New gherkin lines were derived from Cucumis anguria x Cucumis longipes crossing by mass selection cycles intercalated with inbreeding cycles. The new lines differ from the common type by their absense of prickles, greater fruit size and non-lobular shaped leaves, similar to cucumber ones. Ten of such lines, selected as elite ones and named as Paulista Gherkin, were evaluated for fruit production, under polyethylene covering and fertigation growing system. The common gherkin was used as check. Seedlings were produced in expanded polypropylene trays and transplanted to bed center covered with black polyethylene. Plants were spaced out 1.0 m apart from each other and conducted in a prostrate habit, under drip fertigation. A randomized block experimental design with four replicates and six plants per plot was used. Paulista Gherkin had 66.2 g fruits on average, 80% higher than the common gherkin. The common gherkin had 36.68 g fruits on average. Gherkins grown in beds with polyethylene mulching plus drip fertigation promoted an estimated yield of 51.89 t ha-1. There was no yield difference beetwen Elite Paulista Gherkins compared with the common one.
Cucumis anguria L.; gherkin; mulching; drip irrigation; yield
