23/11/2022

CUCUMBER
Postharvest handling and storage
department of horticulture and crops, University of Jordan

Submitted by: Haneen Eyad Alsurkhi (team leader)

Team members: Haneen Eyad Al-Surkhi, Ala'a Nawaf Fraihat,

Raneem Mohammad Al-ahmad, Zaid Bsisso Al-Kaiali,
Mahmoud Mohammad Al-Zuhairy.
Abstract
Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is an important vegetable, popular worldwide
for its crispy texture and special flavor. Postharvest handling varies between
harvesting methods, maturity and quality indices, optimum temperature,
respiration, response to ethylene, and grading methods and cucumbers'
varieties. It has multiple harvesting methods between manual and
mechanical, many different maturity and quality indices like the fruit size and
the green skin color, it has specific storage conditions considering the
optimum temperature, humidity which should be high and its response to
ethylene. it also has many varieties and it's one of the most sensitive plants
considering different disorders, between physiological, mechanical, or
pathological.

Introduction
Cucumber (cucumis sativus) is a warm season vining annual plant in the
family cucurbitaceae, grown for its edible fruits. It requires warm, dry
conditions to develop optimally, preferring both warm days and warm nights
and growing best at a temperature of 30°C (86°F). moreover, cucumber is very
sensitive to cold and should be planted in full sun and provided with ample
soil moisture due to their shallow root system. it also requires between 50
and 70 days to produce fruits that can be harvested. Bees and bumblebees are
major pollinators of the cucumber flowers. Some varieties of cucumbers have
the ability to self-pollinate. Fruits appear 8 to 10 weeks after planting, and
one plant produces from 25 to 125 fruits. It is one of the plants rich in water
and contains alkaline substances. Is also rich in vitamin C and contains a little
vitamin A and B as well as important and necessary mineral salts To build the
body such as sodium, calcium, phosphorous and magnesium. Local per capita
consumption of the cucumber crop is calculated by the equation Local per
capita = production + (exports - imports) /N. Of population which is
Local per capita = 141383+ (14162- 0) = 12.72 in Jordan in 2020.

CUCUMBER: Postharvest 2
 harvesting methods
Cucumber can be harvested by hand using sharp knife or pruners to cut the
cucumber of the vine. Being sure to leave a small, one-inch section of stem
attached to the cucumber. This prevents the stem end from rotting in storage
if you won't be using the cucumber right away. Using a knife or pruners is the
easiest way to harvest cucumbers and the least stressful method for the plant.
If the fruit is twisted or pulled from the vine, the plant can be damaged.
Harvesting criteria consists of multiple aspects such as: size-which should be
about 150 to 200 mm in length and 25 to 35 in diameter, skin color-which
should be glossy, dark green, and texture-which should be smooth.
after harvesting the cucumbers they are put in plastic boxes that have holes
for the respiration of the fruits. then the fruits are either transported to the
shops directly, or they are packaged and exported or sold to far shops.

Maturity & Quality Indices

MATURITY INDICES QUALITY INDICES
Cucumbers should be harvested at an immature cucumber quality is primarily
stage, near full size. The main method used to
measure harvest maturity is fruit size. Fresh based on uniform shape, firmness
market slicing cucumbers should be at least 15 and a dark green skin color,
cm (6 in) long and firm to the touch.
Skin color should be an even dark green with a additional quality indices are size,
noticeable wax deposit on the fruit surface. freedom from growth or handling
However, some varieties of cucumbers may
naturally produce a lighter green fruit and
defects, freedom from decay, and
environmental conditions may also affect skin an absence of yellowing
color. The fruit should not be allowed to turn
yellow, as this is an obvious sign of over-
maturity. Fruit that are too mature have a tough
leathery skin and are bitter in flavor. A jelly-like
material will be formed in the seed cavity at
proper harvest maturity and the seeds should be
immature and uniform white in color. Large,
slightly yellow, or hard seeds show over-maturity
and low fruit quality. Fruit texture should be firm
and crisp

CUCUMBER: Postharvest 3
 Optimum temperature
And Respiration
OPTIMUM TEMPERATURE RESPIRATION

It is preferable not to storage or store
cucumbers for a long time. Cucumbers
should be stored for less than 14 days
Cucumbers are very sensitive to storage
,Storage for more than two weeks may
result in yellowing and rotting But more
than that Store for export at leads to
chilling injury . 7.2°C from 1 to 2 day.
respiration rate
The higher the storage temperature in the
physiological temperature range, the
respiration increases so that the shelf life
becomes shorter, while at lower
temperatures, the respiration slows down
so that the shelf life of the stored products
becomes longer. Meanwhile, the rate of
respiration is directly related to the active
temperature. Respiration rate is strongly
affected by oxygen concentration and
product injury. The ideal respiratory rate is
between 12-15 at a temperature of 10°C

Response to ethylene
Ethylene is a group of plant growth regulators which are widely used for
ripening fruits and for the production of more flowers and fruits.
Ethylene is a small hydrocarbon, the colorless flammable gas which is
denoted by a formula C2H4 or H2C=CH2. Ethene is the IUPAC name for
ethylene. It has a “sweet and musky” odor when it is pure. It is the simplest
alkene and also the second simplest unsaturated hydrocarbon C2H2.
Ethylene is abundantly used in the chemical industry, and the polyethene is
extremely produced using ethylene. Further, ethylene is also used in
agricultural practices to ripen fruits, germination of the seed, etc.
Ethylene production by cucumbers is normally very low (0.1-1.0 µl/kg·hr at
20°C). However, cucumbers are very sensitive to low amounts (0.1–1 μl l −1)
of exogenous ethylene.
The effects of ethylene include accelerating in the breakdown of chlorophyll
which increases yellowing, an increase in tissue softening, a shortening of
storage life, and an increase of diseases. Further more, cucumbers should
never be stored with vegetables or fruits that emit ethylene, like apples &
tomatoes.

4
CUCUMBER: Postharvest
 Storage requirements

Cucumbers are difficult to store. Cold temperatures cause

chilling injury, while warmer temperatures increase rots and
yellowing.

DURING
GENERALLY DURING EXPORTING (A)
EXPORTING (B)

Cucumbers are In sealed plastic bags, in boxes, In plastic bags

difficult to store, if exported to far countries. that have tiny
so no one stores under 5°C for a max of 2 to 5 holes, with a
cucumber after days during shipping. with a humidity of 0
harvesting, and humidity pad put under them to 95%, under a
it's directly in the bags. temperature of
transported to
7 c.
the market in
plastic boxes.
And normally it's
only stored
during exporting.

If cucumbers were to be stored what are the conditions?

The harvested cucumbers must be stored in a cooler. and should be
under temperatures between 7°C-12°C. with a humidity of 90-95%
because If the humidity was lower it would lose water fast and would
shrivel.

RESPONSES TO CONTROLLED ATMSOPHERES

Controlled or modified atmosphere storage or shipping offer moderate to
little benefit to cucumber quality maintenance. Low O2 levels (3-5%)
delay yellowing and the onset of decay by a few days. Cucumber tolerates
elevated CO2 up (CA) to 10% but storage life is not extended beyond the
benefit of reduced levels of O2.

CUCUMBER: Postharvest 5
 Storage requirements
Methods of Cooling Cucumbers

Regardless of the variety and ultimate use, starting with a healthy, high
quality cucumber and carefully cooling and storing it after harvest is
critical.
Hydro cooling is a pre-cooling method done by rapidly submerging the
cucumbers in near freezing water. This results in a very fast and effective
removal of field heat and quickly lowers the cucumbers’ temperatures to
levels that can be more easily managed with other cooling methods.
Room Cooling done by placing the cucumbers in a refrigerated room such
as a cooler and allowing them to gradually acclimate to the ambient
temperature.
Forced-air cooling done by placing the cucumbers in a refrigerated room
around a large fan which then pulls cool air through the cucumbers,
thereby forcing airflow and more rapidly cooling the cucumber than room
cooling alone.

cucumbers' shelf life:

Cucumbers have a shelf life under optimal conditions of about 10 – 14 days.

CUCUMBER: Postharvest 6
Varieties
Cucumbers are extremely variable.
Some varieties (green field, crystal,
apple) have a relatively hard, waxy skin.
Others (Continental, Lebanese) have a
thin skin that is easily damaged. Gentle
handling of these varieties is essential
to prevent cuts, scratches or bruises,
as these are likely to develop into rots.
Slicing cucumber quality is classified
according to the uniform shape, the
firmness, the dark green skin color, and
its size .
The grading standards for cucumbers such
as “Super Select” , “Select” , “Extra Large”,
and “Jumbo", they have no meaning in
terms of U.S. grading standards . Super
Select generally refers to fruit that are
mostly straight with minimal curvature,
good color uniformity, and with no defects.
U.S. grades are : Fancy, Extra 1, No. 1, No. 1
Small, No. 1 Large, and No. 2.
U.S. Fancy consists of cucumbers which are well
colored, well formed, not overgrown, and which
are fresh, firm, and free from decay, sunscald,
and from injury caused by scars and from any
damages . The maximum diameter of each
cucumber shall be not more than 2-3/8 inches
and the length shall be not less than 6 inches.
U.S. Extra No. 1 consists of a combination of
U.S. Fancy and U.S. No. 1 cucumbers . Provided,
That at least 50% of the cucumbers in the lot
shall meet the requirements of the U.S. Fancy
grade and the remainder shall meet the
requirements of the U.S. No. 1 grade . The
maximum diameter of each cucumber shall be
not more than 2-3/8 inches and the length shall
be not less than 6 inches
CUCUMBER: Postharvest
U.S. No. 1 consists of cucumbers which are
fairly well colored, fairly well formed, not
overgrown, and which are fresh, firm, and
free from decay, sunscald and from
damages . Unless otherwise specified, the
maximum diameter of each cucumber shall
be not more than 2- 3/8 inches and the
length shall be not less than 6 inches.
U.S. No. 1 Small consists of cucumbers
which meet all requirements for the U.S. No.
1 grade except for size . The diameter of
each cucumber shall be not less than 1-1/2
inches or more than 2 inches. There are no
requirements for length .
U.S. No. 1 Large consists of cucumbers
which meet all requirements for the U.S. No.
1 grade except for size . The minimum
diameter of each cucumber shall be not less
than 2-1/4 inches and, unless otherwise
specified, the length shall be not less than 6
inches. There are no maximum diameter and
length requirements.
U.S. No. 2 consists of cucumbers which are
moderately colored, not badly deformed,
not overgrown, and which are fresh, firm,
free from decay and free from damages.
Unless otherwise specified, the maximum
diameter of each cucumber shall be not
more than 2-3/8 inches and the length shall
be not less than 5 inches.
8
 Mechanical physiological
& pathological disorders
Mechanical disorder
It is the damage that occurs due to the
wrong harvest, which leads to damage to
the quality of the fruit and its external
appearance, thus reducing quality and
not allowed to be a good marketable.
Pieces of broken or injured cucumber
spoil quickly because they are prone to
collecting pests and fungi
Mechanical injury
Chilling injury
Freezing injury
Freezing injury
Physiological disorder
the damages that appear on the fruits
either before or after storage, or they
may increase after storage and be in the
form of distortions or abnormal growth
that appears on the fruits and its causes
are unsatisfactory or non-pathogenic .
such as: unhealthy warehouses and
unsuitable environment between high
humidity and high temperature .
CHILLING INJURY
Cucumbers are very chilling sensitive,
with only a few days below 5°C enough
to cause damage to some cultivars.
Symptoms include the development of
sunken pits and lesions which may or
may not have a water-soaked
appearance, detachment of the skin
from the underlying flesh, internal flesh
breakdown and increased rot
development.
FREEZING INJURY
Freezing injury is damage that occurs to
plant tissues when temperatures are
below -0.5 C. Its symptoms include
tissue browning, blackening, a water
soaked pulp becoming brown and
gelatinous in appearance over time.

Pathological disorders
P. lachrymans Sclerotinia
They are disease symptoms that are
often caused by fungi , fungi are the
largest group of organisms that cause
plant disease.

Combination of Botrytis
Botrytis cinerea
and P.lachrymans

CUCUMBER: Postharvest 7
Pathological disorders

Fungi Such as : Anthracnose Scientific Fungi Such as : Belly rot Scientific

name : Colletotrichum orbiculare . name : Rhizoctonia solani
Symptoms : Brown roughly circular Symptoms : Yellow/brown
lesions on fruit; lesions on resistant discoloration on fruit; water-soaked
varieties appear tan with green edges. spots on side of fruit in contact with
soil; brown mold growing on rotting
1 areas; collapse of seedlings.

Packaging
Cucumbers are packaged in various ways,
including in strong cartons of corrugated
board with plastic film lining. The sides of
the cartons are reinforced and provided with
perforations. The individual cucumbers are
often heat -sealed in gas - permeable plastic
film, which extends storage life.

CUCUMBER: Postharvest 9
 REFERENCES
1. (2) (PDF) Handling, Cooling and Sanitation Techniques for Maintaining
Postharvest Quality 1 (researchgate.net)
2. Facts about Cooling and Storing Cucumbers after Harvest
(semcoice.com)
3. Cucumber | Product guides | Postharvest Management of Vegetables
4. Vegetables English - UC Postharvest Technology Center (ucdavis.edu)
5. Vice chairman Zuhair Jweihan (JEPA) - 065699631
6. . Eng. mohammad hasan - 0796558224
7. POSTHARVEST HANDLING OF CUCUMBERS ID:3967008
(slideserve.com)

1. https://www.adafsa.gov.ae/Arabic/MediaCenter/Publications/Documen
ts/Cucumber.pdf
2. http://dosweb.dos.gov.jo/ar/agriculture/crops-statistics
3. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/107030928624125915/
4. Eng. Ja'afar Yalo (darb company)- 0790328242

1. https://www.ams.usda.gov/
2. https://ift.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1541-4337.12715
3. https://postharvest.ucdavis.edu/files/259448.pdf
4. http://seminisus.s3.amazonaws.com/app/uploads/2018/08/Grading-
Slicing-Cucumbers-Seminis.pdf
5. https://rvpadmin.cce.cornell.edu/uploads/doc_500.pdf
6. https://plantvillage.psu.edu/topics/cucumber/infos

1. Cucumber_final.pub (sharepoint.com)

1. How and When to Harvest Cucumbers (thespruce.com)

COLOR CODE
Haneen Alsurkhi, Ala'a Fraihat, Raneem Al-Ahmad,
Mahmoud Al-Zuhairy, Zaid AlKaiali

School of Agriculture - University of Jordan 10