ABSTRACT:

Staking trial on cucumber variety Bhaktapur local was carried out at five outreach research (OR)sites (650-1100m asl) during 1995/96 in research command area (RCA) of Lumle Agricultural Research Centre (LARC) for off-season (April-June) fresh fruit production. The objective of this trial was to compare the qualitative and quantitative performance of cucumber var. Bhaktapur Local under three different staking systems. The variety Bhaktapur Local performed well for off-season production in terms of its good fruit yield, good quality fruits (shape, size, color and taste), early fruit bearing and also in terms of farmers and consumers preference. The effect of three different staking systems on days to first harvest was not significant at any site. Farmers' practice of staking (i.e. use of bamboo sticks or tree branches) produced 10.7 per cent and 49 per cent more fruits over use of plastic string and no staking treatment respectively under high management conditions at Dhanubase. However, fruit yield of cucumber was at par under different staking systems under low to medium management conditions. On an average (average dover locations) no staking treatment gave 28 per cent and 52 per cent more unmarketable fruits than staking with plastic string and farmers' practice of staking respectively.