Considering the production and productivity level of European parthenocarpic cucumber varieties under polyhouse cultivation, a parthenocarpic cucumber breeding programme was initiated during 2003 at Vegetable Research Centre, Pantnagar. Around 200 cucumber lines collected and received from India and abroad were evaluated and screened. Four parthenocarpic cucumber lines namely PCUC P1, PCUC P2, PCUC P3 and PCUC P4 were sifted out during 2003 and 2004. The parthenocarpic lines were then subjected to pure line breeding programme and simultaneously evaluated fortheirfloweringdata, qualitative traits, horticultural traits and disease incidence in comparison to an open field variety, Poinsette as check. The parthenocarpic lines exhibited superiority for various traits considered and recorded approximately double the yield i.e. PCUC P1 showed the maximum yield (1737.7 q/ha) amongst all the four parthenocarpic cucumber lines, which was 110% superior over the standard check variety i.e., Poinsette (828q/ha). Results from the present investigation revealed the importance of pure line breeding for superior expression of parthenocarpy and greenhouse/polyhouse cultivation for commercial and marketable size fruit production.
