Major cucumber diseases and the crop immunity

Abstract

In Ukraine, cucumber (Cucumis sativus Linneus) annually occupies about 20 % of the total area of all vegetable crops sown in the open ground or 52.6 thousand hectares. The main reason that significantly reduces the quantitative and qualitative indicators of this vegetable crop's main valuable economic traits is the high incidence of commercial crops with diseases, especially downy mildew (Pseudoperonospora cubensis (Berk and M.A. Curtis) Rostovtsev). Since 1985 in Ukraine, this cucumber disease in the open ground on nonresistant varieties has continuously had intense development, in some years the development – by the type of epiphytotic. Simultaneously, the shortage of commercial yield of this vegetable crop due to the defeat of this disease under the field conditions can reach the level of 50–80 % or more, seed loss – 25–70 %. One of the main reasons for significant losses of commercial yield and seeds of gherkin cucumber under the conditions of its cultivation in the open ground is recognized as the high susceptibility of samples to some diseases, particularly downy mildew (Pseudoperonospora cubensis (Berk. and M.A. Curtis) Rostovtsev). Unfortunately, this problem has remained relevant for Ukraine over the past few decades. So, obtaining the initial material of a gherkin cucumber with a harmonious combination in the genotypes of a complex of various valuable economic characteristics (yield, quality, resistance to diseases, chemical substances content, suitability for various types of processing) and creating a modern competitive, innovative product (variety, hybrid) on its basis remains a relevant and priority task for domestic agricultural science at present. At the same time, scientists have proved that introducing complex (integrated) systems into production, which expect the biologization of protection with its transfer to an ecological and economic basis, is recognized as the most promising today. We suggested using resistant varieties (hybrids) in such integrated systems that provide the highest economic effect.