INFLUENCE OF SOME GROWTH FACTORS ON THE QUALITY OF CUCUMBER IN DIFFERENT SUBSTRATES

Experiments were carried out on the suitability of several mineral, organic and synthetic substrates, optimized irrigation, and the nutrient uptake of cucumber plants.
Quality grades recorded on each harvest revealed a strong decline in external fruit quality from the first to last harvests.

The experiments were designed to determine reasons and factors that would lead to non-marketable crop (European Community quality grade III).

Included in the investigations were: water consumption, humidity, weekly averages of minimum and maximum air temperatures, and substrate EC value.

Correlation analysis was used to study potential links between the growth factors and the increasing proportion of sub-standard fruits in four different substrates.
The following results were obtained:

• The dynamics of minimum air temperature is not causally related with the development of crop yields in the three quality grades.

• Maximum air temperature seems to be of some importance to fruit quality, further investigations being required.

• A certain correlation is supposed to exist between yield development by quality grades and humidity.

• Water consumption is clearly correlated with grade I crop yield; sub-optimal water supply does not necessarily increase the proportion of grades II and III. – The decreasing proportion of grade I and the increase of grade III were closely correlated with rising substrate EC values.

Strategies for Market Oriented Greenhouse Production

M. Bohme

Cucumber, Greenhouse, Hydroponics, Soilless culture, Substrates, Fruit quality

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1996.434.35