Growth and Consumer Evaluation of Cucumis sativus L. Cultivated in Controlled Environments

•                   TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ii ABSTRACT ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------viiiLIST OF TABLES-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------x LIST OF FIGURES--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------xiii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------xiv 

Chapter ONE

INTRODUCTION

•  
• 1.0INTRODUCTION-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
• 11.1Cucumber Production-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1 
• 1.2Field Production--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
• 11.3Greenhouse Production----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1 
• 1.4Diseases-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2 
• 1.5Cucumber Growth Habit---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------3  1.
• 5.1Classes---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------4 1.
• 5.2Types------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------5 1.
• 5.3Cucumber Flowering-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------5 1.
• 5.4Sex expression-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------5 1.
• 5.5Fruit Set-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------6
• 1.5Overall Objectives-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
• 81.6Literature Cited------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------9 CHAPTER TWO2.0 PLANT GROWTH EVALUATION OF HYDROPONIC GREENHOUSEGROWN CUCUMIS SATIVUS L. 
• 2.1Literature Review--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------14 
• 2.2Objective-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------15 
• 2.3Materials and Methods-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------15 2.4  Plant Material------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------15 2.5  Plant Culture-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
• 162.6Statistical Analyses-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------18 
• 2.7Results and Discussion------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------182.
• 7.1Screening Trial---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------182.7.2  Biomass Trials---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------20 
• 2.8Conclusion-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------23 
• 2.9Literature Cited-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------24 CHAPTER THREE3.0 PLANT GROWTH EVALUATION OF HYDROPONIC CUCUMIS SATIVUS L. GROWN IN A GROWTH CHAMBER AT 2000 PPM CO2 
• 3.1Literature Review--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------26 
• 3.2Objective--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------27 
• 3.3Materials and Methods--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------27 
• 3.4Plant Material---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------273.
• 4.1Growth Parameters-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------27 
• 3.5Data Collection------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------283.
• 5.1Statistical Analyses----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------30 
• 3.6Results and Discussion-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------30 3.
• 6.1Trial 1---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------30 3.
• 7.2Trial 2---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------31
• 3.8Conclusions----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------32 
• 3.4Literature Cited-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------33 

Chapter FOUR

DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS

•  
• 4.0CONSUMER EVALUATION OF HYDROPONIC, GREENHOUSE-GROWN, FRESH CUCUMIS SATIVUS L.
• 4.1Literature Review---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------34 
• 4.2Objectives-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------34 
• 4.3Materials and Methods---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
• 354.4Hydroponic Cucumber Lab----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------35 
• 4.5Plant Material---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------35 4.
• 5.1Plant Culture-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------36 
• 4.6Survey Evaluation---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------37 4.
• 6.1Participants---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------37 4.
• 6.2Sample Preparation----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------39 4.
• 6.3Statistical Analyses-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------40 
• 4.7Results and Discussion--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------40 4.
• 7.1Survey Evaluation-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------40 4.
• 7.2Sensory Evaluation----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------43 
• 4.8Conclusion------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------45 
• 4.9Literature Cited------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------47 

Chapter FIVE

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

• 5.0  OVERALL CONCLUSIONS-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------48 APPENDICES  A. CONSUMER EVALUATION SURVEYS AND RESPONSES------------------------------------------------49  B. NUTRIENT SOLUTION COMPOSITION-------------------------------------------------------------------------68