Gherkin crop manual for vertical outdoor cultivation by Rijk Zwaan Int

Gherkin

Crop manual vertical outdoor cultivation

Vertical outdoor cultivation Vertical gherkin cultivation is the best way of

Soil requirements and preparation

producing fine-grade, high-value pickles. The

Gherkins can grow in various types of soil but they

European processing industry needs a stable,

prefer light, humus-rich, well-drained soil. The gherkin

year-round supply of fresh gherkin in small calibres.

is extremely sensitive to soil salinity, low temperature

The vertical production of gherkins is traditionally

and slack water. It is therefore recommended to prepare

spread across Central/Eastern Europe in countries

a ridge (40-50cm wide and 15-20cm high). If the soil has

such as Hungary, Serbia, Romania, etc. These

weak water permeability then it is advisable to fill the

regions are the main suppliers of smaller-sized,

ridge with 15-20cm of well-rotted compost or organic

fresh gherkins to the European processing

manure and cover it with 10cm of soil. Slow-release

industry. Vertical gherkin production started in

fertiliser and a fumigant must be incorporated in the

the mid-1980s. The launch of black mulch and drip

top layer. The next step is to lay the irrigation tubes

irrigation along with the switch to parthenocarpic

and, if they are laid on the top of the ridge, fix them to

varieties caused a rapid increase in yield in the

the poles. The black mulch film should be laid on the

1990s. Furthermore, the implementation of agri

ridge two to four weeks before sowing/transplanting

cultural fleece and the change from direct sowing to

and it should be perforated directly before sowing/

seedlings in the early 2000s contributed to a

transplanting.

3-week-longer harvesting season. Support system Vertical gherkin production requires a special support system, of which the main components are: Hardwood poles

min. 8cm Ø

Galvanised wires min. 2mm Ø

Special plastic nets grid 24 x 24 mm

1.8m m

1.8 e

wid

0.7m

4.0m

0.7m

4.0m

treat against rot

The support system should last for more than 10 years.

plastic trays with 30-50cm3 cells are sufficient. Since

To maximise the useful life of the support system,

gherkin plants are sensitive to deep planting, the top of

please note:

the substrate should not be covered by soil. Moisture-

• The ends of the poles have to be treated against rot

rich soil conditions are necessary for a quick start. If the

• Poles must be dug approx. 70cm deep into the

plants are close to the irrigation tube, poor root devel-

ground

opment and weak activity can occur in the summer

• The distance between the poles must be 4.0m

months. The optimum distance between the irrigation

• The direction of the rows must be parallel with the

tube and the plants is 8-10cm.

main wind • The distance between the rows must be between 1.5m and 2.5m • Gherkins thrive in high humidity. Therefore wind-

Distance between the plants Main-stem varieties Non-main-stem varieties

18-20cm 20-25cm

protection should be provided, e.g. by sowing a few rows surrounded by corn.

Fleece covering Due to the changeable weather conditions in May, many

Sowing

farmers use fleece covering in gherkin production.

In the Balkan countries, the direct sowing (without

Fleece not only provides protection against the wind

fleece) is started on 10 May. The soil is usually prepared

and cold, but also protects the plants from insects and

in April, but the holes are not punched into the black

birds. Applying fleece allows transplanting to occur

mulch film until directly before sowing. Sowing is

approx. 2 weeks earlier, at the end of April. Usage of

performed manually with 1 seed per hole to a depth

fleece with young plants enables harvest to occur

of 2cm. Experience has shown that the percentage

3-4 weeks earlier and creates a longer harvesting season

of usable plants is between 85-90%. To achieve the

in comparison with traditional direct sowing.

optimum number of plants per hectare, any missing plants are replaced by seedlings 14 days after sowing.

Technical details: • A plastic wire should be fixed between the wooden

Transplanting

poles at a height of approx: 70-80cm above the ridge.

A uniform crop is a precondition for profitable and

• Fleece width: 1.8-2.2m. Weight: min. 17g/m2.

intensive vertical cultivation, and that cannot be obtained

• Fleece should be cut on one side at the poles and

through direct sowing due to variables such as depth of

stapled after laying. The lower part of the fleece

sowing, soil-borne pests, changeable weather, etc. The ideal gherkin seedling is 10-14 days old, has a

should be fixed next to the ridge by 5-7cm of soil. • When the gherkin plants have reached the 6 to 7 true-leaf

2 to 3cm-long stem, 2 cotyledons (not true leaf) and

stage, the fleece tent should be removed in the late

is well-rooted. To raise the plants, 4cm peat cubes or

afternoon.

70-80cm fleece cover

5-7cm

Weed control

Technical pruning method

Holes in the mulch film should be covered by soil 7-10 days after transplanting or removal of the fleece to reduce the germination of weeds. Weeds should be kept under mechanical control (mowing) between the ridges. Pruning of the Rijk Zwaan gherkin varieties (only on wire) The purpose of pruning is to build up a strong main stem with a good side shoot system in order to achieve high yields. Overcharging the plant in the early growth phase, i.e. the shoots and fruits are not removed until the plant has reached the necessary height, produces a better early harvest although a lower total yield from the whole season.

When main stem has reached 50cm higher than the top of the net, it should be bent over the wire (taking care not to crack the stem) so that it grows downwards. Above 110-120cm 200cm When the main stem has grown approximately 50cm above the supporting wire the stem should be bent downwards carefully (avoid a cracking of the stem) so that the head can continue growing downwards. 110-120cm 80-90cm or more Remove all small fruits and side shoots leaving only the leaves remaining on the plant.

Gherkin innovations: ‘main stem’ varieties Gherkin is traditionally a labour-intensive vegetable to produce, with manual labour accounting for roughly 50% of the total production cost. This percentage is not only high but is also increasing rapidly, and in many cases the

80-90cm 60cm or more The laterals must be cut off only after the second leaf.

availability of manual workers is limited. In response to this, Rijk Zwaan has developed a range of gherkin hybrids which are less labour-intensive than standard varieties. Their main stem has a reasonably good vigour but the laterals develop more weakly and cease growing after the

55-60cm 40-60cm The fruits may remain on the plant but the developing laterals must be removed.

third or fourth leaves, resulting in 15-20% lower labour costs than standard varieties. Additionally they develop a nice, open plant architecture, which not only makes it easier to find the fruits but also improves the spraying efficiency

35-40cm Up to 35-40cm Remove all small fruits and side shoots leaving only the leaves remaining on the plant.

*In the case of ‘main stem’ varieties (Trilogy RZ, Majestosa RZ, Dirigent RZ, Kybria RZ, Chaikovskiy RZ and Motiva RZ) the laterals should not be cut after the third or fourth leaf but should instead be left to grow freely.

Step-by-step guide to fertigation Weeks after planting

Fertigation

N: P2O5: K2O Solution cc. % Litres/day/plant

The highly productive Rijk Zwaan hybrids need a continuous

1st week

1:3:1

0.2

0.2L every 3rd day

2 week

1:0.25:1.2

0.12

0.4

3rd –4th week

1:0.25:1

0.12

0.6

5 -6 week

1.4:0.18:1

0.15

0.9

7th –8th week

1.6:0.15:1

0.15

1.2

9 -12 week

1.2:0.1:1

0.12

1.0

From 13th week until end

1:0.1:1

0.12

0.7

supplement comprising the right quantity of water and fertiliser with the optimum balance of elements. Generally speaking, 1,000 litres of irrigation water should contain 1.0-1.2kg of fertiliser comprising the ideal percentages of nutrients in line with the plant’s growth period. There are several types/brands of fertiliser which are suitable for use in gherkin production; the most important factor is the correct ratio of nutrients.

This recommendation is based on healthy, pro-rate well-developed 3-8cm grades intended for the main harvest, in favourable climate conditions. • Ca supplement − normally 7kg calcium nitrate (5,000 plants) / week − from the third week. • The above fertigation programme assumes usage of 15kg of organic manure per running metre (rm) or 0.1kg basic fertiliser (20-10-30)/rm. Important! The above dosages and nutrient ratios are recommendations only, based on average conditions. According to the growth and health of the plant, yields, and soil and climate conditions, it may be necessary to use different amounts and proportions during the fertigation.

Added value of Rijk Zwaan hybrids Variety name

Trait

Added Value

Smooth Spined

L/D

Main

Multi-

Strong

High

stem

fruit

against

regen

downy

bacte

CMV

ZYMV

eration

mildew

rioses

type Dirigent RZ

3.1

Majestosa RZ

3.2

Trilogy RZ

3.2

Promissa RZ

3.0

Nota RZ (RZ 12-43)

3.1

+ +

Recommended size

3-6 cm

6-9 cm

9-12 cm

+++

Kybria RZ

3.1

+++

Chaikovskiy RZ

3.3

Sound RZ

3.0

+++

Motiva RZ

3.0

+++

Karaoke RZ

3.1

+ +

Our gherkin specialists

Specialists according

Further gherkin specialists

to culture method

according to country

Crop coordinator international

Vertical outdoor temperate

Bosnia, Montenegro, Serbia

Russia

Gerald Krischke

Hungary

Djurdje Spasojevic

Gennady Sudenko

g.krischke@rijkzwaan.de

Laszlo Ragyak

djurdje.spasojevic@rz-agro.rs

g.sudenko@rijkzwaan.ru

Brazil

Turkey

Vertical outdoor subtropical

Marcelo Sartori

Erkut BaĂ§

India

m.sartori@rijkzwaan.com

erkut.bac@rijkzwaan.com.tr

Central Asia

Ukraine

Nasredin Sharipov

Stanislav Ovcharyk

n.sharipov@rijkzwaan.de

s.ovcharyk@rijkzwaan.ua

Andriy Galagurja

Poland and the Baltic States

Vietnam

a.galaguria@rijkzwaan.ua

Marcin Pawlak

Gerard Hulisz

m.pawlak@rijkzwaan.pl

g.hulisz@rijkzwaan.nl

l.ragyak@rijkzwaan.hu

Prasanna D.G. p.damdahalli@rijkzwaan.com Vertical indoor Ukraine

Flat manual Germany, Austria, Czech

Romania

Republic

George Puican

Gerald Krischke

george.puican@hollandfarming.ro

g.krischke@rijkzwaan.de Flat mechanical USA, Canada Georg Pape g.pape@rijkzwaan.com

Rijk Zwaanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s descriptions, illustrations, growing advices and any other information in whatever form for example on expiry, sowing, planting and harvesting dates are based as precisely as possible on experiences in trials and in practice. However, Rijk Zwaan does not accept in any case liability for damages resulting from the use of such descriptions, illustrations, growing advices and information. The buyer/user itself is responsible for proper storage of the seeds and will be deemed to determine whether the products and growing advices are suitable to be used for the intended cultivations and under the local conditions. Inclusion of a variety in this edition does not automatically imply that such a variety is available for purposes of exploitation; it might be available for testing only. For more information, please contact Rijk Zwaan (www.rijkzwaan.com). The pictures in this edition show the types to which the varieties as mentioned belong and not all varieties as such. These pictures do not constitute any warrranty, expressly or implied, of crop performance.