Dr. I. B. MauryaKULDEEP SINGH DAGAR2024-09-272024-09-272024https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810215076The present investigation entitled “Effect of Spacing and Liquid Bio-enhancer on Growth, Yield and Quality of Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) under Naturally Ventilated Polyhouse” was conducted during Rabi, 2024 at Protected Cultivation Unit of the College of Horticulture and Forestry, Jhalawar. The experiment consisted of 10 treatments including two levels of spacing (60 x 30 cm and 60 x 45 cm) and five levels of liquid bio-enhancer i.e. Panchagavya (0%, 4%, 6%, 8% and 10%). The experiment was laid out in a Factorial Randomized Block Design (FRBD) with three replications. Data were collected on 18 different growth, yield and quality contributing characters of cucumber. The spacing and liquid bio-enhancer (Panchagavya) had a significant effect on growth, yield and quality parameters individually whereas their combined effect did not significantly influence the growth, yield and quality parameters. The 60 x 45 cm spacing (S2) significantly increased the vine length at 75 DAT (255.81 cm), internodal length at 75 DAT (11.52 cm), no. of leaves/plant at 75 DAT (47.37), no. of branches/plant at 75 DAT (9.13), leaf area at 75 DAT (375.75 cm2), total chlorophyll content (0.80 mg/g), no. of fruits/plant (36.62), fruit length (16.90 cm), fruit diameter (3.53 cm), average fruit weight (168.34 g), fruit retention (86.63%), marketable fruit yield/ plant (3.73 kg), TSS at 1st picking (2.79 oBrix), ascorbic acid (2.64 mg/100g), PAR (991.20 μmol m-2 s-1) as compared to 60 x 30 cm spacing (S1); reduced the unmarketable fruit yield/plant (0.28 kg) and took minimum days to first harvest (49.29). Amongst the five levels of bio-enhancer, the application of treatment P2 - (Panchagavya @6%) significantly increased the vine length at 75 DAT (275.91 cm), internodal length 75 DAT (12.25 cm), no. of leaves/plant at 75 DAT (52.36), no. of branches/plant at 75 DAT (9.96), leaf area at 75 DAT (434.64 cm2), total chlorophyll 116 content (1.00 mg/g), no. of fruits/plant (38.90), fruit length (18.18 cm), fruit diameter (3.76 cm), average fruit weight (181.23 g), fruit retention (91.41%), marketable fruit yield per plant (4.30 kg), TSS at 1st picking (3.05 oBrix), ascorbic acid (2.79 mg/100g), moisture content (94.37%), PAR (1003.50 μmol m-2 s-1) as compared to control (P0). It also reduced the unmarketable fruit yield/plant (0.23 kg) and took minimum days to first harvest (47.03). However, the treatment P2 was at par with P1. In the present study, wider spacing (S2 = 60x45 cm) and application of Panchagavya (6% at par with 4%) alone enhanced the growth, yield, and quality parameters significantly and treatment combination S2P2 (60 x 45 cm spacing + Panchagavya @ 6%) had the highest fruit yield per plant (4.54kg). However, treatment S1P1 (60 x 30 cm spacing + Panchagavya @ 4%) showed higher net returns (₹1508.3 per 4.5m2) and a better B:C ratio (4.54). Thus, it can be concluded that wider spacing (60x45 cm) may increase the growth, yield and quality parameters to a greater extent than closer spacing (60x30 cm) due to improved space, aeration, and light conditions, but planting at narrow spacing (60x30 cm) and the use of Panchgavya @4% (S1P1) was found to be better from the economic point of view.EnglishThesis