Effect of Poultry Manure Application Timing on Cucumber (Cucumis sativus l.) Growth and Yield In Ifite-Ogwari, Anambra State, Nigeria

Abstract

Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) production in Southeastern Nigeria is often constrained by low soil fertility and poor nutrient management. While poultry manure (PM) is a sustainable organic amendment, its effectiveness depends heavily on the timing of application, which is a critically underexplored aspect of soil fertility management for cucumber production in the region. This study investigated the effect of PM application timing on the growth and yield of cucumber at Ifite-Ogwari, Anambra State of Nigeria. A
Randomised Complete Block Design with four treatments (PM applied at 2, 4, and 6 weeks after planting (WAP), and a no-manure control) replicated three times was used. Manure was applied at 300 g per plant using the placement method. Data were collected on days to emergence, days to 50% flowering, number of leaves, number of fruits per plant, fruit length, fruit diameter, fruit weight, and total yield per plant. Soil analysis before planting revealed moderate fertility with a sandy clay loam texture, justifying manure incorporation. PM application at 2 WAP produced the highest values for vegetative growth, fruit size, and yield compared to delayed applications and the control. Specifically, plants at 2 WAP recorded the highest number of leaves (32.10), fruit length (44.9 cm), fruit weight (3.57 kg), and total yield per plant (6.97 kg) compared to the control (22.8 leaves, 28.3 cm, 1.10 g, and 2.67 kg, respectively), representing increases of 40.8%, 58.7%, 224.5%, and 161.0% respectively, although differences were not significant at the 5% level. PM applied at 2 WAP is recommended for smallholder cucumber farmers in Southeastern Nigeria.