Some considerations on the agronomic management of Cucumis sativus

Dear readers, in the previous article aspects related to the botanical characteristics and the edaphoclimatic conditions that the cultivation of Cucumis sativus cucumber requires in order to generate adequate yields were addressed, but not everything depends on it, in order for this type of crops to maintain optimal productive parameters it is necessary to carry out some agronomic practices that will enhance the qualities of the crop.

Let's start by pointing out that to establish the crop on the surface intended for planting, the ground must be prepared, which may vary depending on the geographical location because the soil resource may vary from place to place within the same farm, of course it will depend on factors such as the type of soil, type of weeds present and the consistency it has, among other factors, such as, for example, soil compaction. Some technicians have recommended as a kind of pre-determined ground preparation consisting of primary tillage with the plow pass at a depth of 30 cm and secondary tillage with 2 harrow passes and then make the respective grooves for planting.

As for the planting season, the cucumber is a crop that can be grown all year round, both in the dry season as long as there is an irrigation system and at the entrance of the rainy period that logically guarantees the necessary water for the growth of seedlings. On the other hand, as for planting, the distance between one plant and another may vary according to the planting system used, it is important to take into account the recommendation of some producers in the area where the planting will be carried out since they have experimented with this type of practices and then adapt the crop management according to our acquired experience.

Despite the aforementioned, there are theoretical recommendations that have been put into practice in the field and that have allowed good management, such as the spacing between rows can vary between 0.80 m. and 1.50 m, and the spacing between plants range between 0.15 m. and 0.50 m. The number of seeds per sowing point can be two or three seeds, after the seedlings emerge perform a thinning by removing the seedlings with less desirable characteristics leaving only one at each sowing point. The population density or numbers of plants per surface will depend on the spacing used between plants and rows.

The cucumber is a plant that can spread its foliage freely on the ground, or it can also climb helped by its tendrils that serves as a means of support that allows them to climb. It is common to see in Venezuela that the management of this type of crop is carried out with the elaboration of structures known as tutoring, which allows the plant to climb which allows a better management of the crop, although this type of technique raises the costs a little. Tutoring is used in Venezuela since, according to Guzmán (2007), it can bring the following benefits: better arrangement of the leaves to take advantage of light energy and greater ventilation, facilitates harvesting and allows using larger populations of plants. Improves fruit quality and yields.

In this type of crop sown under supervision, a wide variety of weeds can appear, which logically can affect the yield of the crop, especially in the initial stages of its growth, among the species that have been reported in this type of crops are Cynodon dactylon, Echinochloa colona among others, so for the control of them an integrated pest control must be carried out applying different control methods, since sometimes it cannot be effectively controlled with a single method, the frequency and type of method to be applied could be determined.

Dear readers, we hope that the information provided can complement the content published in the previous post about the cultivation of cucumber, which is widely used for fresh consumption.