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GROWTH AND YIELD PERFORMANCE OF CUCUMBER (Cucumis sativus)

VARIETIES UNDER SILLIMAN FARM CONDITIONS

Experiment Findings · March 2020

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.16891.87844

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GROWTH AND YIELD PERFORMANCE OF CUCUMBER (Cucumis sativus)
VARIETIES UNDER SILLIMAN FARM CONDITIONS

Submitted to
Dr. Chona Y. Fontelo-Javier
Facilitator

Submitted by
Imari Jade L. Arreza
Learner
 INTRODUCTION

Cucumber (Cucumis sativus), locally known as pipino, is a member of the Cucurbitaceae

plant family that is produced widely because of its crispy, delicious, low in calories, and high in
nutrient content fruits (Rodillas, 2009). Composed of 95% water (Anonymous, 2012; Ene et al.,
2016), cucumbers are most suitable for deep cleansing because it contains natural chemical
constituents (Eneobong, 2001; Uzodike and Onuoha, 2009; Ene et al., 2016) and also, its juice is
an excellent hyperacidity treatment and constipation laxative (Ernestina, 2001).
Cucumber is a warm temperature vine vegetable and has two types produced,
respectively, the slicing and pickling types. It is grown widely in the Philippines all-year-round,
and its production has increased with an average annual rate of 2.79% from 2003 to 2017
(Knoema, 2018). The demand of cucumbers, as well as gherkins, in the country is continuing to
rise as food manufacturers, such as Unilever, use this crop as the main ingredient of one of their
leading products, the Lady’s Choice Mayonnaise and Spreads.
This learning contract was made and done in the College of Agriculture, Silliman
University, from November 2019 to March 2020. It aimed to know the growth and yield
performances of three cucumber varieties, namely Bangkok, Ambassador, and Green Jaguar,
which are all hybrids, in specific parameters set.

RESULTS
Growth Performance of Three Cucumber Cultivars
On December 13, 2019, three variety of cucumber seeds were directly sown in pots, sized 24 cm
in diameter. The first set-ups are the Bangkok variety, which has ten samples; the other set-ups
are the Ambassador variety, and the third and last set-ups are the Green Jaguar variety. Two days
after, seeds were starting to sprout. However, as the seeds continue to grow, it is observable that
the Ambassador variety is setting a gap in growth against the other varieties. It shows the biggest
seedlings among all the varieties’ seedlings grown.
As the crops’ flowers started to bloom, the Green Jaguar variety was the first one to have
flowers. It was then followed by Bangkok and lastly Ambassador. During the entire cropping
season, the fastest to run its vines along the trellises was the Bangkok. It grew so long and had
more vines growing from stems that it had to be pruned every after five days to control it from
crossing to the other sample’s trellis.
These vegetative traits of the cucumber can be in discussion more. However, this learning
contract aimed only to cater to or discuss the following parameters; the number of leaves, stem
diameter, and leaf diameter of each plant in every variety.
 A. Number of leaves

Table 1. Number of leaves present in every plant per variety

VARIETY PLANT Number of Leaves Ave. Number of Leaves

NO.
Variety 1 - Bangkok
1 63
2 38
3 38
4 22
5 46 40
6 46
7 45
8 28
9 34

Variety 2 - Ambassador
1 34
2 36
3 56
4 39
5 72 47
6 49
7 43
8 35
9 60

1 30
2 21
3 41
4 46
Variety 3 - Green Jaguar 5 24 29
6 0
7 0
8 19
9 25
*Note: Plant 6 and 7 of Green Jaguar variety were not included in the tally because of failure to
attain data due to the sudden wilting of plants
Table 1 showed the count of leaves per plant in every variety. It revealed that the first variety had
ranged 22 – 63 leaves, the second variety ranged 34 - 72 leaves, and the third variety ranged 19 –
46 leaves present.
It also showed that the Ambassador has the highest number of leaves present per plant, averaging
47 leaves. It is then followed by Bangkok with 40 leaves on average, and lastly, Green Jaguar
with 29 leaves on average.
As the data showed, the Ambassador variety is concluded with the highest number of leaves
present among the three varieties.

B. Leaf Diameter
Table 2. Leaf diameter (in cm) measurement of every plant per variety
VARIETY PLANT Leaf Diameter (in Ave. Leaf Diameter (in cm)
NO. cm)
1 19
2 18.4
3 16.8
4 16.5
Variety 1 - Bangkok 5 17.7 16.74444444
6 11.1
7 16.8
8 16.8
9 17.6
1 16.8
2 19.82
3 17
4 18.6
Variety 2 - Ambassador 5 23 18.08
6 18.7
7 13.3
8 18.8
9 16.7
1 10.5
2 14.2
3 8.89
4 7.81
Variety 3 - Green Jaguar 5 15.2 11.2
6 0
7 0
8 12.1
9 9.7
*Note: Plant 6 and 7 of Green Jaguar variety were not included in the tally because of failure to
attain data due to the sudden wilting of plants.
Another parameter in this contract is determining the leaf diameter of every plant per variety.
The strategy done to determine this is to select the largest leaf present in each plant sample and
measure its width, horizontally.
Table 2 showed the plants’ leaf diameter measurement, in which the Bangkok variety has leaf
diameters ranging from 11.1 cm to 19 cm, the Ambassador variety has ranged from 13.3 cm to
23 cm, and lastly, the Green Jaguar variety has ranged from 7.81 cm to 15.2 cm. The table also
shows that the second variety has the highest mean leaf diameter with 18.08 cm, followed by the
first variety with 16.74 cm, and lastly, the third variety with 11.2 cm mean leaf diameter.

C. Stem Diameter

Table 3. Stem diameter (in cm) measurement of every plant per variety
VARIETY PLANT Stem Diameter (in Ave. Stem Diameter (in cm)
NO. cm)
1 0.8
2 0.48
3 0.6
4 0.6
Variety 1 - Bangkok 5 0.5 0.542888889
6 0.396
7 0.53
8 0.48
9 0.5

Variety 2 - Ambassador
1 0.73
2 0.7
3 0.5
4 0.9
5 0.8 0.736666667
6 0.9
7 0.7
8 0.7
9 0.7

1 0.4
2 0.3
3 0.635
4 0.317
Variety 3 - Green
5 0.55 0.457428571
Jaguar
6 0
7 0
8 0.4
9 0.6
*Note: Plant 6 and 7 of Green Jaguar variety were not included in the tally because of failure to
attain data due to the sudden wilting of plants.
Based on table 3, it is observed that the Ambassador variety has the widest diameter of the stem,
on average, among all the varieties planted. The stems’ diameter of the Ambassador variety has
ranged from 0.6 cm to 0.9 cm, averaging with 0.73 cm. The Bangkok variety has the second
widest stem diameter with an average of 0.542 cm, which its samples have a stem diameter range
results from 0.4 cm to 0.8 cm. The Green Jaguar variety has the lowest mean stem diameter
measurement among the three varieties, and its samples’ diameter measurements ranges from 0.3
cm to 0.63 cm.

Yield Performance of Three Cucumber Cultivars

As stated in the first objective, the Green Jaguar variety has had the flowers first, it bloomed way
earlier than the rest. It took about 3 weeks only for the seeds to grow before it starts blooming.
The Bangkok variety followed blooming on its fourth week, and the last one to bloom is the
Ambassador variety which started exactly a month after germination.

A. Number of Fruits
Table 4. Data results of the number of fruits harvested per variety
VARIETY PLANT NO. NO. OF FRUITS Marketable Damaged
HARVESTED Fruits Fruits
1 0
2 1 1
3 2 2
4 1 1
Variety 1 - Bangkok 5 1 1
6 0
7 3 3
8 1 1
9 2 2
TOTAL 11 6 5
1 2 2
2 4 3 1
3 3 3
4 4 4
Variety 2 - Ambassador 5 4 3 1
6 3 3
7 0
8 3 2 1
9 3 3
TOTAL 26 23 3

Variety 3 - Green Jaguar
TOTAL
1 1 1
2 2 2
3 1 1
4 2 2
5 3 1 2
6 1 1
7 0
8 1 1
9 0
11 2 9

In table 4, the data results showed the total number of fruits harvested in each variety. A total of
26 fruits were harvested from the Ambassador variety, while 11 fruits were harvested from both
the Bangkok and Green Jaguar varieties.
It is also presented the number of fruits that were either marketable or damaged. Marketable or
commercial fruits’ standards were based on the Philippine National Standard on fresh cucumber
fruits, and the measured weight, length, and diameter were referred to the ranges provided. On
the other hand, the damaged fruits were of those that do not fit the criteria. Most of the damaged
fruits had been infected and hosted by pests and insects present in the field. The fruits are very
crooked and had so many holes, some were even occupied by pests, in it.
It can be observed in the table that the fruits harvested from the Ambassador variety had the
highest number of marketable fruits, and only three fruits out of 26 had been damaged. On the
other hand, the Green Jaguar variety had the most number of damaged fruits with a total of nine
out of 11, and only two fruits were marketable. The Bangkok variety had an almost equal
number of marketable and damaged fruits, with a 6:5 ratio.
Size Classification

Source: DTI – Bureau of Product Standards

Cucumber fruits have a size classification based on the Philippine National Standard of Fresh
Cucumber Fruits from the Bureau of Product Standards of the Department of Trade and Industry.
The length and diameter of the cucumber are considered, and it is highly a priority for sizing.

B. Fruit Length

Table 5. Length of fruits (in cm) harvested in every variety

VARIETY PLANT NO. Ave. Length (in Ave. Overall Length (in
cm) cm)
1 0
2 19.61
3 17
4 0
Variety 1 - Bangkok 5 0 18.47
6 0
7 18.8
8 0
9 0

1 16.45
2 14.96
3 15.6
4 14.96
Variety 2 -
5 16.37 15.85125
Ambassador
6 17.3
7 0
8 16.42
9 14.75

1 14.42
2 0
3 0
4 0
Variety 3 - Green
5 16.02 15.22
Jaguar
6 0
7 0
8 0
9 0
*Note: Varietal results are averaged per plant. Data results only show the length measurement
of marketable fruits.
In table 5, it showed the average fruit length per variety, and it can be seen that based on the
standard size classification, all the varieties’ fruits belong to the large size classification.
However, it is observed in the figure that Bangkok variety produces the longest fruits, averaging
with 18.47 cm. Ambassador and Green Jaguar varieties have almost the same length of fruits,
with 15 – 16 cm on average.

C. Fruit Diameter

Table 6. Width/Diameter of fruits (in cm) harvested per variety

VARIETY PLANT NO. Ave. Diameter (in Ave. Overall Diameter (in
cm) cm)
1 0
2 4.19
3 4.04
4 0
Variety 1 - Bangkok 5 0 4.1
6 0
7 4.07
8 0
9 0

1 3.98
2 4.98
3 4.92
4 4.75
Variety 2 -
5 4.83 4.76875
Ambassador
6 4.77
7 0
8 5.14
9 4.78

1 5.08
2 0
3 0
4 0
Variety 3 - Green
5 4.26 4.67
Jaguar
6 0
7 0
8 0
9 0
*Note: Varietal results are averaged per plant. Data results only show the diameter
measurement of marketable fruits.
The measurements shown in table 6 showed that all fruits of the three varieties belong to the
medium size classification, in terms of fruit diameter, based on the Bureau of Products Standard.
The Ambassador variety showed the widest fruit diameter with an average of 4.76 cm. This
variety is followed by the Green Jaguar variety with 4.67 cm wide, and Bangkok variety with 4.1
cm wide in diameter.
Therefore, based on the results of both length and diameter, the Bangkok variety fruits are
elongated and have thinner appearance than the other varieties; the Ambassador variety has a
shorter and fatter/wider in appearance, and the Green Jaguar variety had the in-between results
with a not-so-long and not-so-wide in appearance.

B. Fruit Weight

Table 7. Average and Total weight (in g) of harvested fruits

VARIETY PLANT Ave. Weight Ave. Overall Total weight of

NO. (in g) Weight (in g) Marketable Fruits
1
2 230
3 253
4
Variety 1 -
5 243.4333333 1478 g
Bangkok
6
7 247.3
8
9

1 259
2 255.3
3 265.3
4 239.75
Variety 2 -
5 271.3 267.15625 6091 g
Ambassador
6 299.3
7 0
8 302
9 245.3

1 212
Variety 3 - Green
2 218 436 g
Jaguar
3
 4
5 224
6
7
8
9
*Note: Varietal results are averaged per plant. Data results only show the weight of marketable
fruits.
The results in table 7 showed that the Ambassador variety fruits weighed the most among all the
fruits harvested. Averaging with 267.15 g and has a total weight of marketable fruits of 6,091 g,
the Ambassador variety led the three varieties in terms of weight. The second heaviest group of
marketable fruits is from the Bangkok variety with an average of 243.43 g and a total weight of
marketable fruits of 1,478 g. The least weighed fruits harvested are from the Green Jaguar
variety with an average of 218 g and a total weight of marketable fruits of 436 g.

CONCLUSION
Along the process, a total of 10 plant samples died. The Bangkok and Ambassador variety had
both two plant samples that died. However, for the Green Jaguar variety, a total of six plants
died. These were due to the sudden wilting of plants. These were either caused by fungal
infection or disease carried by pests present in the field.
The total results in the growth performances of the three cucumber varieties revealed that the
Ambassador variety performs the best under Silliman Farm conditions in all growth aspects
considered in this learning contract.
The yield performances of the varieties showed that overall, the Ambassador variety yields the
most fruits, with the highest number of marketable fruits and the least number of damaged fruits.
The Bangkok and Green Jaguar varieties had poor performances. Both yielded only 11 fruits
with high numbers of damaged fruits than marketable ones. The results of every variety also
implied that the number of fruits harvested should be classified based on the standards set for the
market. If not, then a great loss in income would be experienced. Also, proper production
guidelines for cucumbers should be considered because it will help in growing better cucumber
plants that will further lead to a better yield of cucumber fruits.

REALIZATION/LEARNINGS
During the entire process of making this learning contract, there has been a lot of realizations
that came upon me. Growth and yield performances of the three varieties of cucumber revealed
the same conclusion, in which, in general, it determined the variety that most thrived under
Silliman University Farm conditions.
Timeline and weather. As mentioned before, growing of cucumbers should be done during the
dry season because it is a sun-loving type of plant. However, I sowed the seeds during December
and it was still a wet season. Thus, it affected the growth of plants. Not only this, during the seed
germination time, the weather was not so good and I was away for about two weeks so I wasn’t
able to at least cover it from too much rain. Some of the growing seedlings showed abnormalities
such as slow growth, and some died because it was damped off. The right timing for planting
cucumbers should be well-considered.
Trellis. Another thing I was concerned to was the trellises I made for the plants. It was an A-
shaped trellis design that I looked up from the Internet. After I completed all the trellises which I
made for about a week, I realized after that I should have made it wider for the plants’ vines to
run through. Although it was not hard to train the vines, more vines growing are out from the
lower stem that were also trailing to the other’s trellis because of lack of space from their own. I
reviewed the proper trellising methods, and after reading I realized it was also better if I have
slanted the trellis of the crops for smoother running. But there was no way to change the design
since the entire plant bodies already adapted to the shape of the present trellis.
Location. The location the plants were placed to should also be considered. The greatest
problems I had are the pests and weeds present in the areas where I placed my crops. The
Bangkok variety was placed at the back of the SUCA library; the Ambassador variety at the front
area of the field and the Green Jaguar at the back of the field. The last two varieties were placed
both at the last Ampalaya plot, which they have a distance of about 25 meters away. The last two
varieties suffered from cucumber beetles as well as weed grasses that are present in the field, but
the variety that suffered the most is the Green Jaguar variety. It was heavily damaged by the
pests that most of its fruits were infected and it also has the highest number of plants that died
due to the diseases brought by pests. It was also hard to maintain the area since the weeds were
fast growers.
Soil analysis and fertilizer to use. Soil analysis should have been done before everything else in
order to determine the nutrients present in the soil for plant uptake and also to figure out what
and how much fertilizers should be applied to the plants for possible soil nutrient deficiencies.
That is why it is important for any crop production practices to do soil analysis because it is also
one way of improving the yield of the crops being produced.
Pest and weed management. The battle against weeds and pests during the contract processing
was hard to control. Weeds grow here and there, some even outgrowing the host plants. Pests,
they lived on the plants’ leaves above and under. At first, it was still controllable since the field
was recently cleaned and grass cut but after weeks on the field, exposed to too much competition
from the environment, plants had shown symptoms of defeat. Many plants were heavily
damaged by pests, its leaves were eaten, fruits were damaged, and the plants died due to diseases
carried by these species. I applied neem leaf extract once, but I should have applied again after a
few days, and I suppose I should have considered applying herbicides or just even putting rice
straws to control the weeds as well.
In general thought, I realized that I have not dug deeper about the proper cucumber production
practices because, if I was able to read it thoroughly, then I should have better results for this
contract. Thus, for further studies, I will make sure to read enough resources to better widen my
knowledge on the crops that I am working on.
 REFERENCES
AgriBusiness. (2018, April 17). Cucumber production guide. Retrieved from
https://businessdiary.com.ph/6054/cucumber-production-guide/
Bureau of Product Standards. (2008). The Philippine National Standard for Cucumbers (62).
Philippines: Department of Trade and Industry.
ENE, C. O., OGBONNA, P. E., AGBO, C. U., & CHUKWUDI, U. P. (2016). Evaluation of
Sixteen Cucumber (<i>Cucumis sativus</i> L.) Genotypes in Derived Savannah
Environment Using Path Coefficient Analysis. Notulae Scientia Biologicae, 8(1).
doi:10.15835/nsb.8.1.9722
Knoema. (2019, January 18). Production Statistics - Crops, Crops Processed. Retrieved from
https://knoema.com/FAOPRDSC2017/production-statistics-crops-crops-
processed?country=1001540-philippines&item=1000470-cucumbers-and-gherkins
Rodillas, F. R. (2009). Performance of the different varieties of cucumber (Cucumis sativus)
using Kakawate leaves as mulching material [2009] (Master's thesis, University of the
Philippines at Los Baños, Philippines). Retrieved from http://agris.fao.org/agris-
search/search.do?recordID=PH2012000204
Soleimani, A., & Ahmadikhah, A. (2009). Performance of different greenhouse cucumber
cultivars (Cucumis sativus L.) in southern Iran. AFRICAN JOURNAL OF
BIOTECHNOLOGY, 8(17), 4077-4083. Retrieved from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/254861204_Performance_of_different_greenh
ouse_cucumber_cultivars_Cucumis_sativus_L_in_southern_Iran/citations
 APPENDICES

A – 1. Seed germination (after 2 days)

Variety 1 – Bangkok Variety 2 – Ambassador

Variety 3 – Green Jaguar

A – 2. Sprouting (after 4 days)

Variety 1 – Bangkok Variety 2 – Ambassador

Variety 3 – Green Jaguar

 B. Placing of crops on location

Bangkok variety – placed Ambassador variety – front Green Jaguar variety – back
at the back of the library area of the last Ampalaya plot area of the last Ampalaya plot

C. Plants with trellis

Bangkok Variety Ambassador Variety Green Jaguar Variety

D. Flowering of crops

Bangkok Variety – Ambassador Variety – Green Jaguar Variety –

January 10 January 14 January 6

E. Bearing cucumber fruits

Bangkok Variety of cucumber bearing fruits

Ambassador variety of cucumber bearing fruits

Green Jaguar variety of cucumber bearing fruits

F. Measuring Fruit Length using a Ruler

G. Harvested Fruits
H. Damaged Fruits

I. Termination of plants

Terminated Bangkok Variety crops Terminated Ambassador Variety crops

Terminated Green Jaguar Variety crops

 J. Damaged Plants

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