Export AgricultureUva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka

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CONTENTS• INTRODUCTION• MORPHOLOGY• RECOMMENDED VARIETIES• SOIL & CLIMATIC REQUIREMENT• FIELD ESTABLISHMENT• HARVESTING• STORAGE & POST- HARVEST• USES• PEST & DISEASES • REFERANCES

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INTRODUCTION

Family : Cucurbitaceae

Genus : Cucumis

Species : Cucumis sativus

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• The cucumber is a warm season crop

• Originated from Northern India

• In Sri Lanka, best eaten sliced as a salad

• Appetizer with other vegetables because of its

distinct flavor and texture

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Major growing areas• Throughout the year in the wet-zone• During Maha season in the dry-zone Identified districts

• Kurunegala• Matale • Hambantota

Potential districts • Puttlum, Colombo, Matara, Badulla,

Moneragala, Polonnaruwa ,Anuradhapura

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MORPHOLOGY

• Cucumber is a monoecious annual vegetable

• It is a sprawling vine with large leaves and curling

tendrils

• The leaves are arranged alternately on the vines

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• Plant produces yellow colour flowers

• The fruits are usually cylindrical

• Many-seeded berries

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RECOMMENDED VARIETIES

• Champion• Kalpitiya white• LY58

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• Special features of • Champion

• Salad cucumber• Kalpitiya white

• Local selection• Salad cucumber

• LY58• Yield potential 25Mt/ha• Recommended for Dry and Wet zones

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In 2012 release New hybrid variety HORDI Green F1

• Fruit taste-Crispy• Moisture- 96.2%• External skin colour -Yellow green • Internal skin colour -Green white• Reaction to pests- No serious pest infestation

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SOIL & CLIMATIC REQUIREMENT• Rainfall

Wet zone 2500 mmDry zone1200 - 1900 mm

• Soil – Any soilhigh water-holding capacitygood drainage

• pH range 5.5 to 7.0

• Temperature 25–30˚С

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FIELD ESTABLISHMENT

Land preparation

• Prepare the field at least one month before

planting

• Follow each plowing with harrowing

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• For wet season cropping, prepare raised beds

• One week before planting, make holes 30 cm

apart

• Apply well-decomposed animal manure

• Mix the manure thoroughly with soil

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Planting

• Sow 3-4 seeds/hills and cover with a thin layer of soil

• About 2-3 kg of seeds are required for one hectare

• Irrigate the field right after sowing• 5 to 7 days after germination, rogue excess

seedlings and maintain only two plants/hill

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Trellising

• Ipil-ipil posts spaced 3-4 m apart are laid out

in the field

• Wires can be used to connect the poles along

each furrow

• synthetic straw can be used for vine training

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SpacingI m x 1 m 3-4 seeds per planting hole

Fertilizer application  Urea TSP MOH

Basal 75 200 60

Top dressing-1

75 - 60

Top dressing-2

75 60 60

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Irrigation

• During the dry season, water regularly every

10-14 days

• Depending on the soil type and weather

condition

• watering in the morning hours

• Avoid too much water

• Use drip irrigation system

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Weed control

• The beds should be kept free of weeds, especially in the early stages

• Later on, rapidly spreading vines suppress the weeds

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HARVESTING

• Most cucumber varieties will produce fruit ready for harvest in 50 to 60 days

• The peak cucumber production months during the Maha season

• Check vines daily as the fruit starts to appear

• pick cucumbers whenever it big enough to use

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STORAGE & POST- HARVEST

• Cucumber has over 90 % water

• Wrap tightly by a plastic wrap to retain moisture

• They can keep for a week to 10 days when stored properly in the refrigerate

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USES

• As a fresh vegetable• Consumed fresh in salads• Pickling• Cosmetics products• Anti bacterial regents

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PEST & DISEASES

Cucumber plants are susceptible to pests• Cucumber Beetles• Aphids• Crickets• Leafhoppers• Thrips• Grasshoppers

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InsectsAphids • Turn leaves yellow and stunt shoots• transmit viruses from plant to plant

Control• Monitoring• Use natural enemies

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Cucumber beetles

• feed on the leaves• spread cucumber mosaic virus or wilts in

cucurbits

Control• Management of cucumber beetles is difficult.• Use cover crops• Remove crop residues

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Diseases

• The most important diseases are• Powdery mildew• Mosaic• Downy mildew• Anthracnose

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Mosaic

• Causal Organism- -Cucumber mosaic virus & squash mosaic virus

• Symptoms-Leaves are small & puckered & plant become stunted-Edged of the leaves are turn down-Knobs on the fruits are light yellow

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Powdery mildew

• Causal Organism -Erysiphe cichoracearum

• Symptoms -Spot develop on the upper surface of on the older leaf -It causes the leaves to turn yellow & whiter -Fruits are not infected

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Control

• Used fungicide sprays• Cultural control- using good quality seed• Remove alternate of host aphids• Don’t plant cucurbits near to wood• Control weeds• Use insecticide

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REFERANCES• http://www.semena.org/agro/Cucumber-e.htm• http://www.agridept.gov.lk/index.php/en/crop-recommend

ations/984• http://www.backyard-vegetable-gardening.com/cucumber

-diseases.html• http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/GARDEN/VEGES/PES

TS/cucumberbeet.html• https://www.plantvillage.com/topics/cucumber/infos• http://www.darfu4b.da.gov.ph/cucumber.html

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GROUP MEMBERS

• B.M.S.K. Ekanayake UWU/EAG/11/0004• K.A.M.Y.C. Jayathissa UWU/EAG/11/0010

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THANK YOU !