Cultivars

        Cultivar selection is one of the most important decisions made during the cproduction process. Selection of cultivars adapted to local growing conditions and seed quality are significant production factors that deserve careful planning and consideration. Desirable traits required for local cultivars include high productivity, high fruit crispness and firmness, and resistance to watermelon mosaic virus, zucchini mosaic virus, cucumber mosaic virus, powdery mildew, and angular leaf spot (Figure 1). As a standard for fruit quality the market still relies on the old 'Burpee Hybrid' first released in 1945 and which included >75% of cucumbers grown locally in the 1960s. 

         Newer commercial cultivars are available with resistance to important diseases such as angular leaf spot, anthracnose, cucumber mosaic virus, watermelon mosaic virus, zucchini yellows mosaic, downy mildew, powdery mildew, and scab. As described in the previous section, hybrid cucumber cultivars may be monoecious, gynoecious, or parthenocarpic. Parthenocarpic cultivars will produce seedless fruit in the absence of bees and pollination during the crop growth cycle. If bees are present for pollination, parthenocarpic plants will yield normal seeded fruits but fruit may be off-shaped. 

       Cultivars adapted to Hawaii include:

        Table 1. Cultivars adapted to Hawaii

        Western Slicing Types Fruit Length Fruit Diameter

        (inches) (inches)

        Burpee Hybrid II 8 2-1/2

        New Market #2 10 2-1/2

        Sweet Slice Hybrid 1 1 2-1/2

        Lani Hybrid (UH cultivar) 9 2-1/2

        Milo Hybrid* 8 2-1/2

        Dasher II (gynoecious) 8 2-1/2

        Sakata #69 8 2-1/2

        Slicemaster 8 2-1/2

        Slicing Oriental types (monoecious with an upright habit):

        Progress Hybrid-- 10 2

        Tasty Gem Hybrid-- 10 2

        Spring Swallow 7 1

      * (UH cultivar, indeterminate monoecious)

    Promising cultivars in Hawaii based on trials in Oahu include Genuine and Spring Swallow.    Other for-trial cultivars include Soarer, Southern Delight, Pegasus, Green Knight, Tokyo Slicer, Conquistador, and Brocade.