Reduced Tillage Alternatives for Machine-harvested Cucumbers

Abstract

<jats:p>Cucumber (<jats:italic>Cucumis sativus</jats:italic> L.) is grown using intensive tillage practices, which increase the cost of production and may lead to an increase in soil and water erosion. Research on alternative tillage practices for cucumber production has been limited primarily to exploring the benefits of no tillage. Alternative tillage practices, such as disking (one pass with a tandem disk) and zone tillage (one pass with a Trans-till) have not been investigated. Thus, the objective of this study was to compare the influence of reduced tillage practices on the growth, development, and yield of cucumbers. Seedling emergence varied between years, but was unaffected by a reduction in tillage, while cucumber leaf number, leaf area index, and vine growth were reduced by no tillage (<jats:italic>P</jats:italic> ≤ 0.05). Total dry matter accumulation and days to 50% open flower varied with tillage. No-tillage plots produced an average of 34 g·m<jats:sup>-2</jats:sup> of dry matter compared to 47 g·m<jats:sup>-2</jats:sup> for conventional tillage plots and took 1 day longer to reach 50% flower. Although growth differences were observed under all reduced tillage treatments, no reduction in total yield was observed when compared with conventional tillage yields. Alternative reduced tillage practices, such as disking or zone tillage, were found to be viable options for successful cucumber production. These alternative practices will reduce the cost of production, provide growers with greater time flexibility and ease of land preparation, and reduce the potential for water and wind erosion.</jats:p>

Integration of Cover Crop, Conservation Tillage, and Low Herbicide Rate for Machine-harvested Pickling Cucumbers

“…Although lower leaf chlorophyll content tended to slow down the vegetative growth of cucumber, fruit production was unaffected in this study. The slower vegetative growth, but equivalent yield of NT and CTN, is consistent with results obtained by Lonsbary et al (2004). With the density and cultivar used in this study (once-over harvest cucumber), each cucumber plant produces only one to two fruit (Ngouajio et al, 2006).…”

“…With the density and cultivar used in this study (once-over harvest cucumber), each cucumber plant produces only one to two fruit (Ngouajio et al, 2006). Once individual plant size is large enough to support two fruit, the addition of new leaves will not change the final yield (Lonsbary et al, 2004). Therefore, NT plots had equivalent yield, although the vegetative growth was slower.…”

“…Inconsistent results have been reported by other investigators on the effects of conservation tillage on cucumber stand establishment. Beste (1973) and Lonsbary et al (2004) found that cucumber stand was unaffected by conservation tillage compared with conventional tillage. In contrast, Knavel and Morrison (1977) found that no tillage reduced cucumber stand.…”

“…Cover crops are essential components of most conservation tillage systems. Lonsbary et al (2004) studied various conservation tillage systems, including no tillage, zone tillage, and disking, and found that pickling cucumber yield in those systems was similar to yield in the conventional system. Benefits of conservation tillage include reductions in production cost, water pollution, soil erosion and degradation, and nutrient leaching (Corak et al, 1991;Hall et al, 1984;Lonsbary et al, 2004).…”

Weed Ecology and Nonchemical Management under Strip-Tillage: Implications for Northern U.S. Vegetable Cropping Systems

“…ST has been shown to reduce fuel and labor costs, protect soils, and maintain crop yields in vegetable crops including sweet corn (Luna and Staben 2002;Luna et al 2012;Brainard et al 2012b), winter squash, snap beans (Bottenberg et al 1999;Brainard et al 2012a), carrots (Brainard and Noyes 2012), cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata L.) (Haramoto and Brainard 2012;Hoyt et al 1996;Mochizuki et al 2007;Mochizuki et al 2008), garden cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) (Lonsbary et al 2004;Wang and Ngouajio 2008), and broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. botrytis L.) (Luna et al 2012).…”