The PTR (Public Television of Russia) channel aired a report in “Sreda Obitaniya” programme about cucumbers growing in greenhouses on the territory of the Russian Federation. Many members of ECO-Culture, such as Rustem Mustafin (the Marketing Director), Liliya Tekhova (the Chief Agronomist), Olga Safonova (the Head of the Distribution Center), Vitaly Kondaurov (the Head of Quality Control Department) took part in the show as invited experts.
The authors reported that cucumber is the most popular greenhouse-grown vegetable crop in Russia. The country provides 90 per cent of the domestic market with cucumbers, delivering products to retail chains all year round.
Rustem Mustafin told the programme’s hosts about the cucumbers they cultivate in modern greenhouses and how it is being done. In particular, they use only eco-friendly agricultural techniques including the bioprotection of the crops against pests and diseases, balanced nutrition, and compliance with the internally developed lighting and irrigation regulations. As a result, the cucumbers they grow are both tasty and healthy.
Liliya Tekhova explained how exactly the use of mineral wool is used for protecting plants and stimulating their growth. A day before planting, an organic substrate is infested with biological agents based on mushroom cultures, which ensures reliable protection of plants from many diseases. In this case, the seedlings are distributed in a way to ensure that each sprout receives the optimum amount of light. The lack of artificial light in the greenhouse is compensated for by sodium lamps.
The programme then describes the rules for harvesting and further storage of cucumbers. Olga Safonova said that each type of the crop (long, medium, and short cucumbers) are covered with a special shrink-wrapped fabric, which allows them to breathe, but retains the gustatory and consumer quality of the product. For short and medium fruits, the hot table technique is used: these are placed on an underlay and wrapped with food film.
Vitaly Kondaurov gave the viewers a few tips on how to choose high-quality cucumbers in a store or market. He showed the features to be focused on when carrying out the external inspection and the cross-section of a healthy and fresh cucumber. These quality standards are fully complied within ECO-Culture greenhouse complexes.