Weed Management in Cucumber Farming

Weeds are one of the most important factors that contribute to yield losses. This happens because both weeds and crop plants have similar demands for carbon dioxide, nitrogen, water, minerals, and light (Daramola et al., 2021). The existence of weeds in the field can hinder cucumber cultivation. More specifically, yield reduction due to weeds in cucumber cultivation ranges between 45-95%, depending on the climatic conditions (McGowen et al., 2018). To prevent the reduction of yields due to weeds, a number of both preventative and control measures are required.

The most important weeds in cucumber farming include species that belong to the families Amaranthaceae, Asteraceae, Euphorbiaceae, Convolvulaceae, Portulacaceae, Solanaceae, Poaceae, and Cyperaceae (Tepe, 2014).

Especially during the stages of the early growth of cucumber plants, when seedlings are still small, weed control is very important. This happens because it has been found that most weed competition in cucumber is a consequence of delayed weeding during the early growth stage of the plant (Trader et al., 2007).

Some cultivation techniques, such as digging and/or weeding, can play an important role in weed management (2). However, hand weeding requires a lot of time, which means that there is a high labor demand too (Daramola, 2020). When the field is irrigated or when there is a lot of rainfall, hand weeding can trigger weeds to re-root and re-establish (Berry et al., 2006).

When growers do several cultivation operations on the field, they have to remember that the depth of the operations has to be such that it will kill weeds effectively (not too shallow nor too deep). In other words, a very deep cultivation operation will probably damage the crop’s roots, and at the same time, it will bring more weeds to the surface, which both are undesirable. In case crop growth is rapid and temperatures range between 26-32 °C (80-90 °F), the farmers can apply organic mulch (such as green straw) to control weeds. However, this technique will not only be efficient for weed control but also for reducing water loss due to evaporation. In other words, mulching helps also in cooling the soil surface. Another important piece of information to remember is that some materials used for mulching can compete with the crop directly for nitrogen, which is not beneficial for our cultivation. As a result, it’s recommended to avoid using mulching materials with high carbon-to-nitrogen ratios, such as bark, wood chips, or ground wood products (1).

Unfortunately, there are not many herbicides in the market suitable for weed control in cucumbers. The available ones do not provide weed control that lasts for a long time when used alone, nor can they control the entire weed spectrum (weeds with diverse physiology, morphology, and time of emergence) (Daramola, 2020). In every case, farmers have to read carefully the label of the product and follow the instructions. In most cases, herbicides have to be applied two weeks before transplanting. In combination with the above, many growers use black plastic as a soil covering to reduce weeds’ growth (2).

To better control weeds and avoid yield losses, integrated weed management approaches are recommended. This means that the farmer has to use a combination of prevention and control measures, such as appropriate tillage, the use of competitive varieties, appropriate planting distances, and pre and post-emergence herbicides. New technologies in farming now allow us to use precision weed management tools, such as remote sensing, modeling, and the use of robotics to control weeds (Daramola, 2020). The combination of all the above provides not only effective weed control but also helps in environmental conservation, which is also of great importance now more than ever.

References

Berry, A. D, Stall, W. M., Rathinasabapathi, B., Macdonald, G. E., Charudattan, R. (2006) Smooth pigweed (Amaranthus hybridus L.) and livid amaranth (Amaranthus lividus) interference with cucumber (Cucumis sativus). Weed Technology. 20:227-231
Daramola, O. S. (2020), Cucumber Economic Values and Its Cultivation and Breeding, DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.99564
Daramola, O. S, Adigun, J. A, Adeyemi, O. R. (2021) Efficacy and economics of integrated weed management in Chilli pepper. Journal of Crop Improvement. 35(1): 38-50
McGowen, S. J., Jennings, K. M., Chaudhari, S., Monks, D. W., Schultheis, J. R., Reberg-Horton, C. (2018) Critical Period for Palmer Amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) Control in Pickling Cucumber. Weed Technology. 32:586-591. DOI: 10.1017/wet.2018.58
Tepe, I. (2014) Yabancı otlarla mücadele. SİDAS Medya ltd. Şti. VAN
Trader, B. W., Wilson, H. P., Hines, T. E. (2007) Halosulfuron helps control several broadleaf weeds in cucumber and pumpkin. Weed Technology. 21:966– 971

Wikifarmer

Editorial team

Verified

Wikifarmer is a global platform with the mission of empowering farmers through educating them and offering them access to the open market to sell their products at fair prices.

Join our editorial team

Join our community and contribute to Wikifarmer, a platform based on the knowledge of a diverse community of farmers and people working in the agricultural industry from all over the world.

Article submission