Response of Cucumber ( Cucumis Sativus L. ) Varieties as Influenced by Sole Application of NPK (15:15:15) and Poultry Manure on the Growth and Yield in Zuru Area of Kebbi State

Field experiments have been carried out at Teaching and Research Farm of the Federal University of Agriculture Zuru (lat. 12012.99' N; long. 40 21.90'E; 197m above sea level), at some point of 2020/21 and 2021/22 rainy seasons withinside of the Northern Guinea Savannah area of Nigeria. The region has a protracted dry season this is characterized via way of means of cool dry air (harmattan) that prevails from November to February; and warm dry air extending from March to May. The place has been used for cultivation of vegetable and cereal crops. The purpose of the test turned into to look at the reaction of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) varieties to poultry manure and NPK (15:15:15). Treatments consisted of three (3) cucumber varieties (Darina, Market-more and Poinsett-75) and two (2) nutrient sources (NPK [15:15:15], poultry manure and the untreated control; each designed to deliver the endorsed nitrogen dose of 120kg N ha-1. Treatments have been specified in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. Results found out that vine length, crop growth rate, imply fruit length, imply fruit diameter, total number of fruits per plant and fresh fruit yield of Market-more and Point sett varieties have been better with the application of either poultry manure or NPK fertilizer. Result, similarly discovered that all the three varieties (Darina, Market-more and Pointsett-75) attained maximum growth


INTRODUCTION
Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is a member of the Cucurbitaceae own circle of relatives that is made out of 118 genera and 825 species, unfold specially in tropical and subtropical areas of the world (Ume et al., 2017).According FAO (2019), the maximum vital cucurbits in phrases of global wide overall manufacturing are melons (Citrullus spp.) and cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.).Cucumber originated in India and have become famous at some point of the Egyptian and the Greek-Roman Empire (Renner et al., 2007).It is concept to be one of the oldest greens cultivated through guy with ancient facts courting returned 5,000 years (Wehner and Maynard, 2003).It is a critical vegetable crop grown withinside the temperate and tropical zones of the world.With appreciate to financial importance, cucumber ranks fourth after tomatoes, cabbage and onion in Asia and 2nd after tomato in Western Europe (Eifediyi and Remison, 2010).Soft and succulent, the vegetable crop is loved through guy and eaten in salads or sliced into stew in tropical areas.It is one of the maximum critical marketplace greens withinside the tropics, a monoecious annual climber and creeper that has been cultivated for over 3,000 years (Adetula and Dentan, 2003).It is a gentle succulent plant with excessive water content material and has big leaves that shape cover over the fruit.Organic manure launch vitamins slowly and gradually and turns on soil microbial biomass (Belay et al., 2001).The use of inorganic fertilizer has now no longer been useful beneathneath extensive agriculture due to its excessive price and its miles regularly related to decreased crop yields, soil degradation, nutrient imbalance and acidity.Mineral fertilizers have been used to offer soil vitamins so that you can preserve highest quality soil fertility situations and wholesome increase of vegetation and yield.Chemical fertilizers assist the developing plants to face up to pressure situations and in a few instances have been used to accurate plant vitamins deficiencies.The call for of cucumber is at the boom because of the continuing focus of its overwhelming fitness benefits.Despite those benefits, the deliver is low because of low yields recorded through farmers -a hassle related to insufficient adoption of suitable manufacturing practices consisting of varietal desire and crop dietary schedule.Productivity of any crop is a feature of its genetic makeup (genotype) and environment (climate, soil fertility etc.); and those range amongst types.The use of natural manure constitutes a constraint to farmer, due to its bulkiness, fee of transportation and handling.This kind of trouble is solved thru the usage of both natural or inorganic fertilizer.Even aleven though the usage of inorganic fertilizers by myself may also reason issues for human fitness and the environment (Aisha et al., 2007), normally farmers practice a long way beneathneath required quantities to greens like cucumber, which ends up low yield (Dauda et al., 2008).

LITERATURE REVIEW
The use of inorganic fertilizer through resource-bad farmers is restrained through its scarcity, price and unavailability at proper time.The use of natural manure on the opposite hand, comes with their barriers as excessive danger of infection, excessive price of transportation and labour because of its bulkiness in addition to a sluggish launch of vitamins for plant uptake (Adekiya et al., 2012).Eneje and Uzoukwu (2012) suggested that, the problem to fulfill the crop's nutrient call for with sole natural manure turned into because of its function gradual nutrient launch coupled with constrained availability in lots of components of the country.The intention of this has a look at became to assess decided on promising cucumber sorts and their responses to specific soil fertility reasserts withinside the examine area.

METHODOLOGY 1 Experimental Site
The test was performed in Teaching and Research Farm of the Federal University of Agriculture Zuru (lat. 12012.99' N;long. 40 21.90'E;197m above sea level), at some point of 2021/22 and 2022/23 rainy seasons withinside of the Northern Guinea Savannah area of Nigeria.The region has a protracted dry season this is characterized via way of means of cool dry air (harmattan) that prevails from November to February; and warm dry air extending from March to May.The place has been used for cultivation of vegetable and cereal crops.

Treatments and Experimental Design
The treatments consisted of three (3) cucumber varieties (Darina hybrid, Market-greater and Poinsett-75) and the two (2) level of fertilizers specifically NPK 15:15:15 and poultry manure, plus the untreated control.Both NPK 15:15:15 and poultry manure designed to deliver the encouraged nitrogen dose of 120kg N ha-1 as follows: a 120 kg NPK (15:15:15) ha-1 and 6.6 t PM ha-1 plus the untreated control.Treatments had been specified in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three (3) replications.

Agronomic Practice
The land changed into ploughed and harrowed to a great tilt.Water channels had been built to facilitate loose and green irrigation.Plot length become 4 x 3m (12m-2) with 1m area among plots and 1.5m among blocks.Each plot became made into four ridges spaced 1.5m aside with the 2 internal ridges constituting the internet plot.Planting changed into accomplished at inter and intra-row spacing of 60 x 40cm, respectively.Tube nicely turned into used because the supply of water wherein water pump device became used to attract water, with resource of transport hoses, to the experimental plots.Irrigation turned into finished at three-five days c language relying at the crop's need.Weeds had been managed manually the use of hand hoe at three and six weeks after sowing (WAS).Cucumber culmination had been harvested earlier than they had been completely mature relying at the variety; and became staggered at three-four days over 3weeks.

Data Collection and Analysis
Data have been gathered on vine duration, shoot dry weights, fruit period and diameter, end result in step with plant and fruit yield.Data generated have been analyzed following evaluation of variance procedure, and remedy method have been separated the use of Duncan's New Multiple Range Test (DNMRT).

Soil Physical and Chemical Properties of Experimental Site:
Physical and chemical properties of soils of study location prior to the experiments are presented in Table 1.

Chemical Composition of Cow Dung and Poultry Manure:
Chemical compositions of manures prior to the experiments are presented in The found variations among the 3 styles of Cucumber (Darina, Marketmore and Pointsett-75) may be attributed to their genetic make-up.According to Ayoub and Afra (2014), variations amongst vegetation with admire to boom and yield beneath Neath comparable environmental situations are usually the end result of variations of their genetic make-up.Results confirmed great impact of range on Vine duration (Table 3).Pointsett-75 and Market-extra accomplished higher in comparison to Darina in phrases of vine duration.This might be because of their genetic nature which allows them to conform nicely to the given climatic situations.The end result changed into much like the findings of Enujeke (2013) who mentioned that genetic charter of crop sorts affects their boom characters.Similar tests have been additionally pronounced in advance through Pal, et al. (2017).Fruit duration and diameter displayed a more version some of the three (3) varieties (Table 4), Pointsett-75 and Darina sorts recorded better values however are statistically in concord with Market extra range this may be because of genetic nature of the specific sorts, because the environmental situations have been the identical for all of the cucumber types.Similar estimation become said with the aid of using Veena et al. (2012) who said that, culmination diameter and culmination period numerous notably the various accessions because of genetic version.The effects of Total variety of culmination consistent with plant (Table 4), indicated that Point sett range recorded the better values however is statistically in concord with Market greater and Darina types.This would possibly have attributed to their genetic make-up.Similar outcomes have been additionally defined in advance through Umeh (2018), who stated that cucumber types confirmed a tremendous courting with recognize to yield characters beneath Neath the same genetic nature and environmental situations.Darina and Market extra types recorded the better values with appreciate to yield (Table 5).This version is because of genetic variety of sorts, variations in environmental and edaphic situations and potentials to move photosynthetic substances inside plants.Similar estimations for this person in unique cucumber types have been suggested through Adinde et al. (2016).

Influence of NPK (15:15:15) and Poultry Manure on Growth and Yield of Cucumber
Influence of Fertilization on boom and yield of Cucumber Fertilization is most of the diverse agronomic practices that affects boom and fruit yield of cucumber.Balanced nutrient control appreciably elevated cucumber fruit yield.Organic manures deliver vitamins in addition to enhancing the soil bodily and chemical conditions (Belay et al., 2001).Fertilizers (natural and inorganic) play critical position in improving vegetative boom, starch synthesis in addition to translocation.Vine period, for the duration of the developing length recorded the better values with the software of both Poultry manure or NPK fertilizer (Table 3).This can be attributed to the better nitrogen content material of Poultry manure (Table 2) and balanced vitamins in NPK fertilizer which better vegetative boom (Ahmed et al., 2007).The elevated in Vine period with appreciate to application of Poultry manure might be attributed to enormous position performed through chicken manure in enhancing the moisture situation of the soil which improved the discharge of greater nutrient factors.Hamma et al. (2012) suggested that better increase reaction of Cucumber because of utility of Poultry manure should in all likelihood because of enhancing bodily and organic residences of the soil ensuing in higher deliver of vitamins to the Cucumber plant.Ayoola and Adeniran ( 2006) located that Poultry manure can maintain cropping structures thru higher nutrient recycling which might supply upward thrust to crop development in increase.Crop increase price become peaked with the software of both NPK fertilizer or Cow dung (Table 3).This can be attributed to the considerable function performed via way of means of NPK fertilizer withinside the development of soil fertility, nutrient uptake and improving manufacturing of assimilates at some point of increase.This method that the better the vitamins carried out to the soil, the better the boom characters.This remark is constant with works of Aduloju et al. ( 2010) who mentioned and attributed multiplied boom of crop flora to the discharge of extra nutrient factors thru the moisture that has been made to be had with the aid of using the manure.The good-sized high-quality yield reaction of Cucumber to fertilization is an affirmation of the essentiality of vitamins for the general overall performance of Cucumber varieties.Yield characters inclusive of Mean fruit diameter, Mean fruit period, Number of culminations in keeping with plant, and Fruit yield consistent with hectare have been better with the software of both Poultry manure or application of NPK fertilizer (Table 4).This can be attributed to the huge position performed via way of means of NPK fertilizer withinside the development of soil fertility, nutrient uptake and enhancement of crop yields and the position performed through Poultry manure in phrases of enhancing the soil bodily houses through decreasing soil temperature and bulk density, this suggests that chicken manure turned into with ease to be had withinside the satisfactory shape of smooth absorption with the aid of using the plant roots.This statement agreed with the paintings of Muhammad et al. (2018) who said that, the Application of 120kg of N from hen manure improves moisture availability which ends up in stepped forward nutrient launch to plant life for elevated yield.The sizable superb yield reaction of Cucumber to NPK should possibly attributed to the function of implemented NPK in improving manufacturing of assimilates in the course of boom and consequent partitioning of those assimilates to Cucumber fruits.Shehata et al. (2012) stated that better NPK fertilizer doses resulted to boom withinside the uptake of N, P and K vitamins which superior the Cucumber yield.

Interaction
The full-size interplay among range and natural and inorganic fertilization on Vine period and Fruit yield (Table five and Table 6).Have really indicated the interdependence and complimentary position of fertilization and range in influencing the manifestation of the potentials of Cucumber types in phrases of boom, improvement and yield as pronounced through Umeh (2018) and Shehata et al. (2012).Point sett range attained better boom in phrases of Vine duration with the software of Poultry manure (Table five).Market greater range attained better yield with the software of Poultry manure and Cow dung.This is probably because of quick mineralized and better nitrogen content material of Poultry manure (Table 6) and ample availability of vitamins from each Poultry manure and Cow dung that more suitable the boom and improvement of Cucumber through growing the price of plant metabolic strategies like photosynthesis and breathing which in flip helped to construct the plant tissue.Similar end result become said through Shehata et al. (2012).

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Based at the results, it can be concluded that, each poultry manure and NPK mineral fertilizer have fantastically the identical ability as reassets of vitamins on increase and yield of cucumber, however but thinking about the bad environmental consequences and value of the later, poultrymanure might be recommended.Furthermore, sorts Market-more and Pointsett-75 are higher than Darina in phrases of yield.
From the findings of this take a look at, the subsequent suggestions might be made: a. Application of both chicken manure or NPK fertilizer can be followed for better Cucumber fruit yield withinside the take a look at area.b.Variety Market-more can also be taken into consideration because it recorded advanced overall performance a few of the types examined withinside the look at area.

Table 2 Table 1 .
Physical and Chemical Properties of Experimental Sites Soil During

Table 4 .
Mean Fruit Length, Mean Fruit Diameter, Total Number of Fruit Plant -1 and Fruit Yield of Cucumber Varieties as Influenced by NPK (15:15:15) and Poultry Manure (PM) During 2021/2022 Rainy Season the same letter (s) in a treatment group are not significantly different at 5% level of significance using DMRT, NS: not significant at 5% level of significance, *: significant at 5% level of significance.

Table 5 .
Interaction of Variety and Fertilizer on Plant Height at 8WAS, at 2022 Trial During 2021/2022 Rainy Season Variety Means followed by the same later (s) are not significantly different at 5% level using DMRT

Table 6 .
Interaction of Variety and Fertilizer on Cucumber Yield During 2021/2022 Rainy Season Means followed by the same later (s) are not significantly different at 5% level using DMRT