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Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) Fruit Yield and Quality Response to Kitchen Waste Compost, Poultry Manure, Mineral Fertilizer, and their Combinations in a Humid Tropical Area, Southern Nigeria
Abstract
Field trials were conducted during the 2024 and 2025 cropping seasons to evaluate the effects of kitchen waste compost, poultry manure, mineral fertilizer, and their combinations on the growth, fruit yield, and quality (proximate composition) of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L) at Nnewi, South Eastern Nigeria. The experiment had nine treatments, consisting of: T1-control (No Application), T2-KWC at 10t/ha; T3 -PM at 10t/ha; T4 -NPK15:15:15 at 200kg/ha; T5 -KWC at 5t/ha + NPK at 100kg/ha; T6 -PM at 5t/ha + NPK at 100kg/ha; T7 -KWC + PM (5t/ha each); T8 -KWC+PM (5t/ha each) + NPK (100kg/ha) andT9 -KWC + PM (2.5t/ha each) + NPK (50kg/ha), laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design in three replications. Data were collected on some of the crop’s growth characteristics, fruit yield, and proximate composition. Data collected were subjected to Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and means, where significantly different means were separated using Least Significant Difference (P≥0.05). The result showed that plants that had KWC at the rate of 10t/ha had longer vines at 4 (234.56cm) and 6 WAP (274.00cm). T2was observed to increase cucumber vine length at 4WAP and 6WAP by 16.4% and 30%, respectively, when compared to the control. In the second cropping season, T7was observed to increase the vine length at 2WAP and 4WAP by 61% and 63.2%, respectively, when compared to the control. An increase in the number of leaves of cucumber was observed in T3, T6, and T2 by 27.9%, 51.9%, and 18.4%, respectively, when compared with the control during the first cropping season. While the combined application of organic manure at 5t/ha, respectively, increased the number of leaves in the second cropping season. T2 recorded an increase in size, total fresh, and total dry weight of cucumber by 26%, 20%, 60.4%, and 67%, respectively, when compared to the control. Also, the proximate composition of cucumber fruit varied as influenced by the individual and combined application of organic and inorganic fertilizers used in the study. The application of KCW and poultry manure was observed to boost the growth and yield of cucumber.
