cucumber

1. Dr.Ambika
Name of Topic: PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY OF
CUCUMBER AND MELONS
Chapter 1.2
Lecture –4
DISCOVER . LEARN . EMPOWER

2. Objectives
CO1- Students will Understand the scientific cultivation methods of vegetables and spices.
CO2- Understand the types of vegetable gardening with special reference to kitchen gardening
CO3-Students will learn about various diseases, insects’ pests and physiological disorders of vegetable and spices crops
CO4- Understand the Classification of vegetables and spices.
CO5- Students will be able to explain various post-harvest technologies for shelf life extension of vegetable and spices crops.
To Educate Importance and scope of vegetables and spices.
To know more about origin, area, climate, soil, improved varieties and cultivation practices such as time and methods of
sowing, transplanting techniques, planting distance, fertilizer requirements, irrigation, weed management, harvesting and
yield.
To acquire knowledge about postharvest management of crops
Course Outcome
COURSE OBJECTIVES

3. 3
PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY OF CUCUMBER AND MELON
www.cuchd.in

4. Cucerbitaceous
Crops belonging to family Cucurbitaceae are generally known as
‘Cucurbits’. It consists of a wide range of vegetables either used for
salad purpose (cucumber) or for cooking (all gourds), pickling (West
Indian gherkin) or as dessert fruit (muskmelon, water melon) or candied
or preserved (ash gourd). As a group, cucurbits occupy the largest area
in India and in other tropical countries. Its use is not primarily because of
calories, minerals or vitamins since they are generally low to moderate in
nutrients with a few exceptions like bitter gourd (rich in vitamin C 96
mg/100g), parwal and chow chow (calcium – 531 mg and 140 mg / 100 g
respectively). From the nutritional point of view, cucurbit seeds are
valued for their high oil and protein contents. Seed proteins of cucurbits
are comparable to that of legumes and are richer in methionine

6. Introduction and Importance:
Cucumbers are used as salad and for pickling. The fruits are also consumed raw.
Tender leaves are also used as vegetables.
It is the second most widely cultivated cucurbits after watermelon. In
temperate countries it is extensively grown in glasshouse. The fruit and seed
possess cooling properties.
The fruits as also used as an astringent and antipyretic. The seed oil is used as an
antipyretic . Fruits are good for people suffering from constipation, jaundice and
indigestion. Immature fruits are consumed as salad and sell at a premium price in off
season. Fruits vary in shape, size ,colour and are considered nutritious. They
contain 0.4% protein, 2.5% CHO, 1.5mg iron, 2mg vitamin c / 100g fresh
weight.

7. • Botanical name: Cucumis sativus L.
• Family: Cucurbitaceae
• Chromosome number: 2n=14
• Origin: India
• Ancestor : Cucumis hardwickii
• Importance of crop Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is an edible cucurbit
popular throughout the world for crisp texture and taste. Cucumber is a
truly versatile vegetable because of wide range of uses from salads to
pickles and digestive aids to beauty products. It is a very good source of
potassium, an important intracellular electrolyte. 100 g of cucumber
provides 147 mg of potassium. Cucumbers contains unique anti-oxidants
in moderate ratios such as β-carotene and αcarotene, vitamin- C, vitamin-
A, zea-xanthin and lutein.
CUCUMBER:

8. Basic information:
• Day Neutral Plant
• Thermophilic crop
• 2nd most widely cultivated cucurbit after watermelon
• 1st sequenced vegetable crop
• Prefers low temp. than Water Melon
• Most common form : Monoecious
• Bitterness : Cucurbitacins
• New synthetic species: Cucumis × hytivus, 2n=2x=38.
• 1st gynoecious F1 hybrid, Pusa Sanyog, developed in India in 1971
• Induction of parthenocarpy in cucumber: Choloroflurenol
• Metaxenia: Effect of pollen on fruit shape and other fruit characteristics

9. Soil and Climate :
Cucumbers prefer light textured soils that are well drained, high in
organic matter and have a pH of 6-6.8. Adapted to a wide-range
of soils, but will produce early in sandy soils. Cucumbers are fairly
tolerant to acid soils (down to pH 5.5). Greenhouse cucumbers
generally grow quite well in a wide range of soil pH (5.5-7.5), but
a pH of 6.0-6.5 for mineral soils and a pH of 5.0-5.5 for organic
soils are generally accepted as optimum.

10. Climate:
Maximum growth occurs at a day and night temperature of
about 28°C, maximum fruit production is achieved with a night
temperature of 19- 20°C and a day temperature of 20-22°C.
The minimum temperature should not be lower than 18ºC for
sustained production. Prolonged temperature above 35ºC should
also be avoided as fruit production and quality are affected at
extremely higher temperatures.
Sowing:
Time – July-Sept Jan-Feb Seed rate – 3-5 kg/ha
Spacing – 1.5 x 0.5 m or 1.5 x 1 m

11. Irrigation:
Drip irrigation Inline lateral lines may be installed in the middle of
beds. Distance between two drippers - 30 cm and its discharge
rate is 2 L/hour. Diameter of riser is 16mm
Fertilizer management :
Cucumber has a high nutrient requirement and grows rapidly
when supplied with sufficient nutrients.
Normally ; 200N: 125P: 125K kg/ha

12. Cultural practices :
1. Training & Pruning Basic principle in developing training system is to uniformly maximize the
leaf interception of sunlight throughout the house. Staking in cucumber has been found to
be very effective in getting maximum yield and better quality of fruits.
2. •Types of training
3. 1. Single stem training (60 x 45 cm)
4. 2. Umbrella system (60 x 60 cm)
5. 3. V-system (60 x 60 cm)
V system

13. Pruning
• Pruning improve fruit yield and quality
•As the plant grows up the string, remove all the lateral buds up to the sixth node (a node being where a
leaf joins the stem).
•Pruning the lateral buds allows the plant to become large enough to support continued healthy fruit
development.
• In addition to the lateral buds, all the fruits should also be removed up to this point.
CULTIVARS
*Pusa Seedless Cucumber-6
Year of release : 2015-16 Characteristics :
•First extra early (40-45 days for first fruit harvest) improved variety of parthenocarpic gynoecious
cucumber suitable for cultivation in protected condition.
*Variety Pusa Sanyog
Breeding Method :Heterosis Pedigree/Parenta ge
Cross : Japanese Gyn. Line x Green Long Naples Important Traits: Early maturing and high
yielding, fruits long, cylindrical and dark green with yellow stripes, flesh crisp

14. *Variety : Pusa Uday
Breeding Method: Selection Pedigree/Paren tage Selection from Indigenous
material Important Traits The plants (vines) are 1 to 1.5 m long.
The flowering behaviour is monoecious. The fruits are medium in size (13-15
cm long).
*Variety : Straight eight
Breeding Method : Introduction Pedigree/Parent age Introduction from USA
Important Traits :Fruits medium in length, straight and cylindrical with round ends,
skin medium green
*Variety : Japanese Long Green Breeding Method : Introduction
Important Traits : Plants are early, prolific bearing, first picking starts in 45 days
after sowing.
Fruits are yellowish green, 30-40 cm long, whitish green with light green and crisp
flesh. This variety essentially requires staking for straight fruits.
.

15. *Variety : Kalyanpur Green
Breeding Method : Selection
Important Traits : Fruits thick, green, tasty while brown at maturity. This variety is suitable for
cultivation in rainy season.
This variety has yield potential of 100-125 q/ha
*Variety : Phule Shubhangi (Sel 75-1-10) Breeding Method : Pedgree Selection
Important Traits : Fruits green, colour of fruit remains after storage,
surface smooth with trichoms. Plants are tolerant to pod borer, anthracnose, leaf spot and leaf
under field
condition.
Fruits are smooth and attractive green fruits with white strips at apical end.
*Variety : Phule Priyanka
Breeding Method :Hybridization Pedigree/Parentag e RHRB-5 x RHRBG4
Important Traits : Fruits dark green, highly prickled, 20 cm long, suitable for rainy and summer
seasons, tolerant to downey mildew, average yield 282.7 q/ha

16. Other varieties:
*Pant Sankar Khira-1
*Pant Khira-1
*Pant Parthenocarpic khira-2
*Parthenocarpic khira-3
*Himangni.
*CO 1
Vegetative propagation :
The side shoot/ laterals or suckers are used as planting material. Time of using these laterals as propagation
material depends largely on the purpose of taking advantage of staggered planting or relay cropping. The
lateral shoots of 9- 10 cm are taken from plants, but atmost care is required to avoid the cutting from virus
affected plants and it is always recommended to sterilize the tools/ knife being used for making such
operations either with bleaching powder or milk powder. Cocopeat may be used as the rooting media. The
seedlings may be transplanted 15 days later.

17. Harvesting
Generally, cucumber is ready for first harvesting in 30 to 40 days of planting depending upon climatic
conditions and crop management practices. Harvesting is done when fruits are more or less cylindrical and
well filled and should be carried out in early morning or late evening. The produce should immediately be
moved to cool, shaded and ventilated area. As fruits are harvested manually, so these should be clipped or
snapped with a slight twist motion and should not be pulled off the vines to minimize ‘pulled ends’. Fruits
keep on developing as the plants grow and reach harvestable stage in 10-14 days after flower opening.
Disease and pest management
1) Downy Mildew (Pseudoperonospora cubensis)
•Symptoms : Disease appears as irregular, numerous, small,
yellow areas surrounded by green tissues scattered all over the leaf lamina. It appears just like in definite
mosaic pattern particularly in cucumber.
Management •
*Crop should be grown with wide spacing in well-drained soil.
*Air movement and sunlight exposure helps in checking the disease initiation and development.
*Bower system of cropping reduces the disease incidence.
*use tolerant cucumber lines like Summer Prolific.
*Protective spray of Mancozeb @ 0.25% at seven days interval . In severe case one spray of Metalaxyl +
Mancozeb @ 0.2%

18. 2) Powdery Mildew : (Sphaerotheca fuligena and Erysiphe cichoracearum)
Symptoms :
•Disease appears on all foliar part as white to dull white, powdery growth.
This white growth quickly covers most of the leaf surface and leads to heavy
reduction in photosynthesis area.
Management :
•Foliar sprays of Penconazole @ 0.05% or Tridemorph @ 0.1% or Carbendazim
@ 0.1%
, give very good control of the disease. • Use tolerant line
3) Anthracnose : Colletotrichum lagenarium,
It is a destructive disease of cucurbits occurring during warm and moist seasons
All aboveground plant parts can be infected
Leaf lesions begin as water soaked and then become yellowish circular spots
Management:
Choose anthracnose-resistant varieties if at all possible.
Resistant cucumber slicers include Dasher II, Slicemaster, and Poinsett 76.
Many pickling cucumbers are tolerant or resistant, Score and Premier..
Fungicides Among fungicides available are chlorothalonil (Bravo), benomyl
(Benlate), and mancozeb

19. Some other diseases:
* Fruit Rots : (Phytophthora cinnamomi, Pythium, Rhizoctonia, Phomopsis
cucurbitae)
•Mosaic and Leaf Distortion
Some of the pests:
1)Fruit fly : Dacus ciliates , Dacus cucurbitae
Control measures : Clean cultivation
Spraying with 0.2% carbaryl, Spraying with 0.2% carbaryl, spraying with 0.05%
Malathion .
2)Red Pumpkin Beetle : Alucophora foveicollis
The grubs feed on the roots and underground portion of host plants
and fruits touching the soil, Infested parts start rotting due to secondary infection
by saprophytic fungi
Management: deep ploughing soon after the crop exposes and kill grubs and
pupae. Spray Malathion @ 2 ml /liter , Dusting with 5% Malathion, Apply
Furadan 3G (Granule ) Other pests are :
*Serpentine Leaf Miner (Liriomyza trifolii Burgess)
•Red Spider Mite (Tetranychus neocaledonicus Andre)
•*Thrips (Thrips palmi Karny)
•Root-knot Nematodes (Meloidogyne incognita)

20. Physiological disorders:
1) Bitterness : cool weather at high elevations
Open pollination and excessive use of nitrogenous fertilizer
2) Crooked fruit or crooking or curvature : imperfect pollination and
fertilization. High soil moisture ,poor nutrition and adverse temperature
3) Frost or low temperature injury : Freezing of cell sap results in
rupture of the cell membrane.
4) Pillow disorder - Calcium deficiency
5) Fruit splitting or cracking : Heavy rainfall or Rain after a long period
of water stress causes fruits to splits. Calcium deficiency
aggravates the disorder.

21. 6) Light belly colour : Direct contract of the fruits with
moisture , soil suppresses development of normal fruit
color.
Delay in turning the fruits in field encourages this disorder.
7) Misshapen fruits : High plant population or dense plant
canopy Negligence in using growth hormones and
herbicides

22. Post harvest marketing and storage:
There are well developed cucumber pickle industries are there around the world. cities like
USA, JAPAN, CHINA have good processing industries for cucumber pickle using brine
solution.
•rainy season crop or crop damaged by summer rains, fruit fly attacked fruits should be
removed before sending to the market.
•the crook necked fruits have less acceptance in market.
•cucumber do not stand much better for long transport so cucumber have to be sold in
nearby urban markets.
•cucumbers should be packed in baskets and transported.
•it is being highly perishable so the involvement of risk and losses is more so cultivation is
concentrated near metropolitan cities.
•some regions like Poona region of Maharashtra supply cucumber to distant markets.
Optimum storage temperature of cucumber fruits is -10 degree with 85% RH can be stored
for 10-14 days.
•chilling injury takes place below -10 degree.

23. MELON
Water melon - Citrullus lanatus
Muskmelon- (Cucumis melo L.)

24. Watermelon is a vine-like flowering plant, which is large and
which contain hairy leaves and white to yellow flowers. It is
grown for its edible fruit, which is a special kind of berry
referred to by botanists as a pepo. The fruit has a smooth hard
coat, usually green with dark green stripes or yellow spots, and
a juicy, sweet interior flesh.
Watermelon

25. HISTORY
The watermelon is thought to have originated in southern
Africa, where it is found growing wild. It reaches maximum
genetic diversity there, with sweet, bland and bitter forms. In
the 7th century, watermelons were being cultivated in Indian
sub continent and by the 10th century had reached China. The
fruit had begun appearing in European herbals by 1600, and
was widely planted in Europe in the 17th century as a minor
garden crop.

26. SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICTAION
Kingdom:
Order:
Family:
Genus:
Species:
Plantae
Cucurbitales
Cucurbitaceae
Citrullus
lanatus

27. DESCRIPTION
The watermelon is an annual plant with long, weak,
climbing stems which are five-angled and up to 3 m long.
Young growth is densely woolly with
yellowish-brown hairs which disappear as the plant ages.
The leaves are stemmed and are alternate,
large and pinnately-lobed, stiff and rough when
old.
The plant has branching tendrils.
The flowers grow singly in the leaf axils and the corolla is
white or yellow inside and greenish-yellow on the outside.

28. VARIETY
There are some variety of watermelon
commercially cultivated in Bangladesh. These are
–
Patenga Giant
Top Yield
Glory
World Queen
Champion
Empire
Ice Box

29. PLANTING AND SPACING
Watermelonseedgerminates at soil temperatures of
68° to 95° F.
Seed should be planted approximately 1 inch deep.
The amount of seed required (usually 1 to 2 pounds per acre) depends
upon seed size, germination and plant spacing.
Watermelons traditionally have been spaced 6 to
8 feet between hills on bare ground without irrigation.
With irrigation, use a spacing of 5 to 6 feet between hills.
With plastic mulch and trickle irrigation, use an in-row spacing of 3 feet
and between-row spacing of 6 to 8 feet.
Icebox watermelons can be spaced even more closely, with in- row
spacings of 2 feet and between-row spacings of 5 feet.

30. POLLINATIONANDFRUITSETTING
Watermelons produce two types of flowers.
Most varieties generally produce imperfect female and
male flowers.
When flowering begins in watermelon, male flowers will
be produced at every node while female flowers will
be produced approximately every seventh node.
Watermelon flowers are viable for only one day;
therefore, an adequate population of pollinating insects
must be available every day during the flowering
period.

31. Under average conditions, two to three fruit should set
per plant.
The actual number of fruit set will depend on variety,
cultural practices, environmental conditions, irrigation
and number of pollinating insects .
Watermelons require insects such as honey bees for
proper pollination and fruit growth.
Different Research has shown that each female flower
must be visited, on average, seven times by a
pollinating insect to ensure proper fruit set.

32. S
o
i
l&L
a
n
dP
r
e
p
a
r
a
t
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o
n
managed to produce a good crop of watermelon.
Land preparationinvolves one or more tillage
operations performed
to make the soil more suitable for seeding and seedling (or
transplant) establishment,
to enhance productivity by providing the best soil structure for
subsequent root growth and development, and
to help control some disease problems
Most well-drained soil, whether
clayey
or sandy can
be

33. C
o
n
t
.
Land that has been under cultivation for several years
may develop a hardpan several inches below the
surface.
Litter from previous crops should be disked and deep
turned with a moldboard plough in order to insure its
decomposition.
Broadcast fertilizer should be applied at this time or just
before final bedding.

34. Irrigation
Water is a critical component in the production of watermelons. A
ripe watermelon consists of more than 90 percent water (a 30-
pound watermelon contains more than 3 gallons of water). Thus,
an adequate water supply is critical to optimizing yield and
quality of this crop. Drip irrigation is gaining popularity for
production of watermelons. It can be used with or without plastic
mulch. One of the major advantages of drip irrigation is its water
use efficiency if properly managed.

35. W
e
e
d
Control
Successful weed management is vital to the production of
quality watermelons. Weeds compete with the crop for
light, space, nutrients and, particularly, water. Weed
growth promotes disease problems and can harbor
deleterious insects and diseases. Weeds also impair the
ability to harvest effectively, reducing the quantity of
marketable fruit and increasing labor costs.
Watermelons, as with most crops, require early season
weed control to ensure a quality crop. In addition, the
spreading nature of this crop makes weed control difficult
once the vines begin to form.

36. D
e
f
e
c
t
s
ofW
a
t
e
r
m
e
l
o
n
Blossom-end rot (BER) is a physiological or nonparasitic
disorder related to calcium deficiency, moisture stress or both.
Prevention recommendations include adequate amounts of
calcium, proper soil pH (6 to 6.5), and a uniform and sufficient
supply of moisture.
Hollow heart and white heart are two physiological disorders
influenced by genetics, environment and, probably, a number of
nutritional factors. The crop should be grown under optimal
nutritional and moisture conditions.

37. Cont
.
Stem splitting can occur in seedlings grown for transplanting.
This problem seems to be associated with high humidity and
moisture that can occur under greenhouse conditions. Watering
evenly to maintain soil moisture, avoiding wet-dry cycles in the
media and good air circulation may help alleviate these
problems.
Sandblasting occurs when wind and blowing sand damage
seedlings when first planted. This appears as dead or dying
tissue usually on the side of the prevailing winds.

38. DiseasesofWatermelon
Disease name Caused by Prevention
Damping-off Fusarium spp Good cultural practices and seed treatment
Root-knot
Nematodes
worms use nematicide & fumigants
Gummy Stem Didymella bryoniae Good cultural practices and seed treatment
Anthracnose Glomerella cingulata Use resistant varieties
Downy Mildew Pseudoperonospora
cubensis.
Use resistant varieties and seed treatment
Rind Necrosis Erwinia spp Good cultural practices and seed treatment
Fruit Blotch Acidovorax avenae Use resistant varieties and good cultural practices

39. PestofWatermelon
Root Maggots
Wireworms and Whitefringed Beetle
Larvae
Cucumber Beetles
Thrips
Aphids
Cutworms
Pickleworms and Melonworms
Rindworms

40. Singh, S.P Production Technology of vegetable crops. 1989.Agri. Comm. Res. Centre.
S, Thamburajnd. Singh, Narendra.2014.Text book of vegetables ,tuber crops and spices. ICAR
www.krishisewa.com
agritech.tnau.ac.in
Development of e-Course for B.Sc (Agriculture) (eagri.org)
References
www.cuchd.in

41. THANKS
www.cuchd.in