Introduction
Cucumber is an important all year vegetable commonly grown throughout Nigeria. Cucumber plant, is a creeper and has a climbing or trailing habit the tender fruits are eaten raw or in salads. They are also used as cooked vegetable. It is reported that the oil exacted from seeds is good for brain and body. It is ready for harvest in 40-45 days.

Climate
The cucumber is a warm season crop and grows best at a temperature between 18C and 24C.

Soil and its preparation
Cucumber can be grown in all types of soil from sandy to heavy soils. Loam, silt loam and clay loam soils are considered best for getting higher yield. Soil pH between 5.5 and 7.0 is favourable for its cultivation. The land should be prepared thoroughly before sowing of seeds.

Varieties
Murano, Greengo, Poinsette , Marketer and Tokyo are mainly cultivated in Nigeria.

Soil
Sandy loam rich in organic matter with good drainage and pH range from 6.5-7.0 is optimal for cucumber cultivation. This crop requires a moderate warm temperature.

Season
Sow the seeds during June or January to April. The cucumber is cultivated both as a dry and rainy season crop and the seed sown according to type of season.

Seed rate
About 200g of seeds are required for an acre.

Method of Sowing
The seed is sown by dibbling method at a distance of 1.5 meters with trellis/ 2.5 meters w/o trellis or staking (row to row) x 60 to 90 cm. (Plant to plant). Two to three seeds are sown in each pit.

Seed treatment
Treat the seeds with Trichoderma viride 4 g/kg or Pseudomonas fluorescens 10 g/kg or Carbendazim 2 g/kg of seeds before sowing.

Preparation of field
Plough the field two times and form long channels and beds at 1.5 m apart.

Irrigation
Irrigate the field before dibbling the seeds and thereafter once a week.

Application of fertilizers
Apply FYM 10t/acre as basal and 15kg of N/acre at 30 days after sowing. Apply Azospirillum and Phosphobacteria 1kg/ha and Pseudomonoas 1kg/acre along with FYM 10t and neem cake @ 100 kg before last ploughing.

Drip irrigation
Install drip system with main and sub-main pipes and place the inline lateral tubes at an interval of 1.5m. Place the drippers in lateral tubes at an interval of 60 cm and 50 cm spacing with 4 LPH and 3.5 LPH capacities respectively.

Field preparation
Form raised beds of 120 cm width at an interval of 30 cm and the laterals are placed at the centre of each bed.

Sowing
Sow with mechanical planter or 2-3 seeds per hole with hand planting . Thin the seedlings to two/hill at 15 days after planting. Sow the seeds at an interval of 60 cm distance at the centre of the bed along the laterals. Spray pre emergence weedicide like fluchloralin 1 kg a.i. or metalachlor 0.75 kg a.i./acre on third day of sowing.