Performance of cucumber varieties under different planting dates in a naturally ventilated polyhouse in Kaski, Nepal

Abstract

Experiments were conducted to find suitable cucumber varieties under different planting dates in a naturally ventilated polyhouse in two consecutive years, 2020 and 2021, at the Horticulture Research Station, Malepatan, Kaski. The experiments were conducted in a split-plot design with four replications, where different varieties (sub-plot) of cucumber were randomized on different dates of planting (main-plot) in two consecutive years. The five cucumber varieties, namely Daddy 2231, Parwati, Brishma F1, Beli F1, and Bhaktapur Local (as a check variety), were evaluated on four different planting dates. The spacing was maintained at 50 × 60 cm.  Observations were taken on yield (size of fruit in grams) and consumer preferences for the variety. The highest consumer preference was found for the Bhaktapur Local, but the yield was found to be inconsistent. As the Bhaktapur Local variety is open-pollinated, very few harvests were done in this variety (without hand pollination), although this variety produced fruits with hand pollination.  From the pooled analysis of two years' data, the highest (5277.87 g) yield per plant was found for the first date of planting (fourth week of December), which was at par with the second planting date (4340.73 g). The highest (5366.11 g) yield per plant was found in variety Parwati, which was at par with Brishma F1 (4414.23 g). The variety responded to the planting date. The highest (8111.5 g) yield per plant was obtained from the Parwati variety when planted on the first date of planting (fourth week of December), and the Daddy 2231 variety on the first date of planting (5374.5 g), followed by the Parwati variety on the second date of planting, and Brishma F1 on the first date of planting. The results of yield and consumer preference showed that cucumber hybrid variety Brishma ranks first. This variety had higher yield and equal preference as our popular local variety Bhaktapur Local. So, the Brishma variety is found commercially suitable to produce inside the naturally ventilated polyhouse (NPV) for cucumber production along with gynocious line Parwati for higher yield.