Response of grafted and non-grafted cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) plants to different nutrient management methods in a hydroponic system

The effects of different nutrient management methods on the growth and productivity of grafted and non-grafted cucumber plants grown in a nutrient film technique hydroponic system were investigated. The experiment submitted grafted and non-grafted plants to four nutrient application treatments, including electrical conductivity-based management (ECM) and three different quantitative nutrient managements (QNM1, QNM2, and QNM3). The QNM treatments significantly decreased the supply rates of nitrogen (NO3- and NH4+), calcium (Ca2+), and sulfate (SO42-) compared to the ECM treatment (control). However, the total and marketable yields did not significantly differ between the nutrient management treatments. The QNM3, QNM2, and QNM1 treatments required 25.0%, 21.6%, and 15.4% less nitrogen than the ECM treatment, respectively, to produce 1 kg of cucumber fruits. On the other hand, the grafting treatment impacted the total dry matter and leaf dry matter and affected the harvest index. The highest recorded harvest index of 35.0% was on the grafted plants cultivated under the QNM3 treatment. Grafted plants produced more bloomless fruits because of their low silicon uptake. This experiment demonstrated the effectiveness of the QNM technique in growing grafted and non-grafted plants. The results also revealed that grafting is effective in improving the cucumber crop's harvest index and the appearance of harvested fruits, increasing their marketable value, especially in Japan.