Effect of organic and inorganic nutrients on yield of gherkin (Cucumis sativus I.) cv.ajax hybrid

摘要

Gherkin (Cucumis sativus L.) is an important cucurbitaceous vegetable crop. The crop is a trailing annual, which branches freely with slender, rough hairy, angled stems and tendrils. The leaves are 3 to 5 angled, shallow lobed with acute sinuses and 7to 15cm inrlong. Male and female flowers are produced separately; flowers are small and yellow in colour when fully matured with or without spiky surface covered with long hairs. The immature fruits are used for the preparation of pickles, eaten as a cooked vegetable and are used in curries (Purseglove, 7). Gherkin has been introduced to India for export oriented production. Most of the export oriented production units adopt recommended practices followed in the country or place from where it was introduced. In India, the average yield is low when compared to the yield obtained in USA and other countries. Among the various methods to improve the productivity, crop management is an important aspect. Plant nutrients play an important role in the productivity for better growth and development and it vary according to the characteristics of various regions, species and varieties in the same species (Maurya, 4). Hence, it is necessary to carry out the Jocation specific research to find out the optimum quantity of the nutrient required for maximum productivity. Integrated nutrient management is the most effective and practical way to mobilize all available, accessible and affordable plant nutrient sources in order to maximize the productivity of the cropping system, Hence, the present investigation was aimed to study the effect of integrated nutrient management on yield parameters in gherkin cv. Ajax Hybrid.