Parthenocarpic (Seedless) Cucumber for Farmers' Prosperity

Parthenocarpic (Seedless) Cucumber for Farmers’ Prosperity
– A Success Story in Rajasthan
Balraj Singh & Naved Sabir*
Centre for Protected Cultivation Technology
*National Centre for Integrated Pest Management
IARI (Pusa) New Delhi-110012
Protected cultivation is getting momentum in various states of the country as the area
has already reached approximately 25,000 ha mainly due to efforts under different
horticultural schemes. However, the growth of protected cultivation, particularly north
Indian states remained far from success as the farmer had hardly been extended the
complete knowledge about the production technology. The situation was not good
until recently in states like Rajasthan, wherein the first taste of success was achieved
through drip irrigation as the production technologies hardly differed there. In this
backdrop some of the farmers like one Mr. Sunil Sharma from Baamanvaas village in
district Alwar contacted Centre for Protected Cultivation Technology (CPCT),
I.A.R.I., New Delhi with the interest in cultivation of vegetables under protected
conditions. Mr. Sharma was guided to attend the training and workshop at CPCT
under the aegis of National Agricultural Innovation Project “Protected Cultivation of
High Value Vegetables and Cut Flowers: A Value Chan Approach” being run by the
CPCT as Lead Centre. Having benefited from the comprehensive training and
discussions not only on production technology of vegetable production under
greenhouses, but also on other aspects like integrated pest management and good
agricultural practices through collaborating institution, National Centre for Integrated
Pest Management, New Delhi, Mr. Sharma kept a close linkage with these Centres on
regular basis. While Mr. Sharma engaged in the fabrication of greenhouses in about
2000 sq.m., he was in the meantime, also linked up with different marketing
institutions and niche markets in Delhi and Jaipur for ensuring the proper realization
of high quality vegetables expected to be produced from his initiatives under
greenhouse and other protected conditions.
In the year 2011, he started a naturally ventilated greenhouse of 1000 m 2 area. Mr.
Sharma was provided 2500 healthy seedlings of parthenocarpic cucumber (Seedless)
of variety Kian by CPCT in Aug. 2011. The greenhouses were started following all
Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) along with all the production and protection
technologies advised by CPCT. First crop of cucumber gave 50 q of high quality
parthenocarpic cucumber from 1000 m 2 area from the crop that started in Sept. 2011
and lasted up to 12 th January 2012. He marketed the entire produce to niche markets
of Delhi and Jaipur at an impressive rate of Rs 30 per kg. The second crop of
cucumber variety Hilton was transplanted on 28 Jan 2012 in other 1000 sq.m.
greenhouse which gave fruit yield of 75 q of high quality cucumbers vide 45 harvests
starting from 7 th March to May 15, 2012. Now he is keen to increase area under
protected cultivation and therefore, he added 4000 m 2 of naturally ventilated
greenhouses at his farm. Not only this, he is also utilizing the space between the 2
beds by intercropping leafy vegetables. Mr. Sunil Sharma has also planted 4 acres of
muskmelon for off-season cultivation under plastic low tunnels in the third week of
January 2012, which has also given very good returns to Mr. Sharma. He has now
started the work of greenhouse fabrication and renovation, repair and management
personally. This is a unique opportunity for young educated youth and such farmers to
circumvent the additional incurrence on the erection of new structures otherwise

constructed by private companies’ often on higher costs and with faulty designs.
Enthused by the latest success of his new enterprise, Mr. Sunil Sharma, is today a
transformed farmer with comprehensive outlook and new found confidence. He is
likely to take his production protection to 20 tonnes from 1000 m 2 . His success story
is definitely going to boost the morale of unemployed youths who wish to venture into
commercial mode of agricultural enterprise mainly in Peri-urban areas of big cities of
the country. Mr. Sunil Sharma is going to be a role model for the farming community
of not only in his area but far and wider parts of the country.
Table: Greenhouse Area, Crop Duration, Production and Income:
Variety/Crop Area under
Greenhouse
1st Crop of
Parthenocarpic
Cucumber
(var. Kian)
2nd Crop of
Parthenocarpic
Cucumber
(var. Hilton)
1000 m2
1000 m2
Duration of
Crop
08.09.2011
to
12.01. 2012
Total yield
(ton./1000
m2)
Avg. price
of green
fruit Rs/kg
Gross
Income
(Rs/1000
m2)
50 30 1,50,000
28.01.2012
to
25.5. 2012 75 35 2,62,500
Parthenocarpic Cucumber Cultivation at Sunil Sharma`s Farm in Alwar
Rajasthan