EFFECTS OF ORGANIC MANURE AND NPK FERTILIZER APPLICATION ON SELECTED SOIL PROPERTIES, GROWTH AND YIELD OF CUCUMBER (CUCUMIS SATIVUS L) IN OBIO AKPA, AKWA IBOM STATE
Abstract
A bag experiment was conducted in AKSU Research Farm in the early planting season of 2024 to evaluate the effects of Organic manure and NPK fertilizer application on selected soil properties, growth and yield of Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L) in Obio Akpa. The treatments were T1 Control, T2 Goat manure, T3 Pig manure, T4 Poultry manure and T5 NPK fertilizer (12:12:17). The bags were arranged in a Randomized complete block design in three replications. The bags were filled with 10kg of soil and Cucumber seeds were planted at 2-3cm depth. The organic manures and NPK fertilizer were applied at two weeks before planting of seeds. Initial and post-harvest soil samples were collected acrossed the treatments, processed and analysed for selected soil properties, Cucumber growth and yield data were sampled and analysed at 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 weeks respectively. The results showed that application of organic manures and NPK fertilizer had significant effects on Cucumber vine length, numbers of leaves per plant, leaf area, fruit length and weight at different stages of growth. When compared with control, poultry and pig manures had significant effects on Cucumber growth and yield parameters generally. The results showed that organic manures, especially poultry manure, significantly improved soil pH, organic matter, and cation exchange capacity, resulting in better plant growth and higher yields. Poultry manure-treated soils had the highest organic matter content (2.31%) and produced the longest mean vines (138.8 cm) and heaviest fruits (228 g). NPK fertilizer also enhanced early vegetative growth but had a lesser impact on long-term soil properties due to nutrient leaching. Control plots exhibited poor growth and yield, highlighting the importance of fertilizer application. The treatments were statistically significant at p
Full-Text Access Notice
In accordance with the NERD Policy on promoting peer-reviewed publication, public access to the full text of a project, thesis or dissertation is restricted for three years, allowing the author and supervisors sufficient time to pursue peer-reviewed publication.
During this period, researchers with legitimate academic or research purposes may request authorisation directly from the author to enable NERD to release the indexed full texts of the work using the form below.