Effect of microclimate on yield and yield attributes of cucumber and Knol-Khol in Chhattisgarh plain zone

Abstract

The study was conducted during the rabi season of 2024–25 at the Agricultural Research Farm, College of Agriculture, Raipur (Chhattisgarh Plain Zone), to assess the effect of microclimatic conditions on the growth and yield performance of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L., var. Sarita) and knol-khol (Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes, var. Quick Star) under polyhouse and open-field environments. The objective was to compare crop responses to temperature, humidity, and light intensity and to establish relationships between weather parameters and yield. The results revealed that cucumber grown under polyhouse conditions exhibited superior growth and yield performance compared to open-field cultivation. The total yield under polyhouse was 78.4 t ha⁻¹, more than double that of the open field (36.4 tha-1), owing to the favorable microclimatic environment that enhanced vegetative growth, fruit set and fruit weight. In contrast, knol-khol performed better under open-field conditions, recording a yield of 10.81 t ha⁻¹ compared to 9.25 t ha⁻¹ under polyhouse, likely due to its adaptability to cooler temperatures and higher light intensity. The findings suggest that protected cultivation is more suitable for cucumber while open-field conditions favorknol-khol, emphasizing the importance of crop-specific microclimate management to optimize productivity.