Crop Detail
Cucumber is an important vegetable and one of the most popular members of the Cucurbitaceae family. It is thought to be one of the oldest vegetables cultivated by man with historical records dating back 5,000 years. The crop is the fourth most important vegetable after tomato, cabbage and onion in Asia. The second most important vegetable crop after tomato in Western Europe. In tropical Africa, its place has not been ranked because of limited use. Fertile soils are used for the cultivation of cucumber infertile soils result in bitter and misshapen fruits which are often rejected by consumers. Bush fallowing has been an efficient, balanced and sustainable agricultural system for soil productivity and fertility restoration in the tropics (2006), but as a result of increase in the population, the fallowing periods have decreased from ten years to three years and this has had an adverse effect on the fertility restoration leading to poor yields of crops.
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