Evaluation of Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers on the Yield and Yield Components of Cucumber under different Irrigation Regimes and Cropping Seasons

Organic manure (OM) and inorganic fertilizer (NPK) were evaluated on the yield and yield components of cucumber under different irrigation regimes and cropping seasons at Isampou, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. The experimental design was split plot fitted into randomized complete blocks. Irrigation regimes (20, 000, 25, 000 and 30, 000 l ha-1 day occupied the main plots while PM5t + ha-1 + NPK 200 kg ha-1) were assigned sub-plots. These treatments were replicated four times culminating into 12 treatment combinations. Irrigation rates did not seem to have significant relative effect on growth and yield of cucumber across the cropping periods. Cucumber vines generally were longest in OM treated plots in all water levels. In the second planting OM treated plots at 20, 000, 25, 000 and 30, 000l ha-1day produced the longest vines. But NPK + OM had the longest vine for the second and third plantings. NPK + OM amended plots consistently produced the highest cucumber fruit yield at 25, 000 and 30, 000 l ha-1 water levels (5.59 and 5.74t ha-1) during the first cropping period. While control plots consistently produced the lowest cucumber fruit yield for the first, second and third cropping period respectively (3.81, 4.41 and 3.98 t ha-1)