EFFECT OF FERTILIZER APPLICATION AND STAKING METHODS ON THE GROWTH AND YIELD OF CUCUMBER ( Cucumis sativus)

ABSTRACT

This study was carried out to determine the effect of fertilizer application and staking methods on the growth and yield of Cucumber ( Cucumis sativus). The experiment was conducted during the 2024 dry cropping season at the Teaching and Research Farm of  the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Benin, Benin city. The experiment was laid out as a randomized complete block design in three replicates consisting of four rates of fertilizer application (0kg/ha, 400kg/ha NPK, 20t/ha PM, 200kg/ha NPK+10t/ha PM) and three levels of staking (no staking, single staking and trellis). The parameters measured were vine length, number of leaves, number of tendrils, stem diameter, leaf area, days to 50% flowering, number of flowers, number of fruits, fruit weight per plot and yield(t/ha). The results obtained showed that the effect of fertilizer application using poultry manure influenced the vine length and the number of leaves positively at the vegetative stage, but fruit yield was not insignificant, However best yields were obtained with the combination of poultry manure and NPK 15:15:15. The result of this experiment suggests that cucumber farmers use the combination of poultry manure and NPK with or without staking for a better performance of cucumber crop.