Effect of Different Organic Manure Sources on the Growth, Yield, and Nutritional Quality of Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.)

Background and Objective: Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is widely cultivated in Eastern Nigeria primarily for food, often using available organic manure sources. However, these manures vary in their influence on the crop’s growth, yield, and nutritional composition. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different organic manure sources on the growth, yield, and nutritional qualities of cucumber cultivated in Ishiagu, Ebonyi State. Materials and Methods: The field experiment was conducted at the Federal College of Agriculture, Ishiagu, during the 2023 planting season, while the proximate analysis was carried out at the Crop, Soil, and Pest Laboratory of the Federal University of Technology, Akure. Five manure treatments control (no manure), cow dung, pig dung, goat dung, and poultry droppings were applied at 10 ton/ha in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. Seven agronomic parameters were evaluated, and data were analyzed using appropriate statistical tests at significance levels of p≤0.01 and p≤0.05. Results: Significant differences were observed among treatments for plant height, number of leaves, number of flowers, fruit weight, and fruit number at various weeks after planting. Pig dung treatment produced the highest moisture content (94.71%), while goat dung yielded the highest ash content (0.27%). The control recorded the highest protein content (1.29%), cow dung resulted in the maximum fat content (2.71%), and both cow and poultry dung treatments showed the highest carbohydrate levels (1.36 and 1.33%, respectively). Conclusion: Different organic manures significantly influenced cucumber growth, yield, and nutritional composition. Poultry manure proved most effective for enhancing growth and yield performance in Ishiagu, while other manure types showed specific advantages for different nutritional parameters. Further studies are recommended to optimize manure combinations for improved cucumber productivity and quality.