2017 ASHS Annual Conference

English cucumber is one of the most profitable vegetable crops grown in high tunnels. Our previous research has demonstrated that they can be grown profitably in high tunnels for both spring and fall production in North Carolina. The objective of this preliminary trial was to test the performance of some commercial English cucumber cultivars in hardiness zone 7 (Greensboro, NC) on yield and economical potentials. Transplants of five cultivars (Amiga, Diva, Katrina, Socrates and Tyria) were planted in raised beds covered with white-on-black plastic much in April 2016 in a conventional high tunnel, which was 30’ W x 96’ L and covered with a single-layer, greenhouse grade polyplastic film. A completely randomized experimental design was conducted with four replications and four vines (trellised with the Tomato Rollerhook^® system) in each replication. There was no difference on blooming date (50% female flower bloomed), ranging from 18 to 21 days after transplanting (DAP). The first harvest took place in cultivar Amiga and Tyria, which was about 40 DAP. The total yield was not significantly different among cultivars, from 1.37 to 2.6 kg/vine. However, the marketable yield of Diva (1.49 kg/vine), Amiga (1.89 kg/vine) and Socrates (1.43 kg/vine) was significantly higher than that of Tyria (0.99 kg/vine) and Katrina (0.75 kg/vine). ‘Socrates’ had the highest number of fruit (16.1/vine), followed by ‘Amiga’ (12.2). ‘Tyria’ had the lowest number of fruit per vine (7.3) but the fruit was the longest. Bacterial wilt cause by striped cucumber was a challenge. By the end of the growing season, all cultivars had lost at least 50% of the plants. Other data collected included the node of first female flower, plant height at the first and last harvest, and the labor input. This trial was conducted in soil with poor fertility resulted from field grading for high tunnel construction. While this one-season trial has resulted in some meaningful results, future research with more cultivars are needed for cultivar recommendations to interested small farmers.