Effect of integrated weed management in cucumber

Abstract

1Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is one of the popular vegetable crops of the cucurbitaceae family owing to its uses as a vegetable crop and for its medicinal uses. (Keerthika et al.2016). It is mainly grown for its tender fruits which are used as a salad and for pickling. Fruits act as a coolant and are used in treating jaundice, indigestion and constipation (Mohan et al. 2016). Cucumber faces several production constraints of which competition from weed population for soil, space, water, light and nutrients forces the plant to produce lesser yield. (Osundare et al. 2019) The removal of weed either manually or chemically adds to the cost of cultivation. Manual weeding has been found to be very effective in controlling weed population in cucumber, however, it is very tedious and costlier because of more manpower requirement (Rao and Nagamani 2010). In the early phase of the crop growth the weeds emerge and compete with the crop in the first four weeks, resulting in drastic yield reduction. Most of the herbicides recommended are pre emergence or pre-transplant applications for effective weed management because of very limited tolerance to most herbicides. Polyethylene mulch has also been shown to increase cucurbit yield and earliness. Mulches inhibit the germination and growth of most broadleaf and grassy weeds. The main objectives of mulching are weed control, conservation of soil moisture and modification of soil temperature (Olsen and Gounder 2001). Locally available materials in the farm such as paddy straw, paddy husk, saw dust, dried leaves can also be employed to suppress weed population, control soil moisture and to increase cucumber yield.