– Effect Of NPK Fertilizer Application on the Growth and Yield of Cucumber – 

Download Effect Of NPK Fertilizer Application on the Growth and Yield of Cucumber project materials: This project material is ready for students who are in need of it to aid their research.

ABSTRACT

A field experiment was conducted at the, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ilorin, Ilorin in the southern Guinea savannah ecology to determine the effect of NPK fertilizer application on the growth and yield of three cucumber varieties.

The experiment was designed as a 3×5 factorial in RCBD, arranged in split-plots, and replicated three times. The main plots consisted of (Marketer, Marketmore, and Poinsett), while the sub-plots were made up of five levels (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100kgNha-1) of NPK fertilizer.

(plant height, number of leaves/plant, number of branches per plant, leaf area per plant, number of males, the female and total number of flowers), as well as yield characteristics (dry matter, fruit length, fruit circumference, number of fruits per plant and fruit fresh weight), were measured.

Data were analyzed by the Analysis of Variance, using the split-plots model and significant means were separated by the Least Significant Difference at 5 percent probability level (LSD0.05).

The results showed that the application of the NPK fertilizer appreciably improved the growth performances of cucumber, with 100kgNha-1 being the most outstanding rate while the yield characteristics were not improved with the application of NPK fertilizer.

However, significant variety x fertilizer effects revealed that the application of 100kgNha-1 was best for the three varieties, suggesting in differential nutrient requirements of cucumber varieties.

Conclusively, the is beneficial for , and increasing the rate of application up to the highest level of 100 kg/ha gave the best results vegetatively.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE         i

CERTIFICATION        ii

DEDICATION     iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS         iv

ABSTRACT       vi

TABLE OF CONTENTS       viii

LIST OF TABLES           xi

CHAPTER ONE:       INTRODUCTION

1.1       Introduction       1

1.1.1    Health benefits of cucumber      2

1.1.2    Skin benefits of cucumber      3

1.1.3    Cucumber benefits for hair   4

1.2       Statement of experimental problems    5

1.3       Justification for study        5

1.4       Objective of study     6

CHAPTER TWO:       LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1       Background information        7

2.2       Botanical taxonomy    9

2.3       Nutritional health values      9

2.4       Plant description        10

2.4.1    Rooting system      10

2.4.2    The shoot   10

2.4.3    Flower types          11

2.4.4    The fruit   11

2.5       Growth stages    12

2.6       Climatic requirements    12

2.7       Soil requirement         14

2.8       Effect of NPK fertilizer on cucumber growth and yield                        14

CHAPTER THREE:   MATERIALS AND METHODS

3.1       Description of experimental site             19

3.2       Description of the experimental design      19

3.3       Field preparation and experimental layout     19

3.4       Soil sampling and analysis     20

3.5       Planting of seeds      20

3.6       Agronomic management practices    20

3.7       Data collection     21

3.8       Data analyses         22

CHAPTER FOUR:     RESULTS

4.1       Results of soil analysis     23

4.2       Effects of variety and fertilizer application on growth parameters of cucumber plant 24

4.2.1    Effects on vine length      24

4.2.2    Effects on number of leaves per plant     27

4.2.3    Effects on leaf area per plant    29

4.2.4    Effects on the number of branches per plant  31

4.2.5    Effects on flowering traits of cucumber      33

4.3       Effects of variety and fertilizer application on yield and yield components of cucumber 35

4.3.1    Effects on dry matter 35

4.3.2    Effects on Yield components and fruit yield     38 

CHAPTER FIVE:      DISCUSSION

5.1       Preamble         40

5.2       Effects of NPK fertilizer on growth parameters    41

5.3       Effects of NPK fertilizer on yield components and fruit yield     42

5.4       Varietal responses  42                  

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION  43     

REFERENCES         45    

REFERENCES

Agba, O. A and, V. E. 2005. Response of Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) to Nitrogen in Cross River State of Nigeria. Global Journal Agricultural Sciences 4: 165-167.

Akinrinde, A. A, 2006. Strategies for improving crops use efficiencies of fertilizer nutrients in sustainable Agricultural systems. Pakistan Journal of Nutrition 5: 185-193.

Anonymous (2005). Farmer‟s Bookshelf: – An information system of tropical crops in Hawaii Department of Tropical Plant & Soil Sciences University of Hawaii at Manoa – (Internet –http://www.ctahr.hwwaii, edu. /fb/).

Babadoost, M., Weinzierl, A.R. and Masiunas, B.J.(2004): Identifying and Managing Cucurbits Pests- Diseases, Insects and Weeds. University of Illinois Extension, Urbana, U.S.A. 6.

Bradley, G.A; Black, E.C. and Motes, D. R. 1976. Cultural and fertilizer study on breeding vegetables. West Conn. U.S.A AVI Publishing company pp 173-203.

Bremmer, J. M. 196. Methods of soil analysis Part 4 No 9 Soc; Agron. Inc Madison pp 1149-1150.

Camejo, D., Rodriguez, P., Morales, A.M., Amico, J.M., Torrecillas, A. and Alarcon, J.J. (2005). High temperature effects on photosynthetic activity of two tomato cultivars with different heat susceptibility. Journal of Plant Physiology .162: 281-289.

Diaz, T. O.; Loria, M. W and Gurdian, G. R 1973. The effect of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilization on cucumber yield. American Society of Horticultural Science 17: 309-313.

By admin

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *