Causes and prevention methods of cucumber "gourd topping"

Many farmers who grow cucumbers have encountered the phenomenon of gourd topping, especially those grown in greenhouses, where this situation is relatively common. In fact, it is a physiological disorder that often occurs during low-temperature periods. It seriously affects the yield and appearance of cucumbers, so why does gourd topping occur? How should it be prevented and controlled? Let's take a look together.

Causes of gourd topping

1. Relatively low air temperature

In the early growth stage, the greenhouse air temperature is relatively low, so the normal growth of the plants is inhibited, or vegetative growth is excessive, leading to severe leggy growth, making flower topping very likely to occur.

2. Root damage

Inside the greenhouse, the air temperature is unstable, especially when the daytime temperature is too high, but the soil moisture content is sometimes insufficient. Also, due to unreasonable fertilization or crop rotation and other reasons, the organic matter content in the soil decreases, so it affects the cucumber's root system. Sometimes when humidity is relatively high or the irrigation amount is relatively large, the soil becomes wet, but the surface temperature is too low, making root rot very likely to occur.

3. Lack of nutrients

The soil has poor permeability, which affects the respiration of the root system and makes it unable to provide sufficient nutrients to the aboveground plants.

4. Phytotoxicity

In daily pesticide use, practices are not standardized enough, and large amounts of insecticides or fungicides are used, and they are used too frequently, which can cause the plants to be unable to grow normally, thus leading to the phenomenon of gourd topping.

Prevention and control methods

First, the temperature inside the greenhouse should be adjusted. It should be neither too high nor too low and needs to be kept within a reasonable range. At night, the air temperature is relatively low, but it should be maintained above 10°C. During the day, when it is below 20°C due to insufficient light, the ventilation holes should be closed and straw curtains added for insulation. Carry out fertilizer and water management reasonably. For fertilization, adopt the principle of applying small amounts frequently. It is best not to let fertilizer directly contact the roots to avoid root injury. Water appropriately, try to choose warm water, and avoid flood irrigation that causes poor soil permeability. After watering, loosen the soil appropriately to maintain soil permeability. If cloudy days or low-temperature days occur continuously for several days, remedial measures should be taken. If gourd topping has already occurred, promptly remove the mature fruits and also remove the surrounding female flowers. The root system should be cared for. Especially in winter, do not leave too many flowers, otherwise it will only make the root system weaker.

The above is an introduction to the causes and prevention methods of cucumber gourd topping. We hope it can help you. If you want to learn more related knowledge, please follow us.