Cucumber — Commodity Profile

This commodity profile was rendered from knowledge.domain = commodity, key = cucumber (GDF v2.0, 3455 attributes, 28 sections).

Renderer: commodity_profile_renderer v1.0.0. Source row version: knowledge_forge_gdf_v2.0_export_2026-04-06.

Identity & Botany

Attribute	Value
Canonical name	Cucumber
Scientific name	Cucumis sativus
Family / Genus	Cucurbitaceae / Cucumis
Produce category	Cucurbit
Produce subcategory	Fresh Vegetable Cucumber
FSMA 204 covered?	No
PLU — conventional	4062
PLU — organic	94062
AGROVOC URI	c_2025

Source: GDF v2.1.1 s01_identity. External: FAO AGROVOC.

Varieties

Estimated commercial varieties: 350.

Variety	Market share	Notes
Dasher II	12.5%	Dark green slicing cucumber, 8-9 inches, excellent disease resistance (downy mildew, powdery mildew, anthracnose), uniform shape, widely adapted
Marketmore 76	10%	Dark green slicing type, 8-9 inches, excellent disease resistance, open-pollinated, straight fruit, popular for home and market gardens
Straight Eight	4.5%	Classic slicing cucumber, 8 inches, cylindrical and uniform, white spines, 1935 All-America Selections winner, crisp texture
Corinto	8%	Parthenocarpic (seedless) slicer, European-style, 7-8 inches, thin skin, high yield, greenhouse and field production
Socrates	15%	Parthenocarpic greenhouse cucumber, long European type (14-16 inches), seedless, smooth skin, premium quality, high yield
Supremo	18%	Mini (Persian) cucumber, 4-6 inches, parthenocarpic, thin skin, minimal seeds, crunchy, high consumer demand
Diva	6.5%	Parthenocarpic slicer, 6-8 inches, All-America Selections winner, burpless, thin tender skin, excellent flavor, high yield
Boston Pickling	3.5%	Pickling cucumber, 3-5 inches, black spines, blocky shape, traditional variety for processing, high yield
Calypso	7%	Pickling type, 3-4 inches, excellent disease package (multiple resistances), uniform fruit, high productivity, blocky shape
Cool Breeze	5.5%	Parthenocarpic slicing cucumber, 8-9 inches, early maturity, disease resistance, crisp texture, versatile growing conditions
Thunder	9.5%	Field slicing type, 8-9 inches, very dark green, robust disease resistance package, excellent shelf life, commercial production standard

Source: GDF v2.1.1 s04_varieties.variety_summaries.

Post-Harvest Handling

Temperature

• Chilling injury threshold: 50°F.
• Freezing point: 31.1°F. Hard limit.
• Handling urgency: 4 / 5.

Ethylene

Property	Value
Production class	low
Production rate (20°C)	0.6 μL/kg·hr typical (0.1–1.5)
Sensitivity class	high
Sensitivity threshold	1 ppm
Climacteric?	No

Agent note: CRITICAL: Cucumbers are highly ethylene-sensitive despite low production. Even 1 ppm ethylene causes rapid yellowing and quality loss. Avoid co-storage with apples, melons, tomatoes, and bananas.

Mixed-load compatibility

Group 7A: Chilling-sensitive, ethylene-sensitive vegetables requiring 50-55°F

Operational flags

• Can be top-iced? Yes
• Light-sensitive? No

Source: GDF v2.1.1 s07_harvest_post_harvest.

Market Intelligence

Demand

Steady growth driven by increased fresh vegetable consumption, health trends, and ethnic cuisine popularity. Mini/Persian cucumber segment showing strongest growth at 12-15% annually. English cucumber growth moderate at 4-6% annually. Traditional slicing cucumbers relatively flat but maintaining largest volume share.

Elasticity

Metric	Value
Price elasticity	-0.68
Income elasticity	0.32
Organic premium elasticity	-0.95

Market share by variety

Variety	Share
Slicing/American Cucumbers	45%
Mini/Persian Cucumbers	28%
English/Hothouse Cucumbers	18%
Pickling Cucumbers	6%
Specialty (Kirby, Lemon, etc.)	3%

Pack sizes

• 1 1/9 bushel cartons (approx 55 lbs)
• Half cartons (26-28 lbs)
• 12-count cartons (English)
• 24-count cartons (slicing)
• 48-count cartons (slicing)
• 5-lb clamshells (mini cucumbers)
• 10-oz clamshells (mini cucumbers)

Source: GDF v2.1.1 s09_market_intelligence.

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Rendered by commodity_profile_renderer v1.0.0 on 2026-05-15T22:30:00.000Z.