EXPERIMENTAL SITE
The experiment will be conducted at the experimental field of the department of crop production and land scape management, faculty of agriculture and natural resources management, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki.
The total land area for the conduction of the experiment will measure 12.5m x 14.5m while the experimental plots will measure 2.5m long and 0.5m wide giving a total plot size of 1.25m2 and a total land area of about 181m2 consisting of (4) four equal blocks and each block will consist of 12
plots giving a total of 48 test plots that will measure 0.5m x 2.5m with 0.5m between plots and 1m between blocks.
The experimental design to be used will be split-split plot experiment laid out in randomized complete block design (RCBD), with each treatment replicated four times.
CULTURAL PRACTICES
Land Preparation
The clearing of the experimental site will be manually done and seedbeds of 0.5m x 2.5m will be raised.
SOURCE OF MATERIAL
The cucumber seeds and the black plastic mulch will be sourced from Abakpa market Abakaliki. The poultry manure will be purchased from a poultry farm in Abakaliki.
APPLICATION OF ORGANIC FERTILIZER
Organic fertilizer (poultry droppings) will be applied to the top of the seed planting beds. The poultry droppings will be incorporated immediately to mix properly with the soil.
Poultry dropping will be applied at the rate of 0tonnes/ha, 5tonnes/ha and 10tonnes/ha, it will be allowed to stay for one (1) week before planting.
APPLICATION OF PLASTIC MULCH
The black plastic mulch will be measured to fit the size of the individual plots to be mulched. It will then be used to cover the seedbeds after it must have been leveled with rake while the edges or sides of the bed will be held firmly with the earth (heap of soil) to avoid removal by wind.
PLANTING
The planting is going to be done after the seedbeds have been made and the organic manure and black plastic mulch applied. The cucumber seeds are going to be planted at the spacing of 50cm x 50cm within and between rows and each bed is going to contain two rows with four holes per row and two seeds per hole making a total of 16seeds per bed.
The, the plants will be thinned down to one seedling per hole after two weeks of planting.
WEED CONTROL
Plots without the blank plastic mulch and in between the mulched plots will be weeded manually with hoes as often as may be needed until the plants develop enough canopies to suppress the growth of the weeds.
CROP PROTECTION
The crop will be treated with powdered insecticide (Rambo, Rambo) with permethrin as the active ingredient on a weekly basis from the second week after planting to protect the crop against insect pests of cucumber such as Podagrica uniforma, Podagrica sjostedte and spotted cucumber beetle.
HARVESTING
Harvesting of the cucumber will be done after the cucumber must have reached physiological maturity (may be from 60 days – 90days after planting). Harvest will be done by hand.
PARAMETERS TO BE MEASURED
Data will be collected from the following:-
Yield Parameters:
Fruit weight
Fruit length
Fruit width
Number of fruits per plant
Fruit girth
Fruit Weight Per Plot (kg)
Fruits that will be harvested will be weighed in a weighing balance at each harvest. The total weight of each harvest will be added up and the mean fruit weight will be calculated for each plot at the end of harvest.
Fruit Length
The length of the fruits will be measured with a flexible tape after each harvest and the mean fruit length will be calculated at the end of the harvest.
Fruit width
The width/diameter of the fruits will be measured using a flexible tape at the middle of the cumber fruits.
Number of fruits per plant
The number of fruits p
er plant will be taken at each harvest after which the total number of fruits for each plant will be calculated at the end of harvest.
Fruit Girth
The fruit girth will be measured with a flexible tape .
REFERENCE
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Athani, S.I., Ustad, A.I., Prabhuraj, H.S., Swamy, G.S.K., Patil, P.B. and Kotikal, Y. K, (2005) influence of vermicompost on growth, fruit yield and quality of guava C.V. Santar. Proceedings of the first international guava symptosium Luknow, Dec. 5-8, 2005.
Atiyeh, R.M., Edwards, C.A., Subler, S. and Metzer, J.O., (2000), Earthworm processed organic wastes as components of horticultural potting media for growing marigold and vegetable seedling. Compost science and utilization
Babatota, J.O., (1989). Effect of some Organic Manures on Nematodes in tomato cultivation Pakistan, Journal of Nematology 7: 39-46.
B. Anerjee, N.C. and Singhamahapatra, D.K., 1986, Effect of Different Organic Manures and Biofertilizer on Growth and Yield of Potato Indian Agricultural 30:117-123.
Bano K. and Kale, R.D., 1987, Vermicompositing. A Rural Technology. Agriculture technology 5:33
Barker, A.V., (1975). Organic vs. Inorganic Nutrition of Horticultural Crops and Quality. Horticulture Science 10:73-75.
Barve, J.V., (1992). Vermiculture in Grape Cultivation. In Congress on Traditional Science and Technology keynote Papers. Indian institute of Technology, Bombay, Extended Abstracts 10-13.
Black, C.A., (1965). Methods of soil Analysis part-11, Agronomy monograph No. 9 American Society of Agronomy, Madison, Wicconsin, pp, 148.
Chattopadhyaya, N.C. and Chakrabarty, A.K., (1990). Tomato. In nutrition of vegetable crops Ed. Mitra. S.K., Sadhu, M.K, and Bose. T.K. Naya Parish, Cultutta, India, pp.1-64.
Chindo, P.S. and Khan F.A., (1986). Effect of soil Organic amendment with poultry manure on the damage caused by the root Knot Nematode on tomato. International Nematology Network Newsleter 3:30-33
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