ISHS Acta Horticulturae 588: II International Symposium on Cucurbits
REDUCING THE NEED FOR CHEMICAL SPRAYING OF SUMMER GREENHOUSE CUCUMBER: HEAT-SHOCK CONTROLS DISEASE AND INSECT DAMAGE |
| Authors: | T. Sato, M. Kubo |
| Keywords: | Chlorophyll fluorescence, greenhouse closure, mite, downy mildew, powdery mildew, aphid, thrips |
| Abstract:
Twenty-two varieties of cucumber were cultivated in a greenhouse, in which the ventilation temperature was set at 45 °C from 11:30 to 13:30 (heat-shock treatment). After treatment, all the windows were opened until 13:30 the next day. Chlorophyll fluorescence measurements were used to estimate differences in high-temperature stress tolerance. Cuttings of leaves were incubated in a moist Petri dish at 50°C and фII was measured every hour at 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 hr. The integrated фII was calculated using the six values, and effectively revealed differences in high-temperature tolerance. Subsequently, two summer cucumber varieties were examined in cultivation tests. The possibility of replacing chemical spraying with greenhouse-closure was tested in the same greenhouse as used in the first experiment. Most diseases and insects (except mites) were controlled. Generally, in the first half of the harvest period, complete greenhouse closure should be used frequently to prevent diseases and exterminate insects. In the second half, reducing the number of treatments may maintain the yield. Heat-shock treatment assures stable growth and greatly reduces the amount of chemical protection used, which is typically at least once a week for summer greenhouse cucumbers. | |
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