Plant Gene and Trait 2025, Vol.16, No.3, 123-132 http://genbreedpublisher.com/index.php/pgt 127 flowers can be distributed more reasonably in space, the number of flowers per unit area can also be increased, attracting more pollinators to visit and further enhancing the overall pollination opportunity (Tscharntke et al., 2015). 6.2 Pollinator behavior in high vs. low density settings When planted too densely, the plants will crowd together and the leaves are prone to blocking the flowers, which makes it more difficult for pollinating insects such as bees to find the flowers and affects their visit frequency and pollination efficiency (Ayala-Tafoya et al., 2019; Ding et al., 2022). On the contrary, if they are planted more sparsely, not only will the yield and fruit quality of each plant increase, but bees will also be more likely to approach each plant and have a higher visit frequency (Ding et al., 2022). Some studies have also found that when there are more flowers blooming, the number of visiting bees will also increase. In this way, the pollination effect is better and the yield will also increase (Tscharntke et al., 2015). Therefore, appropriately reducing the planting density is conducive to the activity of pollinating insects and can also improve the pollination efficiency. 6.3 Pollination success rates under different trellis designs The design of the trellis frame will also affect the pollination effect. Compared with ground planting, the use of vertical trellis can double the yield, and the fruit quality is also better and the grade is higher. Although high-wire trellis can ensure stable yields, modified umbrella trellis have more advantages in increasing the number and weight of fruits per plant. This is because different brackets will change the light distribution and the position of the flowers. Some designs can make the flowers easier to be seen and approached. Overall, vertical trellis can make the plant structure more reasonable and the flowers more exposed, thereby improving the pollination effect and the yield of commercial fruits (Berghage et al., 2024). 7 Effects on Marketable Yield and Fruit Quality 7.1 Impact on fruit set, size, and uniformity The planting density and the way of trellis will affect the fruit setting of cucumbers, the size of the fruits and whether the fruits are uniform. Planting them sparsely, for example, 2.25 plants per square meter, can enable each cucumber plant to bear more fruits. Meanwhile, the nutrients such as sugar and vitamin C in the fruits will also be higher, and the overall yield will not decrease (Haque and Sakimin, 2022; Ding et al., 2022). Although planting denser can increase the total output of each plot, the weight and size of each cucumber may decrease, and the uniformity of the fruit may also decline (Knerr et al., 1992; Haque and Sakimin, 2022). In terms of the trellis, the number of fruits and fruit weight per plant under the modified umbrella trellis were higher than those under the high-line trellis. However, the yield of the high-line trellis was relatively stable (Berghage et al., 2024). In addition, if combined with pruning and appropriate density arrangement, it can also make the yield and fruit grading more reasonable (Ayala-Tafoya et al., 2019). 7.2 Effects on fruit shape, skin quality, and shelf life A thinner density can not only enhance the nutrition of the fruit, but also make the fruit shape better, the skin flatter, and reduce nitrite (Ding et al., 2022). Growing cucumbers on trellis can also make the fruits more uniform in size and color, less likely to have deformed fruits, and can also reduce pests and diseases, making the fruits easier to sell. Cucumbers with good peels and few diseases are more durable and can be sold for several more days. However, if they are planted too densely, the fruits will be small, irregular in shape and not in good condition (Knerr et al., 1992; Haque and Sakimin, 2022). 7.3 Economic evaluation of density and trellis combinations The economic benefits of cucumbers are also affected by planting density, type of trellis and planting input. Although the yield is higher when the density is high, due to the increased input of seeds, fertilizers, etc., the profit may not be as much instead. Some studies suggest that planting moderately, such as 220 000 to 245 000 plants per hectare, yields the highest returns (Knerr et al., 1992; Ngouajio et al., 2006). Trellis planting can increase the proportion of commercial fruits and harvest efficiency of cucumbers, reduce disease losses, and thus achieve higher economic benefits. Coupled with auxiliary technologies such as carbon dioxide fertilization, both yield and efficiency can be increased simultaneously (Guo et al., 2025).
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjQ4ODYzNA==