Determination of the Optimum rate of Organic Fertilizer for Yield of Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) and Effect on Soil Properties on an Alsol

Abstract

A field experiment was carried out on an Alfisol at the Federal College of Agriculture, Ibadan in 2011 and 2012 cropping season to evaluate the eect of Aleshinloye compost (commercial compost produced at Ibadan, Nigeria) on cucumber and soil properties. e experimental design was Randomized Complete Block with six treatments replicated three times. e treatments were compost at 0, 10, 20, 30, 40 kg N/ha and NPK 15-15-15 at 30 kg N/ha. Data were collected on number of leaves, vine length, leaf area, vine girth and fruit yield. Post cropping soil samples were collected to determine the eect of the treatments on soil chemical properties. Data collected were subjected to Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and means separated using Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT). e result showed that 30 kg N/ha of compost gave the highest cucumber fruit yield (30.7 t/ha), which was significantly dierent from other rates in 2011. Also, in 2012, 30 kg N/ha compost gave the highest fruit yield (30.21 t/ha) which was not significantly dierent from 40 kgN/ha (29.56 t/ha) and NPK (29.32 t/ha). e control gave the least fruit yield (15.1 and 16.02t/ha) in 2011 and 2012 respectively. Application of compost improved the soil pH, Organic carbon and Mg compared to NPK and control. erefore, 30 kg N/ha of the commercial compost used for this study could be used to produce optimum fruit yield of cucumber and improve the chemical properties of soil in the study area and area with similar agroecology.