What causes cucumber skin cracking? Detailed explanation of prevention and control methods
Cucumber skin cracking is an extremely common physiological disorder in cucumber production. It is one of the main factors that seriously affects cucumber quality and severely reduces growers' economic returns. So what causes cucumber skin cracking? Let's take a look.
I. Causes of cucumber skin cracking
1. Phytotoxicity
Viral disease is an important disease harming cucumbers, and whiteflies are also the main pathway for spreading viral disease, so controlling whiteflies is a key task in adoption. At present, chemical control is mostly used. Excessive dosage or improper timing of application can cause phytotoxicity, and small sunken spots will form on the fruit skin, inhibiting fruit skin growth. As the fruit develops, the spots merge into patches, causing skin cracking.
2. Improper flower-dipping agent
Cucumber skin is relatively thin. A high concentration of flower-dipping agent, long-term accumulation, or spraying an excessive amount of flower-dipping agent will all cause gumming and cracking of the cucumber epidermis. Some growers also add skin-brightening agents to the flower-dipping agent to increase the gloss of the fruit skin, which also makes the fruit skin more sensitive to temperature and humidity, increasing the probability of cucumber skin cracking when adverse weather occurs.
3. Improper ventilation
Cucumber skin is relatively thin. During ventilation, because the ventilation volume is relatively large, moisture changes drastically, causing cell aging and necrosis, thereby causing skin cracking.
II. Prevention and control methods
1. Pay attention to temperature and humidity
When humidity in the greenhouse is high and the weather is clear, you can first open a small vent for 15-20 minutes about one hour after the greenhouse covering is pulled up to reduce the humidity inside the greenhouse, then gradually increase the ventilation volume. Remember to ventilate when the temperature is above 30 degrees, so as to avoid a large temperature difference.
2. Reasonably formulate the flower-dipping agent
Because the winter temperature is relatively low, the concentration of the flower-dipping agent should be appropriately increased. Before dipping flowers, a small-area trial should be conducted before wider promotion, but at the same time, excessive concentration can also cause skin cracking. When skin cracking occurs due to excessively high concentration, you can spray a 6000-fold solution of Aiduoshuo to alleviate it.
3. Rational use of chemicals
To prevent and control diseases, you should use the right chemical for the right disease. Generally, a compound of 2-3 single agents is enough. There is no need to add too many types of chemicals. After the temperature drops, you can choose fumigation methods, such as chlorothalonil smoke agent, procymidone smoke agent, etc., which can also control diseases very well. In addition, when spraying, it is best to choose a sunny afternoon. After rainy days, spraying should be appropriately delayed by 2-3 days.
4. Boron fertilizer
For cucumber skin cracking caused by deficiency of boron and calcium, foliar fertilizer can be sprayed comprehensively to alleviate the deficiency symptoms. An appropriate amount of iron, calcium, and other foliar fertilizers can be added to the flower-dipping agent, which can improve cucumber resistance and improve quality.
The above is an introduction to the causes of cucumber skin cracking and prevention and control methods. We hope it can help you. To learn more related knowledge, please follow us.