EFFECT OF MULCHING AND ORGANIC FERTILIZER ON THE GROWTH AND YIELD OF TWO VARIETIES OF CUCUMBER (CUCUMIS SATIVUS)
A PROJECT PROPOSAL PRESENTED TO
DEPARTMENT OF CROP PRODUCTION AND LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT, FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT, EBONYI STATE UNIVERSITY, ABAKALIKI.
SUPERIVOR: PROF. OBI, I.U.
CORDINATOR: MR. ANIEKWE, N. L.
Cucumber (cucumis sativus l.) is an important vegetable and one of the most popular members of the cucurbitaceae family (lower and Edwards, 1986, Uhoa, 1998). It is a creeping vine that roots in the ground and grow up trellises or other supporting frames, wrapping around with thin, spiraling tendrils. The plant has large leaves that form a canopy over the fruit. The fruit of the cucumber is roughly cylindrical, elongated with tapered ends and may be as large as 60 centimeters (24 inches) long and ten (centimeter in diameter. Having an enclosed seed and developing from a flower.
Botanically speaking the cucumbers are classified as fruits. However, much like tomatoes and squash they are often perceived, prepared and eaten as vegetable. Cucumbers are usually more than 90% water. It is thought to be one of the oldest vegetables cultivated by man with historical records dating back to 5000years (Webner and Guner, 2004). The crop is the fourth most important vegetable after tomato, cabbage and onion in Asia (Tatlioglu, 1997), the second most important vegetable crop after tomato in Western Europe (Phu, 1997). In tropical Africa, its place has not been ranked because of limited use.
Fertile soils are used for the cultivation of cucumber. Infertile soils result in bitter and misshapen fruits which are often rejected by consumers. Bush fallowing has been an efficient, balanced and sustainable agricultural system for soil productivity and fertility restoration in the tropics (Ayoola and Adeniran, 2006), but as a result of increase in the population, the fallowing periods have decreased from ten years to three years and this has had an adverse effect on the fertility restoration leading to poor yields of crops. Therefore, the use of external inputs in the form of farmyard manures and fertilizer (Artificial) has become imperative.
Organic manures has been used as a soil conditioner since ancient times and its benefits have not been fully harnessed due to large quantities required in order to satisfy the nutritional needs of crops (Makinde et al., 2007). The need for renewable forms of energy and reduced cost of fertilizing crops have revived the use of organic manures worldwide (Ayoola and Adeneran, 2006). Improvement in environmental conditions and public health are important reasons for advocating increased used of organic materials (Ojeniyi 2000, Maritus and Vleic, 2001). However, because it is bulky, the cost of transportation and handling constitute a constraint to its use by peasant farmers.
Organic manure release nutrients slowly and steadily and activates soil microbial biomass (Ayuso et al., 1996; Belay et al., 2001). Organic manures can sustain cropping system through better nutrient recycling and improvement of soil physical attributes (El-Shakweer et al., 1998). The use of inorganic fertilizers has not been helpful under intensive agriculture because of its high cost and it is often associated with reduced crop yields soil degradation, nutrient inbalance and acidity (Kang and Juo, 1980; Obi and Ebo, 1995). the use of organic manure has been recommended for sustenance of long term cropping in the tropics ( Ipimoroti et al., 2002). Fuchs et al., (1970) reported that nutrients from mineral fertilizers enhance the establishment of crops while those from mineralization of organic manures promoted yield when both fertilizer were combined. It has been observed that addition of manure increased the soil water holding capacity and this means that nutrients would be made more available to crops where manures have been added to the soil (Costa et al., 1991).
Mulching is a popular agronomic practice in agriculture which involves the use of organic or inorganic materials to cover the surface of the soil to reduce the rate of loss of soil moisture, control weeds and diseases by preventing soil contact with the plant foliage, to control temperature
either by keeping it cool or keeping it warm, to add to soil fertility and increase soil organic matter (Organic mulch).
Plastic mulches have induced large increase in growth and yield of a variety of crops including tomato (Emmert, 1957; Takatori et al., 1964; Vandenberg and Tiessen, 1992; Mullins et al., 1992, Lamont Jr., 1993). These growth and yield increases have been attributed to changes in soil temperature and air temperature near the cover since soil temperature and moisture were highest under polyethene (Weber, 2000).
Mulching also improves early yield (Bhella, 1998), fruit quality (Perry and Sanders 1986)., increases the efficiency of water uptake and fertilizer use (Wien et al., 1993) and reduces weed competition (Aguyor and Taber, 1993). According to Struzina and Kromer (1989), the use of black plastic mulch on cucumber produced higher yields and compensated additional cost of production input in Germany. Also, Goyal and Allison (1983) reported that plastic mulch on cucumber increased production by 4.6t/ha in Puerto Rico.
Objectives
This experiment therefore will be conducted with the following Objectives.
(1). To study the effect of different rates of organic manure (poultry manure) on the growth and yield of two varieties of cucumber.
(2). To study the effect of black plastic Mulch on the growth and yield of cucumber (cucumis sativus).
Be the first to comment