PROJECT REPORT OF

COMMERCIAL HORTICULTURE.

Submitted to: DR. HIDAYATULLAH MIR

KUMARI SWETANJALI
Submitted by:
BAC/052/15-16
 CONTENT
1. NURSERY PREPARATION
 CUCUMBER
 SPONGE GUARD
 BOTTLE GUARD
 BITTER GUARD
 BRINJAL
 CHILLI
2. SALE OF SEEDLINGS IN KISHAN MELA

3. PACKAGE AND PRACTICE OF CUCUMBER
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I HAVE GIVEN SO MUCH EFFORT IN THIS ASSIGNMENT. HOWEVER,
IT WOULD NOT HAVE COMPLETED WITHOUT THE KIND EFFORT
AND HELP OF MANY PEOPLE. I WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND MY
SINCERE THANKS TO ALL OF THEM.
I would like to show my gratitude TO DR. HIDAYATULLAH MIR, Course
Instructor, DEPARTMENT OF HORTICULTUREoF BIHAR
AGRICULTURAL University, SABOUR, BHAGALPUR for giving me a good
guideline ON THIS COURSE.
I would also like to extend my gratitude to all thosewho have directly and
indirectly guided me in writing this assignment.

In addition, a thank you to DR. MANOJ KUNDU AND dr. muneshwarprasad,

who introduced me to the Methodology of work. I also thank the BIHAR
AGRICULTURAL University for consent to INCLUDE THIS COURSE as a
part of my ELP.

Many people, especially my classmates have made valuable comment AND

suggestions on my ASSIGNMENT which gave me an inspiration to improve the
quality of the assignment.

ANNU SINGH

BAC/006/15-16
NURSERY PREPARATION

In the very beginning we prepared nursery of various crops like bottle guard,
sponge guard, bitter guard, brinjal, chillietc.

Requirements for nursery preparation:

1. Potray

2. Mixture of cocopit and verimicompost (1:1 ratio)

3. Seeds

4. Name tags

Each pots in potray is 3\4 filled with the prepared mixture.

Preparation of mixture of vermicompost and cocopit

For nursery preparation we first counted the number of seeds present in each
packet. Then we treated it with bavistin. After that we planted one seed in a
pot of potray. After that the pots are completely filled with the prepared
mixture. After that each tray is tagged with the name and variety of seed
planted. After that each tray is placed in poly house.
After that we irrigated it every day. Within a week germination started.

For brinjal and chili we prepared seed bed.

The field we got was cloddy. We had to first break it up to prepare fine tilth.
After that we added vermicompost and cocopit in ratio of 1: 1. Fine seed bed is
prepared. Then we broadcasted seeds of brinjal and chili in that seed bed.
 CUCUMBER

Optimal cucumber production requires appropriate site

selection, along with proper planting, and irrigation
practices. 
» Both bare ground and plasticulture systems are used for
commercial slicing cucumber production. 
» Adequate pollination can be key to proper fruit formation

SITE SELECTION AND TEMPERATURE

Cucumbers can be grown on most soil types. However, they

perform best in soils with good moisture holding capacity
and water infi ltration rates. Soil pH levels should be
between 5.8 and 6.6. If pH levels are below 5.8, lime
applications can be used to adjust the level into the
optimum range.

Cucumbers are very sensitive to cold temperatures . They

can be easily injured by frost, and growth will be slow at
temperatures below 50°F. Optimum soil temperatures for
germination and growth are between 70 and 80°F, with air
temperatures between 70 and 85°F. 1  Seeds or transplants
should be planted after soil temperatures are above 60°F
and when air temperatures remain above 50°F. 2

We planted 50 seeds in one portray.

Germination percentage: 95%

Cost: 261 (300 seeds) wt. 40 gms

Treated with Thiram.

We used Malini variety of cucumber.

The cucumber is successfully grown on many kind of soil from sandy to heavy
loam soil.

BOTTLE GUARD

Bottle guard is an important crop in India. It is also known as Lauki/Calabash. The fruit in
green stage and leaves with the stem are used as a vegetable. The hard shell of the fruit is
used for different purpose.

It requires warm growing season with a temperature ranging between 18-30degree C. it can
be grown in various kinds of soils, but sandy loam to loamy soils are ideal.

VARIETIES OF BOTTLE GUARD

Sarita

Germination percentage= 60%

Number of seeds= 60 (10 gms) Company= VNR seeds

 KISHAN MELA
Kishan mela was held from23rd feb to 25th feb, 2019.
Before 2 days of kishan mela we left the seedlings for hardening out of poly
house. On 23 of feb, some of the potrays were transported to our stall. There
we sold seedlings for 3 days. We sold seedlings of cucumber, sponge guard,
bitter guard and bottle guard. We had two different varieties of bottle guard.
Seedlings were sold at the rate of 4 rupees per seedling.
The total input we had in production of seed was 4820 rupees. And we sold
almost half of them in 7492 rupees.
We had an amazing experience in kishan mela. There were stalls of every
department. State agriculture minister Prem Kumarwas chief guest. Everyone
appreciated our efforts and work.

We got second prize in kishan mela.

 PACKAGE AND PRACTICE OF CUCUMBER

After the kishan mela, the left over seedlings were used for cultivation purpose

Cucumber is an important summer vegetable in all parts of india. The cucumber is used as
salad, as pickle and also as cooked vegetable. The cucumber has been cultivated in India for
at least three thousand years. Cucumber seeds have a number of Ayurvedic uses. According
to the unani system of medicine, the oil from its seed is good for brain and body.

The cucumber most likely originated in India (south foot of the Himalayas), or possibly
Burma, where the plant is extremely variable both vegetative and in fruit characters. It has
been in cultivation for at least 3000 years. From India the plant spread quickly to China, and
it was reportedly much appreciated by the ancient Greeks and Romans.

Most of the distinct types of cucumber grown today were known at least 400 years ago.
Present forms range from thick, stubby little fruits, three to four inches long, up to the great
English greenhouse varieties that often reach a length of nearly two feet.
BOTANICAL TAXONOMY

The cucumber (Cucumissativus L.) belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family, one of the more
important plant families.

NUTRITIONAL VALUE

The high water content makes cucumbers a diuretic and it also has a cleansing action within
the body by removing accumulated pockets of old waste material and chemical toxins.
Cucumbers help eliminate uric acid which is beneficial for those who have arthritis, and its
fiber-rich skin and high levels of potassium and magnesium helps regulate blood pressure
and help promote nutrient functions. The magnesium content in cucumbers also relaxes
nerves and muscles and keeps blood circulating smoothly.

PLANT DESCRIPTION

The cucumber plant is a coarse, prostrate annual creeping vine that grows up trellises or any
other supporting frames, wrapping around ribbing with thin, spiraling tendrils. The plant has
large, prickly, hairy triangular leaves that form a canopy over the fruit, and yellow flowers
which are mostly either male or female. The female flowers are recognized by the swollen
ovary at the base, which will become the edible fruit.

The fruit

Botanically, the fruit is a false berry or pepo, elongated and round triangular in shape. Its
size, shape, and color vary according to the cultivar (Figure 1.1). In the immature fruit,
chlorophyll in the cells under the epidermis causes the rind to be green, but, upon maturity,
it turns yellow-white. The epidermal layer may have proliferated (warty) areas, each bearing
a trichome (spiky hair). The fruit cavity (three locules) contains soft tissue (placenta) in which
the seeds are embedded.

The regular cucumber bears actual seeds (seeded cucumber), whereas the English cucumber
bears either no seeds (seedless cucumber) or barely distinguishable atrophic seeds. Regular
cucumbers are short (about 15-25 cm) and uniformly cylindrical. Their thick, deep green skin
has light green stripes and a rough surface with strong trichomes.

The skin is bitter in taste and not easily digested, so the fruit needs to be peeled before
eating. English cucumbers are long (about 25-50 cm) and cylindrical, with a short, narrow
neck at the stem end. Their rather smooth surface has slight wrinkles and ridges. The thin
skin is uniformly green and not bitter, so the fruit need not be peeled before eating.
The cucumber fruit, like that of other Cucurbitaceae, is noted for its high water content,
which is around 95% of its fresh weight.

A strong tap root characterizes the root system and may reach 1 m deep. Overall the root
system is extensive but rather shallow; many horizontal laterals spread widely and rapidly
producing a dense network of rootlets that colonizes the top 30 cm of the soil and usually
extends farther than the vine. Some of the lateral roots eventually grow downwards
producing a new system of deeper laterals, which replaces in function the tap root as the
plant ages. When the base of the plant ishilled and favorable moisture conditions exist,
adventitious roots arise easily from the hypocotyl as well as from the nodes along the vines.

The large, simple leaves (10-20 cm in the regular cucumber, 20-40 cm in the seedless
cucumber) are each borne on long (7-20 cm) petioles. They have five angular lobes of which
the central is the largest, and many trichomes cover the surface. At each node above the
first 3-5, a simple unbranched tendril grows from the base of the petiole. The sensitive
tendrils enable the stems, which cannot twist themselves, to climb over other plants or
objects. A tendril tip, upon touching a support, coils around it; then the rest of the length of
the tendril coils spirally, pulling the whole plant towards the support. A cross section of the
stem reveals 10 vascular bundles arranged in two rings. The smaller vascular bundles of the
outer ring (first five) are located at the angles of the stem; the larger bundles (remaining
five) form the inner ring. Shoot. The main stem of the cucumber plant begins growing erect
but soon after assumes a prostrate trailing habit and grows like a vine over the ground. The
branching is of the sympodial type (i.e., a lateral bud at each node grows and displaces the
main growing point, the latter assuming a position on the opposite side of the leaf). From
the nodes of the main axis originate primary laterals, each of which can have their
(secondary) laterals, and so on. All stems are roughly hairy, have an angular cross section,
may turn hollow when mature, and bear leaves singly at the nodes.

FLOWER AND FRUIT

Flower types

There are different flower types:

 staminate (male).

 pistillate (female). Ovary located at base of the female flower.

 hermaphrodite (both male and female).

Cucumbers are monoecious plants which have separate male and female flowers on the
same plant. The male flowers appear first and female flowers shortly later. The female
flowers have small immature fruit at the base of the flower and male flower do not have any.
Pollen is transferred from male to female flower by bees or other insects. When pollinated
properly, female flower develops into fruit. There are different types of cucumber hybrids
such as gynoecious varieties that produce predominantly female flowers, and seeds of
monoecious varieties are mixed with it for pollination. They are very productive when
pollenizer is present.

Most current hybrids are gynoecious (all female flowers). Gynoecious hybrids are widely
used because they are generally earlier and more productive.

The modern F1 hybrids have several advantages. As they bear only female flowers the
tiresome job of removing male flowers is unnecessary. They are also much more resistant to
disease and rather more prolific. There are two drawbacks – the fruits tend to be shorter
than the ordinary varieties and a higher temperature is required. Production of female
flowers is naturally promoted by the short days, low temperatures and low light conditions
of fall. Flower femaleness can be promoted by applying plant growth substances (PGRs) such
as NAA (a type of auxin), and Ethephone (an ethylene promoter). If a purely female variety
is grown, need to provide an appropriate pollinator.

Parthenocarpic fruit

There are also cucumber hybrids that produce fruits without pollination. These varieties are
called parthenocarpic varieties, resulting in fruits that are called 'seedless', although the fruit
often contain soft, white seed coats. Such parthenocarpic fruit set also occurs naturally
under the lowlight, cool-night growing conditions, and short days of fall. Older plants can
also produce 'super' ovaries which set fruit parthenocarpically. Parthenocarpic varieties
need to be isolated from standard varieties to prevent cross-pollination and development of
fruits that do contain seeds, and may be deformed by greater growth in the pollinated area.
Greenhouse cucumbers are naturally parthenocarpic.
Male/female flowering sequence

On a normal cucumber plant, the first 10 - 20 flowers are male, and for every female flower,
which will produce the fruit, 10 - 20 male flowers are produced. Flowering set progressively
at the nodes. Developing fruit at the lower nodes may inhibit or delay fruit at subsequent
nodes. Size and shape of the cucumber fruits are related to number of seeds produced.

POLLINATION

Each cucumber flower is open only one day. So pollination is a critical aspect of cucumber
production. One or more pollen grains are needed per seed, and insufficient seed
development may result in fruit abortion, misshapen, curved or short fruit, or poor fruit set.
Hence, 10 - 20 bee visits are necessary per flower at the only day the flower is receptive, for
proper fruit shape and size. Therefore, it is important to bring hives into the field when
about 25% of the plants are beginning to flower.
Cucumber varieties can cross pollinate with one another but not with squash, pumpkins,
muskmelons, or watermelons.

GROWING CUCUMBER

Growing requirements and habits of the plant

The cucumber responds like a semitropical plant. It grows best under conditions of high
temperature, humidity, and light intensity and with an uninterrupted supply of water and
nutrients. Under favorable and stable environmental and nutritional conditions and when
pests are under control, the plants grow rapidly and produce heavily.

Seed germination
Seeds germinate and emerge in three days under optimum conditions. During this time seed
coat remains tight.

Once cotyledons emerge, roots develop quickly. Sunlight delivers photosynthates to true
leaves and root system.

During the 1st week cotyledons integrity is very important, and if damaged, plants will set
back. Seedlings may recover but they will be weak and susceptible to stresses.

For proper germination, soil temperature must be above 15°C (60°F). If the soil is too cold
and wet poor seedling emergence will take place.

PLANTING

Cucumbers growth season is relatively short, lasting 55-60 days for field-grown varieties, and
over 70 days for greenhouse varieties.

Planting dates
Cucumbers are almost always direct seeded. Like most cucurbits, they do not transplant well
and transplant costs would be hard to recover. Planting depth is 2.5-4 cm (1-1.5 inches). Too
deep delays emergence. Pickling cucumbers have to be very precise on planting dates so
that harvest will coincide with processor needs. For early crop, container-grown transplants
are planted when daily mean soil temperatures have reached 15°C (60°F) but most
cucumbers are direct seeded. Early plantings should be protected from winds with hot caps
or row covers. Growing on plastic mulch can also enhance earliness.

Spacing

Planting spacing depend on the growth method, variety and harvesting method. Close
spacing increases yields, provides more uniform maturity and reduces weed problems. It
also results in shorter fruit with a lighter color. On the other hand, high plant population
requires more seeds and slightly higher fertilizer rates.

Greenhouse plant spacing should provide: 1-2.5/m2 or more per plant, depending on
pruning and training system. Recommended density is 33,000 - 60,000 plants/ha.

TRAILISING

Cucumber vines can be trained on trellises to save space and improve yield and fruit quality.
But the high cost of trellising makes commercial production by this method uneconomical in
most cases. Greenhouse cucumbers must be trellised, because the long fruit bend if they
rest on the ground.

The major advantages of trellising a cucumber crop include: 

 harvesting efficiency

 pest management efficiency

 straighter fruits

 uniform fruit color

 reduction of fruit loss due to soil diseases

 increased yield due to closer rows

  Reduced rate of crooked fruits makes trellising absolutely necessary for Oriental
slicing cucumbers

Disadvantages include:

 extra cost of trellising materials

 labor to erect the system, dismantle it and training the vines