Performance of Cultivars of Four Different Cucumber Types for Fresh-Market use in North Carolina

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Cucurbit Genetics Cooperative Report 9:53-54 (article 15) 1986

Todd C. Wehner and Rufus R. Horton, Jr.
Department of Horticultural Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7609

Several different fruit types of cucumbers are used commercially for fresh-market consumption throughout the world. The major types used for field production are American slicers, Middle-Eastern beit alpha slicers and Japanese trellis slicers. Lately, American pickling cucumbers have been used for fresh consumption as consumers have discovered their thin skin, small seeds, and convenient size for use for today’s small families.

Little has been written about the different fruit types of cucumber to define their characteristics or performance (1). The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance and determine the fruit characteristics of fresh-market cucumber types that have potential use in North Carolina.

Methods. A trial was run in 1985 to measure yield, quality and fruit characteristics of 10 cultivars of 4 different fruit types of cucumbers. The cultivars were planted in 3 m rows 1.5 m apart. The experiment design was a randomized complete block with 3 replications. The trial was planted 25 April and harvested 6 times (twice weekly) between 10 and 25 June. Standard cultural practices were used to control weeds, diseases and insects. Fruits were sorted into marketable and cull grades based on U.S. Department of Agriculture standards (but modified to allow for different fruit diameter).

Results. The major difference among the types was in fruit length, skin color and wartiness (Table 1). The beit alpha slicers were generally lightest in color, and the American slicers generally the darkest. The Japanese trellis cucumbers had large warts which tended to form ridges down the fruit surface. There were differences in yield and quality among cultivars within each of the fruit types, The beit alpha types were generally the highest yielding (Table 2.).

There were also differences among the 4 cucumber fruit types for length : diameter ratio (LD). LD ratio was smallest for the pickles: 3.0; intermediate for the beit alpha and American slicers: 4.0; and longest for the Japanese trellis slicers: 6.0 (Table 2).

A;; types are suited for fresh-market production of cucumbers in the field, although consumers would have to be introduced to the beit alpha and Japanese trellis fruit types in the U.S. The Japanese trellis types would have fewer culls if grown on a trellis, since they tend to curve when grown on the ground.

Table 1. General fruit characteristics of 4 cucumber types for fresh-market production.

Fruit type

Shade of green

Color uniformity

Fruit skin

Fruit length

Thickness

Surface
American pickle Lt. – Med. Speckled Medium Warts Short
Beit alpha Light Uniform Thin Hairs Medium
American slicer Dark Uniform Thick Warts Medium
Japanese trellis Medium Uniform Thin Ridges Long

Table 2. Yield and fruit qualityz of 10 cultivars from 4 different fruit types of cucumbers.y

Cultivar or line

Seed source

Marketable yield (Mg/ha)

Shape

Color

Seed-cell

Length (cm)

Length:diameter ratio
American pickling
Sumter Asgrow Seed 34 8.0 5.0 6.7 14 2.8
Regal Harris-Moran 74 6.7 7.3 7.0 16 3.1
Middle-Eastern Beit Alpha
Amra Nickerson 84 5.7 5.0 7.0 18 3.4
Lama Asgrow Seed 76 6.0 6.3 4.0 18 3.4
Celebrety Fery-Morse 81 4.7 5.0 5.0 22 4.1
American Slicing
Spring 440 AsgrowSeed 70 7.0 8.3 7.0 19 3.6
Dasher II PetoSeed 44 8.0 8.0 7.3 20 4.0
Japanese Trellis
Tasty Time Sakata Seed 73 5.7 7.3 6.0 26 5.2
Tasty Gift Sakata Seed 64 5.7 7.7 8.0 32 6.8
Tasty Gem Sakata Seed 28 7.0 7.3 9.0 29 6.7
LSD (5%) 17 2.0 1.5 2.1 4 1.0
CV (%) 40 21 15 26 13 16

z Quality scored 1 to 9 (Shape: 1=pointed, crooked; 5=tapered, curved; 9=blocky, straight. Seedcell: 1=extra large, 5=medium, 9=extra small. Color: 1=white, 5=-medium green, 9=very dark green.)
y Data are means over 3 replications and 6 harvests.

Literature Cited

  1. Anonymous. 1984. Modern cucumber technology. Asgrow Seed Co. Kalamazoo, Michigan.