Question:
Which of the following is NOT a desirable trait for mechanical harvesting of pickling cucumber?
Which of the following is NOT a desirable trait for mechanical harvesting of pickling cucumber?
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Once-over mechanical harvesting always demands "maximum synchronization." Any trait that causes sequential, uneven ripening—such as an indeterminate growth habit—is highly undesirable.
Updated On: Aug 13, 2026
- Small mature fruit size
- Parthenocarpy
- Indeterminate habit
- Short inter-nodal length
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The Correct Option is C
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Mechanical harvesting of pickling cucumber (Cucumis sativus) is typically a "once-over" destructive harvest.
This process requires the crop canopy and fruit set to be highly synchronized so that a maximum percentage of high-quality fruits can be harvested in a single pass.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let us evaluate each morphological and physiological trait:
Small mature fruit size: Highly desirable because pickling cucumbers must fit commercial processing jars. Smaller, blocky fruits have higher economic value. Thus, (A) is a desirable trait.
Parthenocarpy: Highly desirable because it allows seedless fruit set without insect pollination, leading to uniform fruit size, shape, and development rate. Thus, (B) is a desirable trait.
Indeterminate habit: This trait causes continuous vegetative growth and sequential flowering/fruiting along the vine over an extended period.
At any given time, an indeterminate plant will have flowers, tiny young fruits, and over-mature, oversized fruits.
This lack of uniform maturity makes a single, destructive mechanical harvest highly inefficient.
Therefore, a determinate growth habit is desired, and an indeterminate habit is NOT desirable. Thus, (C) is correct.
Short inter-nodal length: Highly desirable because it packs more fruits closer together on a compact plant, maximizing the yield per unit area during a single machine pass. Thus, (D) is a desirable trait.
Step 3: Final Answer:
The indeterminate growth habit is not desirable for mechanical harvesting, which corresponds to option (C).
Mechanical harvesting of pickling cucumber (Cucumis sativus) is typically a "once-over" destructive harvest.
This process requires the crop canopy and fruit set to be highly synchronized so that a maximum percentage of high-quality fruits can be harvested in a single pass.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let us evaluate each morphological and physiological trait:
Small mature fruit size: Highly desirable because pickling cucumbers must fit commercial processing jars. Smaller, blocky fruits have higher economic value. Thus, (A) is a desirable trait.
Parthenocarpy: Highly desirable because it allows seedless fruit set without insect pollination, leading to uniform fruit size, shape, and development rate. Thus, (B) is a desirable trait.
Indeterminate habit: This trait causes continuous vegetative growth and sequential flowering/fruiting along the vine over an extended period.
At any given time, an indeterminate plant will have flowers, tiny young fruits, and over-mature, oversized fruits.
This lack of uniform maturity makes a single, destructive mechanical harvest highly inefficient.
Therefore, a determinate growth habit is desired, and an indeterminate habit is NOT desirable. Thus, (C) is correct.
Short inter-nodal length: Highly desirable because it packs more fruits closer together on a compact plant, maximizing the yield per unit area during a single machine pass. Thus, (D) is a desirable trait.
Step 3: Final Answer:
The indeterminate growth habit is not desirable for mechanical harvesting, which corresponds to option (C).
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