Cucumber(Cucumis sativas L.); Cucurbitaceae

Japanese Long Green, Straight Eight and Poinsette

KPCH 2, Pant C 2

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

  • Plough the field four times.
  • Form long channels at 1.5 m apart
  • 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.
Irrigate the field before dibbling the seeds and thereafter once in a week
  • 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.
  • 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.
Form raised beds of 120 cm width at an interval of 30 cm and the laterals are placed at the centre of each bed.
  • 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.
  • 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
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

Hoe and weed twice or thrice

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 minerLiriomyza 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%

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.

1.Vascular Wilt: Erwinia tracheiphila

Click to view the larger imageClick to view the larger image

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 %.

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

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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