Introduction
Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) belonging to Cucurbitaceae family is an important summer vegetable crop.
Cucumbers are rich in beneficial vitamins and minerals as well as antioxidants that help to prevent many health conditions including heart, lung and autoimmune diseases. They are low in calories and rich in good amount of water and soluble fiber, making them ideal for promoting hydration, temperature regulation and aiding in weight loss. Studies also show that cucumbers can help in lowering blood sugar levels.
Aliba village under Ongpangkong South Block, Mokokchung, Nagaland is a village well known for its off-season cucumber cultivation. Wetland paddy-cucumber farming system enables maximum utilization of a unit space and time by utilizing the fallow lands to grow cucumber after the harvest of wetland paddy to give very good monetary returns through cucumber. Unlike the other varieties of cucumber found in the Indian market, these cucumbers have a very soft texture with thin light greenish coloured skin. Fruits are tender and very sweet in taste with more water content. As such, it can be consumed even with the skin intact. This sweet cucumber of Mokokchung district is the third agricultural product which has been granted the GI tag from Nagaland after Naga King Chilly and tree tomato. These cucumbers are cultivated in the village in the fallow lands of Tsüo valley, Arshiong and Tsüba farm areas.
The villagers give importance to off-season cucumber cultivation as it opens opportunities for them to utilize the fallow lands after the harvest of wetland paddy from the month of December -June to yield profitable outcomes. Currently, 38 families in Aliba village practices off-season cucumber cultivation.Varieties
Two local cultivars of cucumber are used for commercial cultivation. Tongten matsü which bears bigger sized fruits and Rongma Matsü which bears smaller sized fruits are used in the village. Narep and Entsü matsü are two cultivars which has very sweet, tender and yellowish skin coloured fruits.
Climate
Cucumber requires a moderately warm temperature and grows best at a temperature between 20°C and 24°C. Though cucumbers are not suitable for frost conditions, off-season cucumbers in Aliba village are cultivated in the months from mid- December where the temperature drops down in the range of 9°C to 12°C.
Soil
Cucumber requires well drained sandy loam to clay soils rich in organic matter content. Lighter soils which warm quickly enhances early crop. Deep soil supports the vine for a longer period. The soil is incorporated with well decomposed farmyard manure, poultry manure or any other organic matter for better yield.
Season
Off-season cucumbers are sown in the winter months from December-January and harvested in the months from mid-April to June.
Field Preparation
The fallow fields of wetland paddy are firstly ploughed once thoroughly either with the help of a power tiller or manually using a spade. Pits of size 2 feet diameter and 1 feet depth are dug using a spade or a soil auger. Pit-pit spacing of 3 feet and row to row spacing of 10 feet is maintained. The soil is mixed with well decomposed farmyard manure and poultry manure before sowing at a ratio of 1:4.
Seed Rate
About 8-10 seeds are sown per pit. About three numbers of seeds are sown in three different pockets within the pit. Later, around 5-6 plants are retained per pit. The unhealthy plants are rogued out.
Seed Treatment
As such, no seed treatment is done. Instead seed viability test is carried out. The seeds are immersed in water. Seeds that settle down at the bottom of the water are used for sowing.
Sowing
Seeds are sown at a depth of 2-3 cm. The soil is then tapped to make it compact to prevent any excess air circulation within the pit which could hinder the germination process. After sowing, the field is covered with dried paddy straw which is burnt in order to prevent rodent infestation and to increase the soil temperature. The seeds germinate within 7 to 8 days.
Manuring
Manuring is done either through the application of farmyard manure or poultry manure 3 to 4 times in a cropping season. It is first applied at the time of field preparation. The remaining doses are applied in split doses as top dressing before the construction of trellis. Vermiwash is applied after every harvest @ 1 litre per 10 litres of water to enhance better fruiting.
Irrigation
The field is irrigated 2 to 3 times a week during sunny days or once a week depending on the moisture content of the soil either early in the morning or late evening. Irrigation is done either manually or drawn with the use of water pump.
Intercultural Operations
Weeding is done 2-3 times during the growing season. First weeding is done after the germination of seeds when the plant has attained a certain height. Later, it is done at 2 weeks interval depending on the growth of the weeds.
During extreme hailstorm conditions, when temperature drops down, the seedlings are covered with dry paddy straw in a pyramid type structure in order to avoid damage caused by hailstones and dew drops.
Trellises made of bamboo are provided to the crops as support structures at an angle not more than 30°. The dimension of the trellis is made at a length of 7 feet and breadth of 8 feet. These support structures facilitates sufficient trailing of the plants along the trellis for good plant growth.
Plant Protection
Trap crop such as marigold is planted surrounding the field to avoid pest infestation. Neem oil is applied @ 3ml per litre of water at 7 days interval after the plant has attained a height of 2 to 3 feet. Rotten, diseased or infested plants are directly rogued out from the field in order to avoid further spread.
Harvesting
Harvesting is done manually from mid-April till first week of June. Cucumber fruits can be harvested thrice in a week. Approximately 25 to 30 pickings can be done during the entire fruiting season.
Yield
20 to 30 fruits per vine.
Market Information
The fruits are sold directly to the wholesalers from their fields or at retail prices in and around Mokokchung town. About 7 to 8 pieces of cucumber is sold at a rate of 100 (Approximately *50 per kg).
Source: Off-Season Cucumber Cultivation, ATMA Mokokchung & Organizing Committee, Cucumber Festival 2022