Abstract

Sustainable cucumber production requires optimized agronomic practices that are adaptive to changing climates as well as enhanced crop yield and fruit quality. Commercial Greenhouse experiment was conducted to determine the effect of differential pruning on the growth and yield of cucumber in the Sudan Savanna of Nigeria. The treatments consisted of two hybrid cucumber varieties (Sirana F1 and Marketer) and four pruning regimes (No pruning, pruning at 4, 5 and 6 weeks after sowing (WAS). These were laid out in Randomized Completely Block Design with three replications. Analysis of variance shows that pruning regime significantly (P<0.05) influenced plant height (cm), number of leaves per plant, days to physiological maturity, unit fruit weight (kg) and total yield. Further, pruning at 4 WAS resulted in better growth in terms of plant height and the number of leaves per plant which ultimately enhances yield. Delayed pruning at 5 WAS resulted in the highest yield (14 tons ha-1) which coincides with the period when leaves, side branches, and profuse flowers can be efficiently pruned for better yield and fruit quality. In conclusion, for better growth and yield in hybrid cucumber varieties under greenhouse conditions, pruning should be delayed until 4th to 6th weeks after sowing.

Key words: Pruning regime, cucumber, yield, variety.