Gherkin crop manual flat cultivation

Gherkin

Crop manual flat cultivation

Flat cultivation Milestones of yield increase

Optimal soil temperature is approx. 20°C, air temperature optimum is between 20°C and 35°C. Growth depression

In Central European flat cultivation, crop yield has

and the abortion of fruit have to be expected with

increased sixfold in the last 40 years. In the late

temperatures significantly beyond this optimal range.

70s, the launch of black mulch film as well as of

The gherkin plant is relatively wind-sensitive due to a

the newly developed ‘gherkin flyer’ contributed

lack of effective evaporation protection.

decisively to this development. The introduction of the parthenocarpic gherkin varieties Accordia

Sowing

RZ, Harmonie RZ and Melody RZ and the simul­

In Southern Germany, sowing generally takes place

taneous use of horticultural fleece have also set new

from 10 April. This date, which is by approx. 2 to 3

standards in quality and yield. The increase in yield

weeks earlier, becomes possible through the use of

was further brought about by drip irrigation being

poly­propylene fleece. This earliness method provides

introduced in about 2000.

frost protection. Generally, six strips of mulch film placed at a distance of 1.5 m and with a width of 1 m each are covered directly after sowing. The fleece is

Crop rotation

permeable to air, light and water, slows down wind

The gherkin is suitable as a good preliminary crop.

speed, decreases evaporation and buffers potential

However, phytosanitary reasons make a three to four

slight night frost.

year crop rotation recommendable.

The aforementioned mulch film strips made of 20 – 35µ

Soil requirements

thick PE film (dyed black) are tightly laid on slightly

Heat-absorbing, humus-rich soil with good waterholding

raised beds with special plastic film layers whereupon

capacity and good structure is generally suited for

a border strip of approx. 20 cm is dug in. The mulch film

­cultivating gherkins. These include humic loamy sand

maintains the winter damp in the seed-bed, increases

and sandy loam as well as black soil. The pH-optimum

soil temperature and suppresses weed growth. Drip

lies in the range of pH 5.8 to pH 7.

hoses are placed in the side area at the soil surface below the film each with the drip points turned

Climate requirements

upwards.

The gherkin plant is frost-sensitive. Its thermophily

Sowing is carried out with up-to-three-row pneumatic

is, among others, demonstrated by the fact that it

sowing stars. These sowing stars penetrate the length of

develops physiological disorders (e.g. stunting) at a

film at a distance of 33 cm and place 3 corn of gherkin

night temperature of below 5°C. The gherkin plant

seed each at a depth of approx. 2 cm. Thus, 6,000

germinates and grows at a minimum temperature of

running meters of film per ha add up to a density of

approx. 12°C and opens its flowers from 15°C.

50,000 plants/ha.

Weed control

When the fleece is removed for inter-row weed control:

The inter-rows can be sealed with soil-applied herbicide

• 50 kg stabilised N

film. Please note: In case of torrential rain there is the

are distributed between the rows.

danger of illuviation. As soon as weeds have emerged hand-high, the fleece is opened. Weeds in the sowing

Irrigation and fertilisation by drip generally begins at

holes have to be pulled out by hand. Between the rows

the first harvest, which is to be expected from mid of

hoeing can be done mechanically or a total herbicide

June, two weeks after blooming. The fleece should be

can be applied if a spray screen is used. In the latter

removed approx. one week before harvest.

case, the fleece must not be closed earlier than half a day or a day later.

During the harvest season, 100% soluble fertiliser is applied corresponding to the volume yield via the drip

Fertilisation

system: with a harvest loss of 10 to/ha crop:

One hectare gherkin with a yield potential of approx.

• 15 kg N,

100 t/ha has a nutrient requirement of approx.:

• 7 kg P2O5

• 280 kg N

• 24 kg K2O and

• 100 kg P2O5

• 2 kg MgO

• 280 kg K2O

are withdrawn from the field.

Thereof the following quantities are broadcast as basic

A further 10 kg N/week are needed for plant development

fertilizer before laying the film:

within the first three weeks of harvest. This amount is

• 100 kg N,

also needed at the time of regeneration (after the main

• 80 kg P2O5

harvest). Then a N : K2O-ratio of 1.3−1.6 : 1 has to be

• 140 kg K2O (chloride-free)

chosen. In times of high yields, fertiliser should be applied with focus on potassium (1 : 1.3). The gherkin does indeed prefer nitrogen in form of ammonium, however, attention should be paid to an alternation between ammonium and nitrate in order to prevent antagonisms with potassium, magnesium and especially calcium.

Magnesium is applied in the form of MgSO4, however, never in combination with CaNO3 (precipitation of gypsum). Micronutrients are applied as a chelate cocktail once a week (Mn, Zn, Mo, B ). The respective amount of fertiliser is applied with approx. 25m3 of water.

Afterwards, the drip hoses should be rinsed with water.

Irrigation

Harvest

On hot summer days, one hectare gherkin plants can

The first stem fruits have to be harvested in order

evaporate up to 80,000 litres of water. The fruit harvest

to stimulate further fruit setting. A picking rhythm

also corresponds to a disposwal of water (the fruit

of two to four days is necessary depending on the

contains 96% water). A lack of irrigation leads to an

weather conditions and the fruit size aimed at. For

abortion of young fruits and hollow spaces in larger

mainly smaller gradings of up to 9 cm, fruits have to be

fruits. Depending on the type of soil, water has to

harvested every other day. That adds up to a surface of

be applied once or twice per summer day. On heavy

max. 5 ha (per so-called ‘gherkin flyer’ with 24 people) on

soil, up to 8 litres/m can be administered with one

which harvest can take place. With a larger grading mix

­application. On light soil, this amount has to be split

up of to 15 cm, picking can take place at intervals of 3.5

into two applications.

days. In that case, the ‘flyer’ capacity is approx. 8 ha.

2

Regular picking of all target sizes without missing single fruits leads to a very balanced fruiting habit in case of need-adjusted fertilisation and water management.

Added value in all segments Variety name

Majestosa RZ F1

Character Smooth Spined

L/D

3,2

Fuga RZ F1

3,1

Schubert RZ F1

3,2

Componist RZ

3,2

Karaoke RZ F1

3,0

Wagner RZ F1

3,1

Sonate RZ F1

3,0

Puccini RZ F1

3,1

Chopin RZ F1

3,2

Lehar RZ F1

3,1

Strauss RZ F1

3,2

Liszt RZ F1

3,2

12-303 RZ F1

3,1

12-305 RZ F1

3,1

Segments Mecha- HandFlat pick nical outharvest door

Added value Very Open early plant easy pick

Strong against downy mildew

ConcenHigh regene­ trated fruit­ ration setting

Crops are generally less susceptible with good crop management.

Diseases Breeding focus

Gummy stem blight (Didymella bryoniae)

Our varieties offer high cultivation reliability due

This fungal disease also infects wet crops. Only few

to the high resistance level against Powdery Mildew

fungicides are effective if applied preventively. Stems,

(Px), Cucumber Scab (Ccu) as well as Cucumber

leaves and fruits can be infected. Fruit infection takes

Mosaic Virus (CMV). Important diseases such as

place via the flower. Resistance against especially the

Downy Mildew (Pcu) and Zucchini Yellow Mosaic Virus

fruit symptoms are a breeding aim of first priority.

(ZYMV) are focal points of our breeding.

Lygus bug (Lygus pratensis) Downy Mildew (Pseudoperonospora cubensis)

Stinging into young leaves and shoot tips causes holes

Downy Mildew (Pseudoperonospora cubensis) has to be

in leaves as well as stunted shoots. More damage is

regularly treated from the very beginning of infection.

done to the fruits due to stunted growth. Chemical

Warm and humid weather with night temperatures

treatment with e.g. pyrethroids is possible.

above 13°C and fluid water on leaves for several hours are favourable conditions for infections.

Spider mite (Tetranychus urticae)

In South Germany, first symptoms appear already

Hot and dry conditions are favourable. The pest always

in early June. In case of disease pressure, allowed

starts with spots in the hottest and driest parts of the field.

chemicals have to be regularly applied at intervals of

The mites are sucking at the downside of leafs, protected

approx. 7 days. At least two different active ingredients

by a delicate spider web. Spraying with allowed acari-

(systemic and contact) should be mixed. An alternation

cides has to be done immediately. Border treatment can

of active ­ingredients is important in order to prevent

prevent immigration. Plant-bitter varieties such as Puccini

resistances.

RZ and Gershwin RZ are avoided by spider mites.

In our parthenocarpic assortment you may find already less susceptible varieties such as Majestosa RZ, Fuga

Virus diseases of gherkin

RZ, Schubert RZ and Chopin RZ in the smooth segment

Virus diseases of gherkin such as CMV (cucumber

and Karaoke RZ in the spined segment.

mosaic virus) and ZYMV (zucchini yellow mosaic virus) are especially dangerous in combination. The plant

Angular leaf spot (Pseudomonas syringae)

grows sickly, the fruits show black distortions when

This bacterial leaf disease can also infect fruits. The

infested by ZYMV. Vector control as well as physical

disease spreads only in wet crops. Copper is said to

distance to other cucurbitaceae are precautionary

have a certain bactericidal effect. Various varieties show

measures. Beyond that, only resistances can help.

lower symptom expression: Schubert RZ, Chopin RZ

All Rijk Zwaan cucumber varieties are resistant to CMV.

und Strauss RZ. Rijk Zwaan is increasingly working on

There already are varieties such as Kybria RZ, Shakthi

resistant varieties.

RZ and 12-302 RZ which are resistant to or, at least, strong against ZYMV.

Our gherkin specialists

Crop coordinator international

Specialists according

Further gherkin specialists

to culture method

according to country

Flat manual

Bosnia, Montenegro, Serbia

Turkey

Djurdje Spasojevic

Ismail Aydogan

djurdje.spasojevic@rz-agro.rs

i.aydogan@rijkzwaan.com.tr

Brazil

Ukraine

Marcelo Sartori

Stanislav Ovcharyk

m.sartori@rijkzwaan.com

s.ovcharyk@rijkzwaan.ua

Gerald Krischke g.krischke@rijkzwaan.de

Germany, Austria, Czech Republik Gerald Krischke g.krischke@rijkzwaan.de Vertical outdoor temperate Hungary

Laszlo Ragyak

Central Asia

Vietnam

l.ragyak@rijkzwaan.hu

Nasredin Sharipov

Gerard Hulisz

n.sharipov@rijkzwaan.de

g.hulisz@rijkzwaan.nl

Vertical outdoor subtropical India

Poland , the Baltic States

Prasanna D.G.

Marcin Pawlak

p.damdahalli@rijkzwaan.com

m.pawlak@rijkzwaan.pl

Vertical indoor

Romania

Ukraine

George Puican

Andriy Galagurja

george.puican@hollandfarming.ro

a.galaguria@rijkzwaan.ua

Russia

Flat mechanical

Gennady Sudenko

USA, Canada

g.sudenko@rijkzwaan.ru

Georg Pape g.pape@rijkzwaan.com

Rijk Zwaan’s descriptions, illustrations, growing advices and any other information in whatever form for example on expiry, sowing, planting and harvesting dates are based as precisely as possible on experiences in trials and in practice. However, Rijk Zwaan does not accept in any case liability for damages resulting from the use of such descriptions, illustrations, growing advices and information. The buyer/user itself is responsible for proper storage of the seeds and will be deemed to determine whether the products and growing advices are suitable to be used for the intended cultivations and under the local conditions. Inclusion of a variety in this edition does not automatically imply that such a variety is available for purposes of exploitation; it might be available for testing only. For more information, please contact Rijk Zwaan (www.rijkzwaan.com). The pictures in this edition show the types to which the varieties as mentioned belong and not all varieties as such. These pictures do not constitute any warrranty, expressly or implied, of crop performance.

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