Cucumber is undoubtedly one of the most interesting products in the vegetable sector. The vegetable is produced on a large scale in southern Italy. Among the producers who have specialized in growing cucumbers in greenhouses is the F.lli Facchini farm.
The cucumbers are grown in hydroponic greenhouses using integrated pest management and certified zero residue, as well as nickel free farming. The company in Giovinazzo (BA), Apulia, also grows different varieties of tomatoes for the fresh market, such as insalataro tomato, red and colored datterino tomatoes (striped, yellow, orange) and ciliegino tomato.
The cucumbers are of the Minuto variety (Baresano type) from the seed company TSI Italia, grown on an area of 1 hectare. The company markets 200 tons in the period May-September, which are destined for various supermarket chains in central and northern Italy in various supermarket chains. Especially 750-gram packages are delivered.
“The distinguishing trait of the TSI Italia Minuto cucumber is the productivity of the plant. The fruit can be eaten with the whole skin, because it’s thin; it is never bitter, and the flesh is sweet, crispy and juicy,” said Pietro Facchini.
Let’s take a closer look at the specific characteristics of this smooth parthenocarpic mini cucumber hybrid, which is suitable for both greenhouse and polytunnel cultivations.
“The fruit is perfectly cylindrical, with a length of 10-14 cm, and it is always smooth and bright, with an excellent green color. It also has a good post-harvest shelf life, the so-called long shelf-life (LSL) trait that the large-scale retail trade is so fond of. The plant is open and compact, with very short internodes and an excellent breeding capacity,” explained Facchini, an experienced agronomist.
The GlobalGAP-certified farm covers an area of about 15 hectares, 10 of which are under polytunnels. The crops are technically managed by one of the brothers, the agronomist Pietro Facchini, who takes care of the production by combining academic know-how and research activities applied to the production cycles.
