Influence of Legume Tree Prunings and Poultry Manure on Growth and Yield of Cucumber in a Chromic Luvisol Soil.

Abstract

Two field experiments were conducted at the Multipurpose Crop Nursery of AAMUSTED, Asante Mampong and Adanwomase Senior High School farm during the major rainy season (from March to July 2022), to determine the effects of legume tree prunings and poultry manure on growth and yield of cucumber in a chromic luvisol. The experimental design used was a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) replicated four times. The treatments were; (i) 10 t/ha Gliricidia sepium, (ii) 10 t/ha Leucaena leucocephala, (iii)10 t/ha Poultry manure, (iv) 5t/ha Gliricidia sepium +5 t/ha Poultry manure, (v) 5 t/ha Leucaena leucocephala + 5 t/ha Poultry manure, (vi) 5 t/ha Gliricidia sepium + 5 t/ha Leucaena leucocephala and (vii) Control (no fertilizer/amendment). The results show that the 5 t/ha Leucaena leucocephala + 5 t/ha Poultry manure improved soil pH, N, and organic carbon, while 10 t/ha Leucaena leucocephala increased K, Ca, and Mg. However, the highest exchangeable acidity was from the 10 t/ha Poultry manure. The application of poultry manure at 10 t/ha was the most effective treatment across both locations since it led to earliest flowering, longest vine, greatest number of leaves per plant, and superior chlorophyll content of leaf, and the highest fresh and dry shoot weights. The control plot recorded the least results in most of the vegetative growth and in fruit diameter parameters measured. The 10t/ha Gliricidia sepium exhibited the least performance in total fruit yield at both locations. The 10t/ha poultry manure produced the highest yield (36.04t/ha) at Asante Mampong and (36.88t/ha) at Adanwomase. The combination of 5t/ha Leucaena leucocephala + 5t/ha poultry manure produced the longest fruits and the widest fruit diameter in both locations, and therefore 10 t/ha poultry manure only is recommended to farmers aiming at improving cucumber yield and the combination of 5 t/ha Leucaena leucocephala + 5 t/ha poultry manure to farmers aiming to improve cucumber fruit length and widest fruit size.