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Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Vol. 13 No. sp2 (2026): Recent Advances in Agriculture

Varietal performance and economic viability of cucumber under different plant growth regulator and spacing regimes in a polyhouse

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.14091
Submitted
13 February 2026
Published
19-05-2026

Abstract

The present study was conducted at the Research Farm of the Department of Vegetable Science, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar. Two varieties of cucumber (PPC-6 and PK-1), two spacings (60 × 60 cm and 45 × 45 cm) and three PGRs with their combinations were used as experimental material and evaluated according to the objectives of the study during November-March of 2022–23 and 2023–24. The study involved determining growth parameters, yield parameters and economic returns of polyhouse cucumber. The statistical analysis was performed using a split-plot design in which varieties as main factor, spacing as sub factor and plant growth regulators as sub-sub factor. The study confirmed the effects as significant at the 5 % level. Among the two cucumber varieties studied, Pusa Parthenocarpic Cucumber-6 (PPC-6) outperformed Punjab Kheera-1 (PK-1) in all economic parameters. The highest gross return (Rs. 1716011 ha-1), net return (Rs. 1248859 ha-1) and benefit-cost (B:C) ratio (2.67) were recorded in PPC-6 with gibberellic acid (GA₃) at 10 ppm + naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) 25 ppm under closer spacing (60 × 45 cm) during 2022–23 and 2023–24, respectively. Treatments involving PGR combinations, particularly with ethrel, also showed high returns. In contrast, the lowest economic returns were observed in the PK-1 control treatment under wider spacing (60 × 60 cm) in 2022–23 and 2023–24, respectively. Overall, PPC-6 under wider spacing increased yield per plant, whereas closer spacing increased yield per hectare.

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