laterals are placed
at the centre of each bed.
Sowing

  • Sow the seeds at an interval of 60 cm distance at the centre of the bed along the
    laterals.
  • Sow the seeds in polybags @ one per bag for gap filling.
  • Spray pre emergence herbicide like fluchloralin 1 kg a.i. or metalachlor 0.75 kg a.i./ha on third day of sowing.

Fertigation

  • Apply a dose of 150:75:75 kg NPK/ha throughout the cropping period through split application for F1 hybrid.
  • In respect of phosphorus, 75% has to be applied as a basal dose.

Fertigation Schedule

Fertigation
Apply a dose of 150:75:75 kg NPK/ha throughout the cropping period through split application for F1 hybrid. In respect of phosphorous, 75% has to be applied as a basal dose.

Fertigation Schedule – Cucumber (Hybrid)
Recommended Dose: 150:75:75 Kg/ha

Stage

Crop stage

Duration in days

Fertilizer grade

Total Fertilizer (kg/ha)

Nutrient applied

% of requirement

N

P

K

N

P

K

1

Crop
establishment
stage

10

19:19:19 + MN
13-0-45
Urea

19.72

8.24
22.11

3.75

1.07
10.19

3.75

–
–

3.75

3.75
–

10.00

5.00

10.00

 

Subtotal

15.01

3.75

7.50

 

 

 

2

Vegetative
stage

20

12-61-0
13-0-45
Urea

9.21
49.49
95.27

1.09
–
43.91

5.63
–
–

–
22.49
–

30.00

7.50

30.00

 

Subtotal

45.00

5.63

22.49

 

 

 

3

Flower
initiation to
first picking

20

19:19:19 + MN
13-0-45
Urea

29.61

20.61
80.00

5.62

2.62
36.71

5.63

–
–

5.63

9.37
–

30.00

7.50

20.00

 

Subtotal

45.00

5.63

15.00

 

 

 

4

Harvesting stage

40

19:19:19 + MN
13-0-45
Urea

6.13

66.00
77.47

0.73

8.57
35.69

3.75

–
–

–

30
–

30.00

5.00

40.00

 

Total duration

90 days

 

Subtotal

44.99

3.75

30.00

 

 

 

Total

150.00

18.75

75.00

100

25

100

*75% RD of Phosphorus applied as superphosphate = 352 Kg/ha
1. 19:19:19 = 55 kg/ha
2. 13:0:45 = 144 kg/ha
3. 12:61:0 = 9 kg/ha
4. Urea = 275 kg/ha

After Cultivation
Hoe and weed twice or thrice
Plant Protection

1.Fruit flies: Bactrocera cucurbitae

Symptoms of damage:

  • Maggots feed on the pulp of the fruits
  • Oozing of resinous fluid from fruits
  • Premature dropping of fruits and also unfit for consumption

Management:

  • Collect infested and fallen fruits and bum in deep pits.
  • In endemic areas, change the sowing date as the fly population is low in hot dry conditions and at its peak during rainy season
  • Use poison baiting in severe infestation
  • Mix methyl eugenol + malathion 50 EC at 1:1 ratio and keep 10 ml of the bait in polythene bags @ 25/ha.
  • Dichlorvos should be added every week and fishmeal renewed once in 20 days @ 5traps/ha.

2.Pumpkin beetles: Red Beetle: Aulacophora foveicollis, 

Symptoms of damage:

  • Grubs feeds on the roots, stem and fruits touching the soil
  • Adult feeds on leaf and flowers.

Management:

  • Plough the fields just after harvesting destroy the hibernating adults
  • Collect and destroy adult beetles
  • Spray malathion 50 EC @ 500 ml or dimethoate 30 EC 500 ml or methyl demeton 25 EC@ 500 ml/ ha

3.Stem borer or clear winged moth: Melittia eurytion

Symptoms of damage:

  • Larva bores into  the stem of snake gourd and produces galls

Management:

  • Collect and destroy the damaged plant parts with larvae
  • Encourage activity of parasitoid: Apanteles spp.
  • Spray any following insecticides
    • malathion 50 EC @ 500 ml
    • dimethoate 30 EC 500 ml
    • methyl demeton 25 EC @ 500 ml/ ha

4.Stem gall fly: Neolasioptera falcata

Symptoms of damage:

  • Maggots bore into the distal shoot and form galls

Management:

  • Spray any following insecticides
    • Malathion 50 EC @ 500 ml
    • Dimethoate 30 EC 500 ml
    • Methyl demeton 25 EC @ 500 ml/ ha

5.Snake gourd semilooper: Plusia peponis

Symptoms of damage:

  • The caterpillar cuts the edges  of  leaf lamina, folds it over the  leaf and feeds from within leaf roll

Management:

  • Collect and destroy the caterpillars
  • Encourage activity of Apanteles taragamae, A. plusiae
  •  Spray any following insecticides
    • Malathion 50 EC @500 ml/ha
    • Dimethoate 30 EC @500 ml/ha
    • Methyl demeton 25 EC @500 ml/h

6.Pumpkin caterpillar: Diaphania indica

Symptoms of damage:

  • Young larva scrapes the cholorophyll content
  • Later on it folds and webs the leaves and feeds within
  • It also feeds on flowers and bores into developing fruits

Management:

  • Collect and destroy early stage caterpillars
  • Encourage activity of parasioid: Apanteles spp.
  • Spray any following insecticides
    • Malathion 50 EC @500 ml/ha
    • Dimethoate 30 EC @500 ml/ha
    • Methyl demeton 25 EC @500 ml/ha

7.Bottle gourd plume moth: Sphenarches caffer

Symptoms of damage:

  • Larva feeds on leaves making small holes

Management:

  • Collect and destroy larvae and pupae
  • Spray any following insecticides
    • Malathion 50 EC @500 ml/ha
    • Dimethoate 30 EC @500 ml/ha
    • Methyl demeton 25 EC @500 ml/ha

8.Leaf miner: Liriomyza trifolii

Symptoms of damage:

  • Leaves with serpentine mines.
  • Drying and dropping of leaves due to severe infestation.

Management:

  • Collect and destroy mined leaves 
  • Spray NSKE 3%

Nutritional deficiency

1.Nitrogen

Nitrogen

Deficiency Symptoms
  • Both vegetative growth and fruit production are severely restricted plants appear pale and spindly. 
  • The yellowing spreads up the shoot to younger leaves. 
  • Yield is reduced and fruit are pale, short and thick.
Correction Measure

Side-dress deficient in-ground crops with 20-50 kg N/ha, or apply fortnightly foliar sprays of 2% urea at high volume.

2.Potassium

Potassium

Deficiency Symptoms
  • Potassium deficiency causes yellowing and scorching or older leaves.
  • These symptoms begin at the margins of the leaf and spread between the veins towards its centre. 
  • Potassium from a fertilizer side-dressing will move from the soil surface to the roots only if the soil is very sandy. 
  • Fertigation or drip feeding can also be used to treat a deficient crop.
Correction Measure

Foliar spray of Kcl 1% at weekly interval.

3.Calcium

Calcium

Deficiency Symptoms
  • Emerging leaves appear scorched and distorted and may cup downwards because the leaf margins have failed to expand fully. 
  • Mature and older leaves are generally unaffected. 
  • With a severe deficiency, flowers can abort, and the growing point may die. 
Correction Measure
  • Application of gypsum / foliar spray of CaSo4 2%.
  • Injury from calcium deficiency can be reduced by regular foliar sprays of calcium nitrate (800 g/100 L).

4.Magnesium

Magnesium

Deficiency Symptoms
  • Magnesium deficiency causes yellowing of older leaves. 
  • The symptom begins between the major veins, which retain a narrow green border. 
  • Fruit yields are reduced. 
Correction Measure
  • Incorporate magnetite (300 kg/ha) or dolomite (800 kg/ha) into deficient soils before planting. 
  • Fortnightly foliar sprays of MgSO4 (2 kg/100 L) at high volume (500-1000 L/ha).

5.Boron

Boron

Deficiency Symptoms
  • Distortion of newer leaves (in severe cases the growing point dies) and the appearance of a broad yellow border at the margins of the oldest leaves. 
  • Young fruit can die or abort; abortion rates are high.
  • Stunted development and mottled yellow longitudinal streaks, which develop into corky marking (scurfing) along the skin.
Correction Measure
  • Foliar spray of 0.2% Borax at forthrightly interval.
  • Application of 10 kg borax per hectare to deficient soil before will prevent boron deficiency. 

6.Calcium 

Calcium and Boron

Deficiency Symptoms
  • Emerging leaves appear scorched and distorted and may cup downwards because the leaf margins have failed to expand fully. 
  • Mature and older leaves are generally unaffected. 
  • Stunted development and mottled yellow longitudinal streaks, which develop into corky marking (scurfing) along the skin.
Correction Measure
  • Application of gypsum / foliar spray of CaSo4 2%.
  • Foliar spray of 0.2% Borax at forthrightly interval.
  • Application of 10 kg borax per hectare to deficient soil before will prevent boron deficiency. 

7.Iron

Iron

Deficiency Symptoms
  • Iron deficiency causes a uniform pale green chlorosis of the newest leaves; all other leaves remain dark green. 
  • If the deficiency is severe, the minor veins also fade, and the leaves may eventually burn, especially if exposed to strong sunlight.
  • Good drainage and soil aeration favour iron availability. 
Correction Measure

Foliar spray of 0.5% FeSO4

Foliar sprays of iron sulphate (150 g/100 L) can be used to treat symptoms

8.Manganese

Manganese

Deficiency Symptoms

The veins of middle to upper leaves of manganese-deficient plants appear green against the mottled pale green to yellow of the blade.

Correction Measure

Spray the foliage with MnSO4 (100 g/100 L).

9.Zinc

Zinc

Deficiency Symptoms
  • Reduction in leaf size, shorting of internodes. 
  • Leaves pale green in colour and with green veins.
Correction Measure

Foliar application of 0.5% ZnSo4 a soil application of 5-10 kg ZnSo4 / ha.

Disease

1.Vascular Wilt: Erwinia tracheiphila

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Symptoms

  • Symptoms of the disease first appear on a single leaf which suddenly wilts and becomes dull green.
  • The wilting symptoms spread up and down the runner sometimes as a recurring wilt on hot, dry days.
  • Eventually the entire plant shrivels and dies.
  • Less susceptible plants, such as certain squash varieties, may show dwarfing of growth before the wilt symptoms become apparent.

Management

  • Larger plantings must be protected by insecticides.
  • Some carbaryl (Sevin), malathion, or rotenone insecticides or combination products are registered to treat cucumber beetles.
  • They will provide control of the beetles if applied when beetles first appear in the spring. Early control, beginning as soon as the plants emerge, is most important as a single beetle can introduce the bacteria.

2.Scab: Cladosporium cucumerinum

Symptoms

  • Scab lesions appear on all parts of the vine that are above ground.
  • The first symptoms appear as light water soaked or pale green spots on the leaves.
  • Gradually, the spots turn grey to white and become angular.
  • Fruits are infected at all stages of growth but is most susceptible while young.
  • Fruit spots are grey, slightly sunken and about 2.0mm in dia.

Management

  • Crop rotation with corn once in 4 years.
  • Grow resistant varieties like Highmoor and Maine no.2.
  • Spray Mancozeb 0.2 %.

Yield

8 – 10 t / ha in 80 to 90 days for salad.

Market Information

Crop Growing districts                    Kanyakumari, Dindigul, Tirunelveli,Theni
Major markets in Tamil Nadu         Periyar Vegetable Market, Koyambedu, Chennai Gandhi Market, Oddanchathiram Natchipalayam                                                                                vegetable market,Coimbatore

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