Productivity of gherkin cultivars in different cropping systems

Gherkin is a very consumed vegetable in the North and Northeast of Brazil, and over the years it has been cultivated by the family farmers in a traditional way, with the fruit in contact with the soil, which induces the commercial depreciation of the fruits and the frequent occurrence of diseases. Several techniques have been implemented for the cultivation of fruit vegetables, being the tutoring one of the most used, for promoting the increase of productivity and to improve the quality of the fruits. The objective of this work was to evaluate the productivity of three cultivars of gherkin (North, Northeastern and INPA) in three (undergrowth, in vertical stake and espalier) in the dry and rainy season in Amazonas. Parameters related to weight, length, diameter and number of fruits were evaluated, and productivity was estimated. However, the best quality of the fruits was obtained in the cultivation with espalier. Among the cultivars, INPA presented the best performance. The period of drought was the one that favored the production and quality of the fruits of maxixe, which is recommended for the planting of this crop in the state of Amazonas.