Effects of Plant Mulch and Vine Care on the Growth and Yield of Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.)

Abstract

Field experiments were conducted in the 2015 cropping seasons on farmer’s farm, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria to study the effects of plant mulch and vine care on soil properties, leaf nutrient content, growth, and yield cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.). Plant mulch was applied as zero mulch (0 t ha-1), Tithonia diversifolia (10 t ha-1), Chromolaena odorata (10 t ha-1 ) and vine care as no stake staked and trellised. It was a 3 x 3 factorial experiment arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replicates. Pre-experiment soil samples and soils from each plot at the end of the experiment were collected for soil physical and chemical analysis, plant growth and yield parameters were measured, and leaf nutrient analysis was carried out. Both Tithonia and Chromolaena mulches significantly (P ≤ 0.05) reduced soil bulk density and temperature and increased soil moisture content and total porosity. They also significantly (P .≤ 0.05) increased soil OC, pH, N, P, K, Ca, Mg, leaf P, K, Ca and Mg concentrations, growth, and cucumber yield compared with the control. The application of vine care further enhanced the performance of cucumbers. Staked and trellised methods performed better than the control in most growth and yield parameters examined. Cucumber fruit yield was increased by plant mulch (Tithonia 84.3%, Chromolaena 39.7%) and vine care (trellised 54.2%, staked 26.2%) compared with control. Application of Tithonia mulch and trellising cucumber vines was found suitable for cucumber production