Abstract
A study was undertaken to monitor the plant growth attributes and yield of soilless cucumbers (V1: Kafka, V2: Multistar and V3: PBRK-4) in relation to differential fertigation scenarios (F1: 100%, F2: 85% and F3: 70% of nutrient solution under optimal microclimatic conditions) during two successive growing seasons of 2016-17 (Season 1: September 2016 to January 2017 and Season 2: February to May 2017). The yield of cucumbers was significantly affected by fertigation treatments in interaction with crop varieties. The plant growth attributes viz. plant height, number of nodes per plant, leaf area index (LAI), plant intermodal distance, fruit water content (FWC) and others in association affected the yield. Irrespective of the growing seasons, the average fruit yield was recorded to be in the range of 2.5-3.5 kg per plant with having highest and lowest values under F1V2 and F3V3 respectively, in relation to plant height, number of nodes per plant and inter-nodal distance per plant per variety. Among crop varieties, the highest yield was recorded under V2, chiefly due to larger intermodal distance and FWC for same average number of nodes per plant and plant height. Thus, monitoring plant growth attributes is essentially required for better understanding of their relationship with the fruit yield.
Highlights
Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) plants have rapid vegetative and reproductive growth rates, high water and nutrient uptake rates and large root masses [1]
The maximum and minimum height was recorded under V2 and V1 respectively mainly due to the varietal difference when subjected to similar microclimatic conditions and the inputs (Table 3)
Attributes and Yield of Soilless Cucumbers remained statistically similar with maximum height under F2 and similar under rest two levels of fertigation
Summary
Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) plants have rapid vegetative and reproductive growth rates, high water and nutrient uptake rates and large root masses [1]. Water and nutrients are two vital inputs for plant growth in soilless media and their uptake by plants are two independent processes. The prevalence of soil borne diseases has restricted cultivation of vegetable crops in soil under both open field conditions and protective structures [7]. Soilless cultivation offers a better control on plant nutrition and diseases due to its capability to control water availability, pH and nutrient concentration in the root zone of plants [9]. Ghehsareh et al [11] reported higher yield, biomass, plant height, root weight, leaf area index (LAI) and total soluble solids of cucumber fruit on using date-palm as growing media
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