Cucumber Farming in India: Varieties & Cultivation Process

Table of Contents

• An Introduction to Cucumber Farming in India
• Which are the Popular Types of Cucumber in India?
• Cucumber Cultivation Process- A Step-by-Step Guide

• • Soil & Climate
  • Land Preparation
  • Sowing
  • Irrigation
  • Manure & Fertilizer Management
  • Intercultural Operations
  • Plant Protection
  • Harvesting & Yield

• Which are the Top Cucumber Producing States in India?

An Introduction to Cucumber Farming in India

Cucumber is an important vegetable crop that originated in India. The botanical name of cucumber is Cucumis sativus, and it belongs to the family Cucurbitaceae. It is a creeper and has a trailing or climbing habit. Cucumbers are known for their high-water content and soothing properties. These are a good source of Mb (Molybdenum) and Vitamin K. Cucumber contains around 96% water, making it a high-water-content vegetable in summer. Cucumber plant is large; leaves are hairy and triangular, and flowers are yellow. The cucumber fruit is eaten raw, used in salads, or cooked as a vegetable. The demand for cucumber farming in India is high due to its year-round availability and low maintenance costs. They are popular in both fresh and processed markets, which makes them a profitable crop for farmers. It is also cultivated under polyhouse farming for higher returns. There are many varieties of cucumbers available in India; some are listed below.

Which are the Popular Types of Cucumber in India?

The popular cucumber varieties found in India are listed below:

• Japanese Long Green
• Meghalaya Local
• Straight Eight
• Pusa Sanyog
• Poinsettee

Cucumber Cultivation Process- A Step-by-Step Guide

Soil, climate, field preparation, sowing, planting, etc. are several factors in the Cucumber cultivation. Let’s understand the complete cultivation process step by step below:

Soil & Climate

Cucumber is a summer crop that requires warm temperature for its growth. It requires a temperature range of 18°C and 24°C. It is sensitive to frost. It grows best in sandy loam soil which is rich in organic matter with good drainage and pH range of 6.5-7. 5.

Land Preparation

To prepare the field, plough the field four times. Create long channels 1.5 m apart. Mix FYM or well rotten compost after ploughing. Apply BHC @ lS-20kg/ ha to control termites and cutworms in the soil at the time of land preparation.

Sowing

Cucumber can be cultivated both as summer and rainy season crop. The best cucumber growing season in India is January to February (Rabi Crop) and June to July (Kharif Season Crop). About 2.5 to 3.5 kg/ha seeds are required for cucumber. Sow the seeds at an interval of 60 cm distance at the centre of the bed along the laterals at a spacing of 1.5 to 2.5 m (row to row) x 60 to 90 cm (plant to plant). Sow the seeds in polybags @ one per bag for gap filling. Treat the seeds with Trichoderma viride 4 g/kg before sowing.

Irrigation

In summers, cucumber crops require frequent irrigation while in rainy season, it does not need any irrigation. Irrigate the field before dibbling the seeds and thereafter once a week. Drip irrigation is very useful for this crop.

Manure & Fertilizer Management

Well rotten FYM @ 10-15 t/ha should be applied at the time of land preparation. Apply NPK @ 100:60:60 kg/ha at the time of planting. 

Intercultural Operations

• Weeding: Weed can be controlled by hand-hoeing and by chemical. Use [email protected] litre per 150 litre of water. Use glyphosate only on weeds not on crop plants.
• Staking: Staking in cucumber farming is important to provide suitable support made of bamboo sticks to climb on particularly in rainy season to check against rotting of fruits. 

Plant Protection

Harvesting & Yield

Harvest can be done 45 days after sowing of the crop. On average 8 to 10 harvests can be made. The full-grown fruit should be harvested when they are still green. Delay in harvesting impacts the marketing. The average cucumber yield per acre is 80 to 120 q.

Which are the Top Cucumber Producing States in India?

Source: The above data is given by Horticulture Statistics Division, Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare for the year 2020-21.