Pruned side shoots as planting material: Opening new dimensions for sustainable greenhouse cucumber production system

Abstract

The study was conceptualized to use pruned side shoots as planting material in greenhouse cucumber production system with 2 sets of experiments, 1st was to study the response of different cultivars to establish plants from side shoot cuttings and 2nd was to carry out the comparative performance of cultivars propagated through seeds and side shoot cuttings. Greenhouse cucumber cultivars showed variable response to propagation with the potential of using pruned side shoots as planting material, however, cv. V2 was earliest to respond for getting side shot cuttings (14.44 days), took minimum days to establishment of transplant (12.22) with maximum survival of pruned shoots (73.11%) and produced maximum number of cuttings for propagation (15.98), while V11 showed maximum survival (93.21%) after transplanting in the field. The comparative study on the performance of different greenhouse cultivars propagated though seeds and pruned shoots showed first pistillate flower at earliest node (5.22) in cultivars raised though pruned side shoots, while maximum vine length (3.87 m), fruit length (15.93 cm), diameter (3.20 cm), and av. fruit weight (136.46 g) was observed in plants cultivated via seeds. Moreover, reproductive parameters like days to first flowering and picking, and yield parameters, namely, number of fruits per plant and yield per plant expressed non-significant differences between plants raised through seeds and side shoots. The interaction of different cultivars with propagation methods revealed significant differences with maximum plant height (4.68 m) in cv. V5, number of fruits (32.94) in V9, average fruit weight (154.74 g) in V8, yield per plant (4.29 kg) in V7 when raised through seeds. However, interaction between cultivar and method of propagation exhibited non-significant differences for days to first flowering & picking, node of first pistillate flower, fruit length & diameter, sensory scoring and yield thereby recommending propagation of greenhouse cucumber cultivars via pruned side shoots for getting not only the comparative yield but also minimizing capital investment on costlier seeds of such cultivars along with higher returns by the sale of extra plants generated through this technique to other greenhouse growers.