Cucumber Varieties Research Articles

Nutrient Use Efficiency and Cucumber Productivity as a Function of the Nitrogen Fertilization Rate and the Wood Fiber Content in Growing Media.

A peat substrate is made from peat from drained peatlands, which is a limited resource. A realistic estimate is that 50% of the world's wetlands have been lost. Peat is used in horticulture, especially for the cultivation of vegetables in greenhouses. The consequences of peatland exploitation are an increase in the greenhouse effect and a decrease in carbon stocks. Wood fiber can be used as an alternative to peat. The chemical properties of growing media interact and change continuously due to the small volume of growing media, which is limited by the growing container. This study aims to gain new knowledge on the impact of nutrient changes in the microbial degradation of carbon compounds in wood fiber and mixtures with a peat substrate on the content and uptake of nutrients required by plants. The cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) variety 'Dirigent H' developed in the Netherlands was cultivated in growing media of a peat substrate and wood fiber: (1) peat substrate (PS); (2) wood fiber (WF); (3) wood fiber and peat substrate 50/50 v/v (WF/PS 50/50); (4) wood fiber and peat substrate 25/75 v/v (WF/PS 25/75). The rates of fertilization were the following: (1) conventional fertilization (CF); (2) 13 g N per plant (N13); (3) 23 g N per plant (N23); (4) 30 g N per plant (N30). The experiment was carried out with three replications. As the amount of wood fiber increased, the humidity and pH of the growing media increased. The fertilization of the cucumbers with different quantities of nitrogen influenced the nutrient uptake. The plants grown in the 50/50 and 25/75 growing media had the best Cu uptake when fertilized with N23. When the plants grown in the wood fiber media and the 50/50 media were fertilized with N13, N23, and N30, the Mn content in the growing media at the end of the growing season was significantly lower than the Mn content in the media with conventional fertilization. Thus, nitrogen improved the uptake of Mn by the plants grown not only in the wood fiber, but also in the combinations with a peat substrate. Growing plants in wood fiber and fertilizing them with N13 can result in the optimum uptake of micronutrients. The number and biomass of cucumber fruits per plant were influenced by the amount of wood fiber in the growing media and the application of nitrogen fertilizer. The highest number of fruits and biomass of fruits per plant obtained were significantly higher when the cucumbers were grown in WF/PS 50/50 growing media with additional N13 fertilization.

The CsTIE1-CsAGL16 module regulates lateral branch outgrowth and drought tolerance in cucumber

Abstract Drought stress and lateral branch are both important factors affecting crop yield. Cucumber is a widely planted vegetable crop that requires a large amount of water during its production and prefers varieties with few lateral branches. However, the mechanism regulating cucumber drought tolerance and lateral branch development remain largely unclear. The MADS-box transcription factor AGAMOUS-LIKE 16 (CsAGL16) was recently found to be a key positive regulator in cucumber shoot branching through stimulating ABA catabolism. In this study, we demonstrated that cucumber TCP interactor containing EAR motif protein 1 (CsTIE1) directly interacts with CsAGL16 at protein level and promotes lateral branch outgrowth through the CsAGL16-CsCYP707A4 mediated ABA pathway in cucumber. Additionally, mutation of CsAGL16 resulted in decreased drought tolerance, while overexpression of CsAGL16 significantly enhanced drought tolerance in cucumber. Similarly, the drought resistance of Cstie1 mutants was significantly reduced. However, overexpression of CsAGL16 can enhance the drought tolerance of Cstie1 mutants and promote their lateral branch outgrowth. These results indicated that the CsTIE1-CsAGL16 module was crucial for both lateral branch development and drought response, providing a strategy for cultivating drought tolerant cucumber varieties with appropriate branch outgrowth.

Evaluation of cucumber seed germination vigor under salt stress environment based on improved YOLOv8.

Seed germination vigor is one of the important indexes reflecting the quality of seeds, and the level of its germination vigor directly affects the crop yield. The traditional manual determination of seed germination vigor is inefficient, subjective, prone to damage the seed structure, cumbersome and with large errors. We carried out a cucumber seed germination experiment under salt stress based on the seed germination phenotype acquisition platform. We obtained image data of cucumber seed germination under salt stress conditions. On the basis of the YOLOv8-n model, the original loss function CIoU_Loss was replaced by ECIOU_Loss, and the Coordinate Attention(CA) mechanism was added to the head network, which helped the model locate and identify the target. The small-target detection head was added, which enhanced the detection accuracy of the tiny target. The precision P, recall R, and mAP of detection of the model improved from the original values of 91.6%, 85.4%, and 91.8% to 96.9%, 97.3%, and 98.9%, respectively. Based on the improved YOLOv8-ECS model, cucumber seeds under different concentrations of salt stress were detected by target detection, cucumber seed germination rate, germination index and other parameters were calculated, the root length of cucumber seeds during germination was extracted and analyzed, and the change characteristics of root length during cucumber seed germination were obtained, and finally the germination activity of cucumber seeds under different concentrations of salt stress was evaluated. This work provides a simple and efficient method for the selection and breeding of salt-tolerant varieties of cucumber.

Study on the Effect of Foliar Fertilizers on the Growth and Yield of V108 Heat-Tolerant Cucumber Variety

This study evaluates the efficacy of various foliar fertilizers on the growth and yield of the heat-tolerant cucumber variety TV108. The experimental design included six different foliar fertilizers and a control, with applications made weekly at a concentration of 1 mL per liter of water. Results showed that all foliar treatments significantly enhanced plant height compared to the control. Among these, Treatment T4 (ATONIK foliar fertilizer) demonstrated the most pronounced effect, achieving a main stem height of 216.57 cm by the 70th day, which was significantly higher than other treatments and the control. Treatment T4 also excelled in increasing stem diameter, with a final measurement of 1.48 cm, and in promoting both male and female flower formation. The fruit set rate was highest in Treatment T4, reaching 28.67% on day 56 and maintaining at 8.67% by day 70. This treatment also proved most effective in reducing the incidence of key diseases and pests, including powdery mildew, white mold, green worms, and yellow beetles. Regarding yield, Treatment T4 produced the highest individual fruit yield (2.32 kg/plant), actual yield (33.8 tons/ha), and theoretical yield (84.91 tons/ha). Additionally, it enhanced fruit quality, as indicated by the largest fruit length (15.22 cm), diameter (4.13 cm), and the highest Brix value (3.50%). These results substantiate that Treatment T4 is the most effective foliar fertilizer for enhancing both growth and quality of heat-tolerant cucumbers under experimental conditions.

Comparison of transcriptome and metabolome analysis revealed cold-resistant metabolic pathways in cucumber roots under low-temperature stress in root zone.

Low ground temperature is a major factor limiting overwintering in cucumber cultivation facilities in northern alpine regions. Lower temperatures in the root zone directly affect the physiological function of the root system, which in turn affects the normal physiological activity of plants. However, the importance of the ground temperature in facilities has not attracted sufficient attention. Therefore, this study tested the cucumber variety Jinyou 35 under three root zone temperatures (room temperature, 20-22°C; suboptimal temperature, 13- 15°C; and low temperature, 8-10°C) to investigated possible cold resistance mechanisms in the root of cucumber seedlings through hormone, metabolomics, and transcriptomics analyses. The results showed that cucumber roots were subjected to chilling stress at different temperatures. Hormone analysis indicated that auxin content was highest in the roots. Jasmonic acid and strigolactone participated in the low-temperature stress response. Auxin and jasmonate are key hormones that regulate the response of cucumber roots to low temperatures. Phenolic acid was the most abundant metabolite in cucumber roots under chilling stress. Additionally, triterpenes may play an important role in chilling resistance. Differentially expressed genes and metabolites were significantly enriched in benzoxazinoid biosynthesis in the room temperature vs. suboptimal temperature groups and the room temperature vs. low temperature groups. Most differentially expressed transcription factor genes in AP2/ERF were strongly induced in cucumber roots by both suboptimal and low-temperature stress conditions. These results provide guidance for the cultivation of cucumber in facilities.

Эффективность поверхностного компостирования табачной пыли с использованием микробных смесей

Abstract. Tobacco dust is the main waste in the production of smoking products. The purpose is to study the possibility of tobacco dust utilization by surface composting together with microbial mixtures “Stimiks Kompost”, “Probioks Agro” and “Geostim”, directly in the field conditions, contributing to the restoration of soil fertility. Methods. In the years of research (2020–2021) tobacco dust was applied in doses of 5 and 8 t/ha in pure form and together with microbiological preparations. Scientific novelty. The method of using tobacco production waste as a fertilizer together with microbiological preparations is proposed. Results. It was established that for 30–60 days, tobacco dust application together with destructors, the content of basic nutrient elements in the soil increased: ammonium nitrogen form by 65–207 %, nitrate nitrogen by 83–225 %, available phosphorus by 21–107 %, exchangeable potassium by 80–194 %. Also Increasing of soil biological activity indicators was determined. The process of nitrifying ability of soil increases by 70–194 %, cellulose-destroying activity of microorganisms increases by 27–133 %, the amount of produced CO2 from soil increases by 61–129 %. The content of organic matter (humus) increases up to 4.2–5.5 % for the period of counting (4.0–4.7 % on the reference). Increase of moisture-holding capacity of soils in variants of experiment with tobacco dust and destructors was established (soil moisture for the period of research amounted to 18.4–25.5 %, in control – 17.1–18.7 %). The best results for surface composting of tobacco dust were obtained under wet conditions in 2021 (Hydrothermal coefficient (HTC) = 1.38), in 2020 HTC = 0.87. Mycological analysis revealed a decrease in soil infestation with pathogenic micro-mycetes in the variants of the experiment with tobacco waste. The increase in yield of bitter pepper (variety Baraniy rog) on the background of a mixture of tobacco dust and biodegraders amounted to 12–32 % (2020), seed cucumber (variety Dal’nevostochnyy 27) – 20–33 %.

Adaptation Test of Several Promising Varieties of Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) in Lowlands

Cucumber plants exhibit a remarkable capacity for adaptation to varying altitudes. The objective of this study is to identify the cucumber hybrid candidates that demonstrate the highest adaptability in lowland environments, based on the diversity of both qualitative and quantitative growth characteristics exhibited by each hybrid of Cucumis sativus L. The research was conducted in Sumbersari Hamlet, Kencong Village, Kepung District, Kediri Regency, East Java Province. A completely randomized block design (CRBD) was employed, incorporating six treatments of cucumber varieties, which included five hybrid varieties and one control variety. The experiment was organized into four groups. The materials utilized in this study comprised cucumber seeds from the Cu12, Cu13, Cu14, Cu15, Cu16 varieties, along with the Top Tavi F1 variety as a control. Fertilizers used included NPK and Urea. Observations of qualitative characteristics were conducted in accordance with the test implementation guidelines (PPU), with color variables assessed using the RHS color chart. The qualitative analysis revealed that the cucumber leaves exhibited a green hue (greyish olive green), the flowers were yellow (brilliant yellow), the fruit skin displayed green and yellowish green tones (moderate olive green and strong yellow green), and the shape of the fruit base and slices was characterized as round and obtuse. In terms of quantitative characteristics, the Cu12 variety demonstrated the shortest harvest age, while the Cu16 variety exhibited the longest. Among the varieties tested, the Cu13 variety emerged as the most adaptive, possessing characteristics and traits that surpassed those of the control variety (Top Tavi F1).

Evaluation of the Resistance of Bitter Cucumber (Momordica charantia) to Saline Stress through Physical, Biochemical, and Physiological Analysis

Momordica charantia is a climbing plant often used in traditional medicine to treat a large number of diseases, including diabetes. Salinity is one of the main stressors faced by plants, affecting almost half of irrigated agricultural land and constantly increasing. The aim of this study was to determine the resistance of some bitter cucumber genotypes to salt stress by means of dry matter analysis, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, malondialdehyde content, chlorophyll fluorescence, and potassium (K)/silicon (Si) and calcium (Ca)/silicon (Si) atomic ratios. Two varieties of bitter cucumber and three experimental lines were used for the experiment. Treatments with different saline solutions (100 mM of NaCl and 200 mM of NaCl) were applied and compared with an untreated control (0 mM of NaCl). The analyses revealed an increase in the dry matter content of the varieties subjected to salt stress. The Line 4 genotype showed an increase of up to 37.2% compared to the control when treated with 200 mM of NaCl. Following the analysis of the chlorophyll a content, a 38% decrease in its amount compared to the control was observed when treated with 100 mM of saline and 58.6% when treated with 200 mM of NaCl in genotype Line 4. Line 3 showed an increase in the chlorophyll a content compared to the control by 53% in the case of saline treatment with 200 mM. After the analysis of the chlorophyll b content, a 44% decrease was revealed in the case of Line 4 in the variant treated with 100 mM compared to the control and a 61% decrease in the 200 mM NaCl treatment. The highest increase in the concentration of malondialdehyde was recorded in the case of Line 4 in the variant treated with 200 mM of NaCl by 41% compared to the control. The maximum quantum yield of PS II decreased in the treated variants compared to the control plants. The most pronounced difference compared to the control was registered in the case of Line 4, where the treatment with 100 mM of NaCl caused a decrease of 16%, and the treatment with 200 mM caused a decrease of 25%. In the case of the atomic ratio, significant decreases in K and Ca were observed in the NaCl-treated variants. The observed differences between the values obtained for each studied genotype highlight the different degrees of their resistance to salinity.

Utility of Parthenocarpy in Vegetable Crops: A Review

Parthenocarpy is a phenomenon observed in vegetable crops where fruits are produced without fertilization or pollination. This process leads to the development of seedless fruits, which are highly desirable in the market due to their convenience and improved quality. In parthenocarpic vegetables such as cucumbers, tomatoes and eggplants, fruit development occurs without the need for pollination by insects or wind. This can be advantageous in areas with limited insect activity or in greenhouses where pollinators may not be present. The development of parthenocarpy in vegetable crops is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Certain cultivars have been bred to exhibit this trait, while others may require specific environmental conditions such as temperature and light to induce parthenocarpy. One of the key benefits of parthenocarpy is the production of seedless fruits. This is particularly important in seedless cucumber varieties as it eliminates the need for seed removal, making them more convenient for consumption. Seedless tomatoes and eggplants also offer improved texture and taste as the absence of seeds reduces bitterness and enhances sweetness. Parthenocarpy can help improve crop yields and reduce crop losses. Since parthenocarpic fruits develop without pollination, they are less prone to damage caused by pests and diseases that target developing seeds. This can result in higher yields and better overall crop quality. However, it is important to note that parthenocarpy may have some limitations. In some cases, seedless fruits may be less flavorful compared to their seeded counterparts. Additionally, parthenocarpic varieties may require specific management practices and careful monitoring to ensure optimal fruit development.

Uncovering waterlogging-responsive genes in cucumber through machine learning and differential gene correlation analysis

As climate change intensifies, the frequency and severity of waterlogging are expected to increase, necessitating a deeper understanding of the cucumber response to this stress. In this study, three public RNA-seq datasets (PRJNA799460, PRJNA844418, and PRJNA678740) comprising 36 samples were analyzed. Various feature selection algorithms including Uncertainty, Relief, SVM (Support Vector Machine), Correlation, and logistic least absolute shrinkage, and selection operator (LASSO) were performed to identify the most significant genes related to the waterlogging stress response. These feature selection techniques, which have different characteristics, were used to reduce the complexity of the data and thereby identify the most significant genes related to the waterlogging stress response. Uncertainty, Relief, SVM, Correlation, and LASSO identified 4, 4, 10, 21, and 13 genes, respectively. Differential gene correlation analysis (DGCA) focusing on the 36 selected genes identified changes in correlation patterns between the selected genes under waterlogged versus control conditions, providing deeper insights into the regulatory networks and interactions among the selected genes. DGCA revealed significant changes in the correlation of 13 genes between control and waterlogging conditions. Finally, we validated 13 genes using the Random Forest (RF) classifier, which achieved 100% accuracy and a 1.0 Area Under the Curve (AUC) score. The SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) values clearly showed the significant impact of LOC101209599, LOC101217277, and LOC101216320 on the model’s predictive power. In addition, we employed the Boruta as a wrapper feature selection method to further validate our gene selection strategy. Eight of the 13 genes were common across the four feature weighting algorithms, LASSO, DGCA, and Boruta, underscoring the robustness and reliability of our gene selection strategy. Notably, the genes LOC101209599, LOC101217277, and LOC101216320 were among genes identified by multiple feature selection methods from different categories (filtering, wrapper, and embedded). Pathways associated with these specific genes play a pivotal role in regulating stress tolerance, root development, nutrient absorption, sugar metabolism, gene expression, protein degradation, and calcium signaling. These intricate regulatory mechanisms are crucial for cucumbers to adapt effectively to waterlogging conditions. These findings provide valuable insights for uncovering targets in breeding new cucumber varieties with enhanced stress tolerance.

Mechanisms and Applications of Pseudomonas monteilii SX001: A Promising Agent for Improving Cucumber Tolerance to Salt Stress

To investigate the effects of Pseudomonas monteilii SX001 on various parameters of cucumber plants under salt stress, the salt-sensitive cucumber variety “Jinyou No. 4” was used as the test material, and coconut bran was used to simulate salt stress by applying NaCl solution. The results indicated that salt stress significantly reduced the morphological structure, relative growth rate, root morphology, and photosynthetic parameters of the cucumber plants. Leaf starch, soluble sugar, and sucrose contents significantly increased, whereas their levels in roots decreased. Cell membrane damage leads to the accumulation of reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde, with notable increases in the activities of major antioxidant enzymes such as SOD, CAT, and POD. Nitrogen metabolism was disrupted, as evidenced by a significant decrease in nitrate nitrogen content and an increase in ammonium nitrogen content, as well as a significant reduction in the activity of NR enzymes involved in nitrogen metabolism. The enzyme activity in the cucumber rhizosphere soil decreased. However, Pseudomonas monteilii SX001 significantly enhanced the growth of cucumber seedlings under salt stress, improved photosynthetic efficiency, and facilitated sugar transformation and transport via glucose metabolism. Additionally, Pseudomonas monteilii SX001 reduced the reactive oxygen content and increased antioxidant enzyme activity. It also increased the activity of substrate enzymes and decreased the diversity of rhizosphere soil microorganisms but also increased the abundance of Asticcacaulis, Acinetobacter, Brevundimonas, Pseudomonas, and Enterobacter. These findings demonstrate that Pseudomonas monteilii SX001 is a promising bioinoculant for alleviating salt stress in cucumber production and improving soil health.

Molecular Detection and Identification of Begomovirus Infecting Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) in Terengganu, Malaysia

The genus Begomovirus from the family Geminiviridae is responsible for causing significant economic losses to many important horticultural crops, including cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.). Begomovirus infection during the early stages of plant growth can lead to complete yield loss. Hence, the identification of begomovirus species is important to design a precise resistant breeding strategy. This study aims to detect the presence of begomovirus in typical symptomatic cucumber leaves, identify the species of begomovirus present, and investigate the evolutionary relationships with other reported begomoviruses using phylogenetic analysis. Leaf samples from symptomatic cucumber plants were collected from the Green World Genetics (GWG) research station and a farm in Lembah Bidong, Rhu Tapai, Setiu, Terengganu. To detect the presence of begomovirus, PCR was carried out using universal primers targeting DNA-A, DNA-B, and betasatellite regions. DNA-A and betasatellite fragments were amplified, but not DNA-B. The amplified partial sequences of DNA-A were then analysed and compared with other begomovirus sequences in the GenBank database managed by the National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). The newly isolated DNA-A sequence from cucumber was 100% identical to the tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus (ToLCNDV). The phylogenetic tree was divided into two groups: group A, consisting of the newly isolated DNA-A sequence from cucumber, ToLCNDV, followed by squash leaf curl China virus (SLCCNV) and a monopartite begomovirus Ageratum yellow vein virus (AYVV); and group B, consisting of tomato yellow leaf curl Kanchanaburi virus (TYLCKaV), pepper yellow leaf curl Indonesia virus (PepYLCIV), and pepper yellow leaf curl Aceh virus (PepYLCAV). For the first time in cucumber, betasatellite is reported in association with ToLCNDV, a bipartite old-world begomovirus. This study provides a basis for the selection and breeding of begomovirus-resistant cucumber varieties in the future.

Study on Effect of Plant Growth Regulators (PGR) and Training System on Growth and Yield of Cucumber

A field experiment was conducted during the Kharif season, in 2023 in the Horticulture research field, Department of Horticulture, Naini Agricultural Institute, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology And Sciences, Prayagraj, U.P, India. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with twenty treatments and replicated thrice with four cucumber varieties (TMCU-1107, TMCU-1125, TMCU-3112, SAIRA-934). The observations are vine length, days to first appearance of male flower in 50% plants, days to first appearance of female flower in 50% plants, days to first harvest, average fruit weight, fruit length, fruit diameter, number of fruits per plant, average yield per plant, and yield per hectare. The results showed that viz., vine length (155.53 cm), days to first appearance of male flower in 50% plants (32.73), days to first appearance of female flower in 50% plants (39.20), days to first harvest (52.07), average fruit weight (245.93 g), fruit length (15.67 cm), fruit diameter (4.41 cm), number of fruits per plant (12.73), average yield per plant (3.13 kg/plant), yield per hectare (34.77 t/ha), were recorded significantly highest by the application of GA3 – 30 ppm + NAA – 75 ppm + Single head system (Treatment 3) as compared to rest of the treatments.

Comparative Efficacy of Organic Mulching and Organic Neem Oil in the Control of spotted and striped cucumber beetles affecting the growth and yield of Cucumber in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State

A research work was undertaken in the University of Uyo Teaching and Research Farm, Main Campus, Uyo, from March to May during the 2023 cropping season to assess the effect of Organic Mulching and Neem Oil in the Control of Cucumber Beetles (spotted “Diabrotica undecimpunctata” and striped “Acalymma vitatum”) affecting the growth and yield of Cucumber (Cucumis sativum, Saira F1 variety). The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD). The experimental plot consisted of three (3) replicates with 2 treatments: organic mulch, organic Neem oil application and control. An early maturing variety of cucumber “Saira F1” was used as planting material sown in March which lasted till May. Data on insect pest population count, growth and yield parameters were studied and the data obtained were analyzed and subjected to analysis of variance using Fisher`s Least Significant Difference (LSD) at 5% probability level. The results from insect population count parameters revealed that Neem oil at 100ml application rate which recorded 10.50 and 6.00 was significantly effective in managing spotted and striped cucumber beetles respectively compared to organic mulch (3kg) which recorded 47.00 and 14.00 for spotted and striped cucumber beetles and control unit which had 61.00 and 42.00 for spotted and striped cucumber beetles respectively. Neem oil at 100ml application rate was also more effective in improving the growth and yield of cucumber plant compared to organic mulch. Hence, Farmers in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State should employ Neem oil in managing spotted and striped cucumber beetles in cucumber production as this is a promising botanical insecticide to check the activities of field cucumber beetles thereby bringing their destructive activities to a minimum and also improves yield.

Varietal Tolerance of Cucurbitaceous Crops with S-metolachlor Applied Postemergence

Cucurbit crops comprise ∼25% of the vegetable acreage in the mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States. However, options for postemergence weed control in these crops are limited. Overlapping herbicides is a technique that involves sequential applications of soil-applied residual herbicides to lengthen herbicidal activity before the first herbicide dissipates. Residual herbicides such as S-metolachlor will not control emerged weeds, but weed control efficacy may be extended if these herbicides are applied after crop emergence, but before weed emergence occurs. Currently S-metolachlor is not labeled for broadcast applications over cucurbit crops. Greenhouse studies were conducted to evaluate pumpkin, cucumber, and summer squash variety response to varying S-metolachlor rates. S-metolachlor was applied at 1.42 and 2.85 lb/acre at the two-leaf stage of pumpkin and 0.71, 1.42, 2.85, and 5.7 lb/acre at the two-leaf stage of cucumber and summer squash. Cucumber showed a greater response to S-metolachlor with up to 67% injury observed at 5.70 lb/acre. S-metolachlor applications to pumpkin and summer squash resulted in less than 6% injury, regardless of application rate or crop variety. S-metolachlor applied at 2.85 lb/acre reduced pumpkin and cucumber dry weight 6% and 19%, respectively, but did not reduce squash dry weight. S-metolachlor reduced cucumber dry weight 78% for all varieties. Pumpkin varieties ‘Munchkin’ and ‘Baby Bear’ exhibited a 23% difference in dry weight, but no other differences were observed among other varieties because of S-metolachlor applications. Summer squash varieties ‘Respect’ and ‘Golden Glory’ exhibited a 31% difference in dry weight, but no other differences were observed among other varieties. Results show that pumpkin and summer squash demonstrated good crop safety when S-metolachlor was applied as a broadcast treatment after crop emergence. However, caution should be urged when applying this herbicide to cucumber.

Role of enzymes on the susceptibility of three cucumber varieties to the infestation with whitefly Bemisia tabaci Genn in Egypt

Role of enzymes on the susceptibility of three cucumber varieties to the infestation with whitefly Bemisia tabaci Genn in Egypt

Effects of some types of organic fertilisers on growth, yield and quality of Cucumis sativus L. grown in Vinh Phuc province under greenhouse conditions

The study was conducted to evaluate the effects of organic fertilisers on the growth, yield, and quality of the Khassib RZ F1 cucumber variety in Vinh Phuc. The one-factor experiment was arranged in a completely randomised block design with 3 replications, including 4 treatments (fertilise for 1 hectare) including: (1) Control: Use 100% inorganic fertiliser (150 kg N + 90 kg P2O5 + 150 kg K2O); (2) CT1: 25% inorganic fertiliser + 22.5 tons of composted chicken manure; (3) CT2: 25% inorganic fertiliser + 18 tons of vermicompost; (4) CT3: 25% inorganic fertiliser + 3750 kg of Que Lam 01 microbial organic fertiliser. The results showed that using earthworm organic fertiliser (CT2) had the highest actual yield. The fruiting rate in CT2 reached the highest at 68.55%, CT3 using Que Lam 01 microbial organic fertiliser had the lowest fruiting rate of 59.71%. CT2 achieved the highest number of fruits plant-1, 4.82 fruits plant-1. The actual yield was highest in CT2 (15.96 kg plot-1), and lowest in the control treatment (11.39 kg plot-1). The nitrate accumulated in cucumbers in all treatments was below the threshold. The vermicompost fertiliser treatment (CT2) also gave good quality indicators of cucumbers such as thick intestine and very crispy taste. From these results, CT2 treatment with 25% inorganic fertiliser and 18 tons of vermicompost is suitable for the growth, development, yield, and quality of the Khassib RZ F1 cucumber variety in Vinh Phuc province.

Influence of Iba Concentrations on in Vitro Rooting of Cucumber Varieties

In vitro root induction was observed in cucumber as influenced by varieties and IBA concentrations. Four cucumber varieties viz. Shila, Green Field, Shital and Shahi-50 and three IBA concentrations viz. 0.0 (Control), 1.0, and 2.0 mg l-1 were used in this investigation. The Shital variety with in maximum number and the highest percentage of shoot produced roots. No root induction was observed when medium was auxin free. Higher concentration of IBA resulted in higher number (3.94) and percentage (98.65 %) of root. Half strength MS medium when fortified with 2.0 mg l-1 IBA took minimum time (6.88 days). Combined effect of varieties and IBA concentrations were found significant in all the parameters studied. The highest number (19.54) of roots were obtained from variety Shital when they were interacted with higher IBA concentration (2.0 mg l-1) followed by the interaction of same variety with lower concentration (19.18). The highest root length (8.80 cm) was found in the interaction of Shila x 2.0 mg l-1 IBA and the lowest root length (6.31 cm) was found in the interaction of Shahi-50 x 1.0 mg l-1 IBA. The Chittagong Univ. J. B. Sci.,Vol. 7(1 &2):01-10, 2012

Cloning and Function Analysis of the CsTAU1 in Response to Salt-Alkali Stress.

To investigate the role of candidate genes for salt-alkali tolerance in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.), this study screened CsTAU1 in the glutathione pathway from previous transcriptome data for cloning and functional analysis. Clone cucumber CsTAU1 contains one 675 bp open reading frame, containing one GST-N-Tau domain and one GST-C-Tau domain, and is expressed in cytoplasm. After successfully constructing overexpression vectors of CsTAU1 (+) and CsTAU1 (-), they were transferred into cucumber varieties 'D1909' (high salt alkali resistance) and 'D1604' (low salt alkali resistance) for salt-alkali resistance identification. It was found that under salt-alkali stress, CsTAU1 (+)-overexpressing plants showed strong resistance to salt-alkali stress, while CsTAU1 (-)-overexpressing plants showed the opposite situation. qRT-PCR analysis was performed on other glutathione pathway-related genes in CsTAU1-overexpressing plants. The expression patterns of LOC101219529 and LOC105434443 were the same as CsTAU1, and the introduction of CsTAU1 (+) increased the chlorophyll, α-Naphthylamine oxidation, glutathione S-transferase (GST), and catalase (CAT) content of cucumber. The research results provide a theoretical basis for cultivating salt-alkali-tolerant cucumber varieties.

Effect of Cucumber Continuous Monocropping on Traditional Chinese Medicine Residue through Analysis of Physicochemical Characteristics and Microbial Diversity

The use of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) residue as a crop culture substrate has unique advantages in alleviating the obstacles associated with continuous monocropping, such as increasing production, improving quality and alleviating pests and diseases. However, the effect of TCM residue application on substrates in continuous monocropping practices has not been determined. In this study, the cucumber variety “Jinyou No. 10” was used as the material, and fermented TCM residue, vermiculite and perlite were used as organic substrates (3:1:1). The cucumbers were cultivated on substrates for different durations of continuous monocropping, which were the first cropping cycle (A1), second cropping cycle (A2), third cropping cycle (A3) and fourth cropping cycle (A4). The control (A0) was the substrate sample without any crop planted in it. After the cucumbers were harvested, substrate samples (areas around the cucumber roots) were collected. The physiochemical properties of the cultivated substrates were determined, and the microbial community structures were analyzed through 16S rRNA and ITS sequencing. The physiochemical indices of the substrates with different durations of continuous monocropping (A1–A4) were significantly different than those of the control (A0) substrate. Moreover, the continuous cropping of cucumber had greater effects on fungal communities than on bacterial communities. Bacterial community structure analysis revealed a greater proportion of important bacterial taxa (Proteobacteria, Chloroflexi, and Nitrospirae) in the continuous monocropping substrates than in the A0 substrate. For the fungal community, Ascomycota accounted for the largest percentage of the fungal community in all the samples. The diversity of the microbial community was found to be influenced primarily by electrical conductivity, organic matter content, pH and total potassium content according to the correlation analysis of physicochemical properties and relative abundance of the microbial community. Our study would provide a basis for addressing persistent challenges in continuous cropping and for obtaining the utmost benefit from using TCM organic residue waste.