Journal of Agriculture and Crops ISSN(e): 2412-6381, ISSN(p): 2413-886X Vol. 4, Issue. 3, pp: 16-28, 2018 URL: http://arpgweb.com/?ic=journal&journal=14&info=aims Academic Research Publishing Group *Corresponding Author 16 Original Research Open Access Agroecological Analysis of Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) Crops in Orchards in a Mediterranean Environment Jiménez-Ballesta R. * Department of Geology and Geochemistry, Autónoma University of Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain García-Navarro F. J. Department of Science and Technology Agroforestry and Genetics, Castilla-La Mancha University, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain García-Giménez R. Department of Geology and Geochemistry, Autónoma University of Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain Trujillo-González J. M. University of the Llanos, Campus Barcelona Villavicencio, 50001 Villavicencio, Colombia Iñigo V. Education Faculty. International University of La Rioja. Avda de La Paz 137, 26006 Logroño, Spain Asensio C. Department of Agronomy, Almeria University, 04120, La Cañada, Almeria, Sapin Abstract If adaptability is defined as the ability of a crop (or variety) to respond positively to changes in agricultural conditions, the purpose of this study was to explore the adaptability and relative influence of environmental factors on Cucumber Sativus L. to a specific Mediterranean environmental and agroecological site: Huete (Cuenca, Central Spain). Cucumber requires high temperatures and soil moisture for a satisfactory yield and maintaining an optimum level of humidity is very favorable, which is easy to achieve for farmers in Huete. Abundant sunshine is needed and this is another reason to cultivate during the summer period; it is estimated that there were between 2700 and 2800 hours of sunshine in the Huete area. The study described here revealed that the soils are poorly developed and evolved, with a simple Ap-C or Ap-Bw-C morphology. The soils are friable, slightly adherent and somewhat dry and hard. A significant feature is the presence of good drainage and appreciable effective depth. Like other crops, cucumber plants are preferably grown on loose, well-drained soils, such as the soils studied here. Huete cucumber seems able to tolerate certain levels of soil salinity when compared to other species. The cucumbers are irrigated with water with moderate electrical conductivity without an appreciable decrease in yield. Small doses of salinity may be one of the factors that leads to the characteristics associated with Huete cucumber, an aspect that would need to be investigated more deeply. Substrate nutrients and moisture management are two major concerns regarding Cucumber Sativus L. crops in Huete. Elemental chemical analysis revealed that strontium abounds and this is attributed to the presence of this element in the gypsums. The results of this study open a new horizon in the study of the aptitude of the land and represent a useful step towards the specific site and, consequently, the sustainable management of land under cucumber cultivation. Further research into a wider range of soils, fertilizer compositions and release rates is required. Keywords: Cucumber Sativus L.; adaptation; agroecological; Huete; Mediterranean environment. CC BY: Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 1. Introduction While soil quality assessment is an new tool for monitoring the sustainability of production systems, the term ‘agro-ecological zones methodology’ (AEZ) has become widely used over the past 60 years. However, it should be noted that this term is associated with a wide range of different activities that are often related but are quite different in scope and objectives. AEZ provides a standardized framework for the characterization of climate, soil, and terrain conditions relevant to agricultural production [1]. Agroecosystem Analysis (AFA) is a research method to evaluate farming systems. The Cucurbitaceae family is reasonably large and has around 130 genera and 900 species [2]; of these, around 30 species out of 9 genera are cultivated. In a similar way to the melon, watermelon and squash, cucumber (its botanical name is Cucumis Sativus L.) belongs to the family Cucurbitaceae [3]. The cucumber is a native vegetable to the tropical regions of South Asia, from where it spread to Europe and America. All Cucurbitaceae are frost- sensitive and the family is confined to the warmer parts of the globe. Around 7 million hectares of cucumber are cultivated worldwide, with more than half produced in Asia, 26% in Europe and the rest in Africa and America [4]. Spain was one of the first countries to produce cucumber in the European Union, with an estimated volume of