Produtividade de cultivares de maxixe (Cucumis anguria L.) em diferentes sistemas de cultivo

Abstract

Bur gherkin is a herbaceous which belongs to the family of Curcubitaceae, very consumed in Northern and Norteastern Brazil, and through the years has been cultivated by familiar farmers in a traditional manner, undergrowth mode, which induces fruits' commercial depreciation due to their contact with the soil. Several techniques have been implemented for the fruit herbs' farming, as the staking being one of the most used to promote the increase in productivity and mainly improving the quality of the fruits. This present work had the objective to evaluate the prductivity of three bur gherkin cultivars (Northern, Northeastern and INPA) in three conduction systems (undergrowth, in vertical stake and espalier) at two seasons (dry and rainy). The experiment was conducted in blocks randomized by subdivided portions containing nine treatments and three repetitions. The following characteristics were measured: fruits' weight (PF), fruits' lenght (CF), fruits' diameter (DF), number of fruits (NF) and total production of mass (PROD). The productivity of bur gherkin plants varied due to conduction type, chosen cultivar for study, and the farming season. At the dry season the Northern cultivar obtained higher productivity using espalier conduction, and at the rainy season using undergrowth conduction. The Northeastern cultivar obtained higher productivity average using undergrowth conduction at the dry season and using espalier conduction at the rainy season. The INPA cultivar obtained higher productivity average using undergrowth conduction at both dry and rainy seasons. The undergrowth cultivar system and INPA cultivar provided highest averages on total production of mass at both dry and rainy seasons. Keywords: Cucumis anguria, tutoring, fruit quality, low.