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