Effect of integrated weed management in cucumber

Abstract

1Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is one of the popular vegetable crops of the cucurbitaceae family owing to its uses as a vegetable crop and for its medicinal uses. (Keerthika et al.2016). It is mainly grown for its tender fruits which are used as a salad and for pickling. Fruits act as a coolant and are used in treating jaundice, indigestion and constipation (Mohan et al. 2016). Cucumber faces several production constraints of which competition from weed population for soil, space, water, light and nutrients forces the plant to produce lesser yield. (Osundare et al. 2019) The removal of weed either manually or chemically adds to the cost of cultivation. Manual weeding has been found to be very effective in controlling weed population in cucumber, however, it is very tedious and costlier because of more manpower requirement (Raoand Nagamani 2010).