In 1996, a field experiment was carried out in Petrolina, Pernambuco State, Brazil, to evaluate the yield of pickling cucumber cultivars. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with twenty-two treatments (cv Calypso, Eureka, Flurry, Francipak, Ginga AG-77, HE-601, HE-657, HE-671, HE-713, Imperial, Nautillus, Navigator, Panorama, Pioneiro, Premier, Prêmio, Primepak, SMR 18 Wisconsin, Supremo, Vlaspik, Vlasset and Vlasstar), and three replications. Experimental plots consisted of four rows, each one 3 m long spaced in 1.00 x 0.30 m. Cultivars Vlaspik (11.5 t/ha), Eureka (11.2 t/ha), Calypso (11.1 t/ha), Ginga AG-77 (10.7 t/ha), Imperial (10.6 t/ha), Prêmio (10.6 t/ha), Panorama (10.3 t/ha) HE-671 (10.2 t/ha), Vlasset (10.1 t/ha) and Francipak (10,0 t/ha) presented the highest yield, without differences among them, while cv. SMR 18 Wisconsin presented the lowest yield (6.1 t/ha). The cvs. Vlaspik, Eureka, Calypso, Ginga AG-77, Imperial, Prêmio, Panorama, HE-671, Vlasset and Francipak presented the highest number of fruits per plant (from 22.7 to 25.7 fruits/plant), with no differences among them. Over 50% of total yield from all cvs. was considered as marketable and classified as type 1 (diameter <13.5 mm) and type 2 (diameter >13.5 mm and <15.0 mm). The percentage of non-marketable fruits varied from 9,3 to 16,2% among cultivars.
Cucumis sativus; fruit average weight; number of fruits per plant; grading; yield
