Plant density and herbicides affect cucumber productivity

The growth and yield of three cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) genotypes were evaluated in 1987 and 1988 using three planting arrangements and four weed control treatments. A monoecious, indeterminate, normal leaf cultivar, Calypso, a gynoecious, normal leaf size determinate X monoecious determinate F1 hybrid (UW 11234), and a gynoecious, determinate little leaf inbred line (WI 5047G) were evaluated for fruit yield at a 30-cm equidistant (109,000 plants/ha), a 20-cm equidistant (242,000 plants/ha), and a 43-cm row (272,000 plants/ha) spacing. Weed control treatments consisted of an unweeded control, naptalam benzoic acid at 6.7 kg ae/ha, chloramben at 4.5 kg ae/ha, and the herbicides in combination. Although number and weight of fruit per hectare increased with increasing plant density, fruit weight per plant decreased with increasing density. Fruit harvested from plants in unweeded control plots were significantly smaller than those in herbicide-treated plots, and fruit yield of unweeded control plots was lower than in nonweedy plots in 1987. In 1987, plants in plots treated with naptalam produced smaller fruit than plants in plots treated with chloramben or chloramben plus naptalam. Although fruit yield per plant in 1987 was similar in chloramben plots with or without naptalam and generally higher than that of plots treated only with naptalam, fruit yields from naptalam-treated plants were highest in 1988. 'Calypso' usually produced more and larger fruit than the determinate genotypes. Based on comparisons of fruit per plant under comparable spacings, productivity of WI 5047G was often lower and its fruit were smaller than those of normal leaf genotypes. Plants of WI 5047G may not attain the source capacity needed for adequate fruit growth before the onset of anthesis, thus producing smaller fruit. Chemical names used: 2-[(1-naphtalenylamino)carbonyl)benzoic acid (naptalam); 3-amino-2,5-dichlorobenzoic acid (chloramben).