Grower Resources

Print This Page

Ivory Pickling Cucumber

Growing Tips:

Main Features: Ivory is a pickling cucumber hybrid with vigorous plant growth, early harvesting, cluster bearing with uniform cylindrical, dark green fruits. The L:D ratio of fruit is 3:1. IVORY is suitable for both trellised and ground cultivation.

Soil: Well drained loamy to sandy loam soil having a pH of 6.5 to 7.5.
Sowing Season: Main sowing season - November – January and April – July.
Optimum temp. for Germination: 20-35°C
For ground cultivation: Row-row – 120-135cm and Plant –plant : 20cm.
Spacing: For trellised crop - Row to row: 120 cm. and Plant to plant 22-25cm.
Seed Rate: 12 MX (12000 seeds) / acre.

Main field preparation: Deep plowing and harrowing.

  • Add FYM 8 -10 tons/acre
  • Apply neem cake @ 200 Kg/acre
  • Open ridges & furrows at required spacing (Apply basal dose of fertilizer as recommended)
  • Light irrigation one day before sowing
  • Sow one seed per hill
  • Sowing should be done in East – West direction.
  • Irrigation should be done for every alternate day but never flood the field.

Cultural Operations:

  • Provide staking for good growth. Finish the staking activity within 25 days after sowing.
  • Grow maize in 3-4 rows in the border to protect the gherkin crop against wind (Maize sowing should be done one week earlier than gherkin sowing)
  • Good and narrow irrigation channel should be prepared.
  • Earthing up should be done regularly as and when required.

Chemical Fertilizers: Fertilizer application varies with soil fertility.
Total requirement of the crop is 100:60:120 Kg NPK /acre.

  • Basal dose (2-3 days) before sowing: 30:50:30 NPK Kg/acre, add 20 -25 kg Mg.S04
  • 20-25days after sowing: 25:10:30 NPK Kg/acre
  • 40 days after sowing: 15:00:25 NPK Kg/acre
  • 50 days after sowing: 10:00:25 NPK Kg/acre
  • 60 days after sowing: 10:00:10 NPK Kg/acre
  • 70 days after sowing: 10:00:00 NPK Kg/acre

Spray Calcium nitrate OR Potassium nitrate @ 1 g per liter of water after 40th, 50th and 60th days after sowing.

Plant Protection: Follow the plant protection measures as per the recommendations of the processing company.

Major Diseases / Insect Pests:

  • Downy Mildew: Remove lower leaves touching the ground, which helps in minimizing the humidity. Use Prophylactic spray. Give light irrigation but never flood the field to avoid developing the humidity.
  • Powdery Mildew: Use recommended chemicals.
  • Fusarium Wilt: Avoid continuous gherkin / cucumber cultivation in the same field. Drench the plant with recommended chemical.
  • Virus complex (CMV, PRSV, ZYMV): Follow good management practices, Control insect vectors (Aphids, thrips ) by spraying systemic insecticides. Collect and destroy the virus infected plants.
  • Fruit borer, Fruit flies, Thrips, Aphids, Mites: Spray recommended chemical as per the schedule of the processors.

Special Note: The varietal characters & information given here is based on observations recorded at our trial station. Change in place, season, cultivation practice may result in variation