Evaluation of Growth Parameters, Physiological Responses, and Yield during Forcing Cultivation of Cucumbers in On-farm Trials

Optimizing controlled farming of high-value crops such as cucumber (Cucumis sativa) requires extensive data comparing yields and growth conditions. In this study, we collected data from repre-sentative cucumber farms with innovative farm facilities including automatic ventilation, semi-hydroponic systems with soil culture, heat, and cooling systems. The growth parameters, physiological responses, cucumber yield, and environmental data were acquired from on-farm trials in three different locations. The total yield was highest at farm A (7.44 kg plant^-1), followed by B (5.46 kg plant^-1), and C (5.09 kg plant^-1). Farm A had a 42–51% higher harvest than other farm sites compared with winter harvests, thus significantly affecting overall income. The maximum chlorophyll fluorescence value at farm A was higher than at the other farms during the cultivation period. Those results indicated that the environmental factors at farm A were more optimal, resulting in improved growth, and the productivity of cucumber was not affected by environmental stresses during cultivation. Those data will be applied for optimal control of environmental factors, including air temperature, light conditions, CO₂ concentration, and nutrient and water contents of substrates.