Department of Vegetable Science, ASPEE College of Horticulture and Forestry, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari-396450, Gujarat, India
1Department of Post Harvest Technology, ASPEE College of Horticulture and Forestry, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari-396450, Gujarat, India
An attempt was made to identify horticulturally superior, economically potential and nutritionally rich cultivar (s) of cucumber in naturally ventilated polyhouse (NVPH) from a list of 16 parthenocarpic cultivars at Regional Horticultural Research Station, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari. It was revealed that RS 03602833 was the earliest in first flowering (28.33 days) as well as picking (37.67 days) attributable to shortest inter-nodal length (8.12 cm) irrespective of the appearance of first pistillate flower in upper node. The vine length of 4.56 m was significantly exhibited by KUK 9 over all other cultivars. JSCU 01 excelled remaining cultivars in sensory parameters like flavour, colour and texture perceived by heterogeneous panel of evaluators which was well supported by instrumental measurement of fruit firmness (4.22 kg/cm2) in this cultivar. The supremacy in term of dietary fibre, an important quality parameter in cucumber was displayed by KUK 9 (1.63%) with statistically similar content in other cultivars namely JSCU 01, KUK 6 and Kian. The majority of cultivars exhibited very narrow variations for fruit length and diameter except Kafka, KUK6, Multistar, CBA910569500, CBA910569500 and Ronino. The cv Multistar produced highest number of fruits per vine (34.77) with statistically close affinity in Kian and Valleysta whereas JSCU 01 expressed significantly highest fruit weight of 207.82 g. The highest fruit yield per 1000 m2 was recorded in Oscar (13.34 tons) bearing 27.97 fruits per vine and possessing 162.23 g fruit weight having statistically similar results in RS 03602833, Kian, KUK 9, 52–23, Valleystar and Multistar. The economic analysis also identified Oscar as highly remunerative cv exhibiting BCR of 0.94 which was followed by KUK 9, RS 03602833 and Valleystar thereby expressing the potentiality of growing fibre rich parthenocarpic cucumber under protected conditions to improve the socio-economic and nutritional status of farmers in shorter cropping period and as of the consumers.
Parthenocarpic cucumber, protected cultivation, comparison, economy
