Thesis Abstract

Abstract
Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is an economically important vegetable crop grown worldwide. The use of composted organic materials in agriculture has been gaining popularity due to their ability to improve soil fertility and enhance plant growth. This study aimed to investigate the effects of pelleted and unpelleted composted organic materials on the growth and yield of three cucumber varieties. Three varieties of cucumber, namely 'Marketmore', 'Straight Eight', and 'Lemon', were used in the experiment. The composted organic materials used were a mixture of green waste, kitchen scraps, and yard trimmings. These materials were composted for a period of six months and then divided into two groups, one being pelleted and the other left unpelleted. The experiment was set up in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Each plot received the same amount of composted organic material either in pelleted or unpelleted form. The growth parameters such as plant height, number of leaves, and leaf area were measured at regular intervals throughout the growing season. Additionally, fruit yield and quality attributes such as fruit size, weight, and total yield per plant were recorded at harvest. The results indicated that the use of pelleted composted organic materials significantly improved the growth and yield of all three cucumber varieties compared to the unpelleted materials. Plants grown in plots treated with pelleted compost exhibited increased plant height, more leaves, and larger leaf area compared to those in the unpelleted compost treatment. Furthermore, the pelleted compost treatment also resulted in higher fruit yield and better fruit quality attributes for all three cucumber varieties. Overall, the findings of this study suggest that the use of pelleted composted organic materials can have a positive impact on the growth and yield of cucumber plants. The results also highlight the importance of compost quality and form in influencing plant performance. Further research is warranted to explore the long-term effects of pelleted compost on soil health and plant productivity in cucumber cultivation.

Thesis Overview

The main objective of this study is to determine the effects of the pelleted and unpelleted composted organic materials on the growth and yield of three varieties of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.). The specific objectives were to: determine the physical and chemical properties of pelleted and unpelleted composted organic materials, determine the effects of pelleted and unpelleted composted organic materials on the growth and yield of three varieties of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) and evaluate the effects of unpelleted composted rice husks + poultry manure (75%:25%, v/v) rates on the growth and yield of three varieties of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.). Three experiments were undertaken at the Teaching and Research Farm of the Department of Crop Science, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Experiment one was a laboratory analysis to determine the physical and chemical properties of pelleted and unpelleted composted organic materials. Experiment two was done in the greenhouse as a 3 × 13 factorial trial in a completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications. The treatments were three varieties of cucumber (Poinsett, Marketer and Supermarketer) and unpelleted composted rice husks (100%), unpelleted composted moringa pod husks (100%), unpelleted composted maize cobs (100%), unpelleted composted rice husks + poultry manure (75%:25%, volume to volume; v/v), unpelleted composted moringa pod husks + poultry manure (75%:25%, v/v), unpelleted composted maize cobs + poultry manure (75%:25%, v/v), pelleted composted rice husks (100%), pelleted composted moringa pod husks (100%), pelleted composted maize cobs (100%), pelleted composted rice husks + poultry manure (75%:25%, v/v), pelleted composted moringa pod husks + poultry manure (75%:25%, v/v), pelleted composted maize cobs + poultry manure (75%:25%, v/v), top soil (control). Experiment three was done in the field as a 3 × 4 factorial laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Twelve treatment combinations consisting of three cucumber variefreeresearchproject.com.ngties (Poinsett, Marketer and Supermarketer) and four rates (0 t ha -1, 5 t ha -1, 10 t ha -1 and 15 t ha-1) of unpelleted composted rice husks + poultry manure (75%:25%, volume to volume; v/v) were used. The physical properties of pelleted and unpelleted composted organic materials revealed that the top soil significantly (p < 0.05) gave a higher bulk density value of 1.21 g cm-3 compared with pelleted and unpelleted composted organic materials. Total porosity and available water holding capacity were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in the unpelleted composted rice husks (100%). The chemical properties showed that the organic matter content of unpelleted composted maize cobs (100%) was significantly (p < 0.05) higher with a value of 26.48% compared with pelleted composted maize cobs (100%). Total nitrogen and carbon nitrogen ratio were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in unpelleted composted rice husks + poultry manure (75%:25%, v/v). The morphological growth traits (plant height, leaf area per plant, number of internodes per plant, number of leaves per plant, internode length per plant and stem girth per plant) and yield performances (root, stem, leaf dry weight, fruit length, fruit width, fruit girth, number of fruits per plant and total fresh fruit weight) of the three varieties of cucumber grown in soil amended with unpelleted composted rice husks + poultry (75%:25%, v/v) had significantly (p < 0.05) the highest values compared with the other treatments. The highest application rate of 15 t ha-1 gave significantly (p < 0.05) the highest values of total nitrogen (1.36%), available phosphorus (80.36 ppm), organic carbon (4.10%), organic matter content (7.07%), exchangeable potassium (0.38 meq/100 g), exchangeable calcium (5.80 meq/100 g) and exchangeable magnesium (4.30 meq/100 g) compared with the other rates. The correlation coefficient (r = 0.995**) between soil organic carbon and exchangeable calcium was the highest and the least was the association (r = 0.473) between exchangeable potassium and exchangeable magnesium.