The Influence of Fresh and Composted Solid Fractions of Swine Manure Slurry on Yield of Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.)

Abstract

Use of animal by‐products for crop production has the potential to be an economical way for our society to protect the environment and to conserve natural resources. Swine farms are an important source of animal manure production. In this experiment, the effect of swine manure and mineral fertilisation on the mass yield of different parts of the cucumber plant (Cucumis sativus L.) was studied. Fertilizer treatments were fresh and composted solid fractions of swine manure slurry fertilization (FSF and CSF, respectively) at two different rates (300 and 450 kg N ha−1), mineral fertilization (MF, equivalent to 300 kg N ha−1), and a control (C) without fertilization. All fertilizing scenarios produced a higher biomass yield of the different plant parts analyzed than the control. The aerial total biomass (expressed on both a fresh and dry mass basis) from CSF at 300 kg N ha−1 plots was the greatest. In the first sampling, the leaf biomass production was greater, in general, for the organic fertilization treatments. However, in the second sampling, in most cases, differences were not found in the leaf biomass production between organic and inorganic fertilization. Shoot mass of plants fertilized at 300 kg N ha−1 swine manure was similar to that of the MF plots. The application rate of swine manure did not affect the shoot yield, except in plants with FSF treatment at the first sampling. The fruit production by plants fertilized with FSF and CSF at 300 and 450 kg N ha−1, respectively, was not different from fruit production produced by the MF. The greatest cucumber yield was observed in plots with CSF at 300 kg N ha−1 treatment. The fruit size was smaller in plants fertilised with CSF at 300 kg N ha−1 than in the other fertilization treatments. These plants had the greatest number of fruits.