Abstract
As earlier leaf removal experiments in tomato had shown that this improved dry matter partitioning to the fruits and production, a pilot experiment with high-wire cucumber was conducted in the spring and summer of 2016 at the experimental research facilities of Wageningen UR Greenhouse Horticulture. The five treatments were combinations of 3 or 3.5 stems m-2, and 0, 16 or 33% leaf removal in head of the crop. The combination 3.5/0% was lacking. The experimental data were analysed with the INTKAM crop growth model. The total number of fruits m-2 was the most important factor for production, which is determined by the optimal combination of stem density and assimilate supply. It is therefore important to grow the crop such that the maximum number of fruits with sufficient weight can be realized. Leaf removal in itself led to a slightly higher abortion, a lower development rate and therefore less axils, and a lower LAI with less light interception, and therefore produced less fruits and kilos. This, however, can be compensated with a higher stem density. It results in a crop with a normal LAI and architecture, combined with more axils m-2 that can bear fruits. Production and light use efficiency increase. On the other hand, labour and the risk to harvest small fruits will increase.
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Claims 11
Claim · model-written summary
Fruit number per square metre was the main determinant of production.
- Taxon
- cucumber
Cucumis sativust0 - Organ / stage
- fruitse0
- Outcome
- productione0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“cucumber”
e0“The total number of fruits m-2 was the most important factor for production”
Claim · model-written summary
Leaf removal slightly increased abortion.
- Taxon
- cucumberCucumis sativust0
- Treatment
- Leaf removale0
- Outcome
- abortione0
- Direction
- highere0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“cucumber”
e0“Leaf removal in itself led to a slightly higher abortion”
Claim · model-written summary
Leaf removal lowered development rate and axil number.
- Taxon
- cucumberCucumis sativust0
- Treatment
- Leaf removale1
- Outcome
- development rate and therefore less axilse0
- Direction
- lowere0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“cucumber”
e0“a lower development rate and therefore less axils”
e1“Leaf removal in itself led to a slightly higher abortion”
Claim · model-written summary
Leaf removal lowered LAI and light interception.
- Taxon
- cucumberCucumis sativust0
- Treatment
- Leaf removale1
- Outcome
- LAI with less light interceptione0
- Direction
- lowere0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“cucumber”
e0“a lower LAI with less light interception”
e1“Leaf removal in itself led to a slightly higher abortion”
Claim · model-written summary
Leaf removal reduced fruit number and production weight.
- Taxon
- cucumberCucumis sativust0
- Treatment
- Leaf removale1
- Outcome
- fruits and kilose0
- Direction
- lesse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“cucumber”
e0“therefore produced less fruits and kilos”
e1“Leaf removal in itself led to a slightly higher abortion”
Claim · model-written summary
Higher stem density compensated for the production loss from leaf removal.
- Taxon
- cucumberCucumis sativust0
- Treatment
- higher stem densitye0
- Outcome
- compensatede0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“cucumber”
e0“This, however, can be compensated with a higher stem density”
Claim · model-written summary
Higher stem density yielded more fruit-bearing axils per square metre.
- Taxon
- cucumberCucumis sativust0
- Treatment
- higher stem densitye1
- Outcome
- axils m-2 that can bear fruitse0
- Direction
- moree0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“cucumber”
e0“combined with more axils m-2 that can bear fruits”
e1“This, however, can be compensated with a higher stem density”
Claim · model-written summary
Production increased with the combined management approach.
- Taxon
- cucumberCucumis sativust0
- Treatment
- leaf number and stem densityt1
- Outcome
- Productione0
- Direction
- increasee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“cucumber”
e0“Production and light use efficiency increase”
t1“leaf number and stem density”
Claim · model-written summary
Light use efficiency increased with the combined management approach.
- Taxon
- cucumberCucumis sativust0
- Treatment
- leaf number and stem densityt1
- Outcome
- light use efficiencye0
- Direction
- increasee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“cucumber”
e0“Production and light use efficiency increase”
t1“leaf number and stem density”
Claim · model-written summary
The approach increased labour requirements.
- Taxon
- cucumberCucumis sativust0
- Treatment
- leaf number and stem densityt1
- Outcome
- laboure0
- Direction
- increasee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“cucumber”
e0“labour and the risk to harvest small fruits will increase”
t1“leaf number and stem density”
Claim · model-written summary
The approach increased the risk of harvesting small fruits.
- Taxon
- cucumberCucumis sativust0
- Treatment
- leaf number and stem densityt1
- Outcome
- risk to harvest small fruitse0
- Direction
- increasee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“cucumber”
e0“labour and the risk to harvest small fruits will increase”
t1“leaf number and stem density”
The same questions in other papers
pruning · growth · Cucumis sativus (cucumber)Positive and negative results
5 papers in the same direction as this paper · 14 in the opposite direction
- no effect
- positive
- positive
16 papers more in this group
See all 20 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.