Diseases and Management of Crops under Protected Cultivation

(Diseases and Management of Crops under Protected Cultivation)
Production and Management of Cucurbits in Green House
Dinesh K. Singh
Department of Vegetable Science, G.B.P.U.A.&T., Pantnagar- 263 145 (UK)
There has been paradigm shift in farmer’s perception from production to productivity and to
profitability. In the present scenario, the major challenges arising are shrinking land, depleting
water and other related resources in agriculture. With the increasing population, urbanization and
continuous depletion of natural resources there is a need for promoting farmers friendly location
specific production system management technologies in a concerted manner to achieve a vertical
growth in horticulture production ensuring quality of produce and better remuneration per unit area
with judicious use of nature resources. In this endeavor, protected cultivation aims to have efficient
utilization of resources per unit of time and area for achieving targeted production of horticulture
produce.
The vegetables of the family Cucurbitaceae are known as ‘Cucurbit vegetables’ and they
constitute the largest group of summer vegetables. These crops supply man with edible food, fiber
and fodder.
Cucumber and gherkins are being extensively grown in green houses in many
countries. Cucurbits like bottle gourd, bitter gourd, ridge gourd, water melon and musk melon may
also be grown in polyhouses, during off season based on location specific needs. The crops
produced in green houses fetch higher income due to good quality produce and higher productivity
per unit area as also due to being, available in off season. The cropping period gets extended so,
regular supply could be maintained for a long time. In general the crops like cucumber, bitter gourd
and bottle gourd continue for about 6 months in naturally ventilated polyhouses.
Polyhouses are highly suitable for off-season cultivation of cucurbits and are also highly
economical for peri-urban areas of northern plains of India. Naturally ventilated greenhouses are
highly suitable for year-round parthenocarpic cucumber cultivation, whereas, walk-in-tunnels are
suitable for off-season cultivation of melons. Plastic low tunnels are highly suitable and profitable
for off-season cultivation of cucurbits like summer squash, bottle gourd, bitter gourd, muskmelon,
watermelon, round melon and long melon in peri-urban areas of northern plains of India.
Parthenocarpic cucumber
Parthenocarpic cucumber is a high value vegetable crop immensely suited for off season
purpose under polyhouse cultivation. Parthenocarpy is the ability to develop fruits without
pollination. The fruits are therefore seedless. The inheritance of parthenocarpy in cucumber is
controlled by an incomplete dominant gene Pc. The fruit of Parthenocarpic cucumber are mild in
flavor, seedless and have edible skin that requires no peeling. Fruits are generally 22-30 cm long,
and 300-400 g in weight. Parthenocarpic cucumber lines have the potentiality to set large number
of fruits without pollination, which can increase their productivity many times inside the polyhouse
condition. The production technology of parthenocarpic cucumber has been developed and
standardized for its cultivation under naturally ventilated greenhouse conditions. Three crops of
- 234 -