J. Sci. Engr. Tech.

18 (3) : 10248 - 10260 October 2011

INFLUENCE OF NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS ON THE

GROWTH AND YIELD OF CUCUMBER (Cucumis sativus L.)

D. F. Uwah*, E. B. Effa and I. K. Agbanyim

Department of Crop Science
University of Calabar, P.M.B. 1115, Calabar, Nigeria
Email: dfu55@yahoo.ca Tel: 08037444068

* To whom all correspondence should be addressed

ABSTRACT
The study was initiated to attempt to address one of the problems
Of peasant farmers with regards to input requirements for
increased for increased productivity. Field study on the effects of
different rates of nitrogen (0, 50, 100 and 150 kg N/ha) and
phosphorus (0, 13 and 26 kg P/ha) with a uniform dose of
potassium (80 kg K/ha) on the growth and yield of Ashley
incumber variety was conducted between 2006 and 2007 in
< 'alabar, a rainforest agroecology. Application of nitrogen
significantly affected length of vine, number of leaves, number of
branches/ plant and dry weight of vine throughout the period of
study. Application of 50, 100 and 150 kg N/ha increased fruit yield
by 46.6, 84.6 and 59.3% respectively, compared with the control.
Nitrogen at 100 kg/ha and P at the highest rate, hastened
flowering, while length of vine, number of branches, dry weight of
vine and total fruit yield peaked at 26kg P/ha rate. Applied rates of
P of 13 and 26 kg/ha, increased fruit yield by 46 and 63% over the
0 application. Dry weight of vine and total fruit yield were
optimized with the combination of 100 kg N/ha and 26 kg P/ha in
this study

INTRODUCTION
Cucumber {Cucumis sativus L.} a member of the cucurbitaceae
family considered in tropical African as an exotic or western
Vegetable of relatively great importance for rural and urban
D. F. Uwah, et al. 10249

dwellers. It is however, steadily graining popularity in the African

kitchen as the immature fruit is eaten fresh in salads or mixed with
other vegetables (1). Cucumber fruits are recommended for
patients suffering from constipation, jaundice and indigestion
while the extract is used as an ingredient in a variety of health and
beauty products for the skin (1 and 2). Cucumber hard skin is rich
in fibre and contains a variety of beneficial minerals and vitamins
including silica, K, Mg, Mo, ascorbic acid, folate, coffeic acid and
vitmin A (3).
Cucumber is becoming increasingly important in Nigeria
and other tropical countries because it is an easy to prepare
vegetable and suited for sale in population centres in supermarkets,
big city and local markets. Cultivars are also becoming available
that are more adapted to the prevailing local climatic conditions
which makes it imperative to carry out studies on factor that would
bring about higher yields. Among the various factors affecting
yield, the most important is the supply of adequate amount of
nutrients. Most soils in Nigeria and especially in the south eastern
agro-ecological zone, due to over-cultivation and the excessively
high rainfall which results in nutrient leaching, have suffered
nutrition depletion such that high yields can only be attained
through the judicious use of fertilizers. Information on the fertilizer
requirements of cucumber is scanty especially that of P nutrition.
Available information indicates that cucumber respond to nitrogen,
phosphorus and potassium (4 - 6). Responses up to 120kg N/ha
were obtained. It was observed that NPK fertilizer (100-50-50)
gave the best performance in almost all the parameters studied,
while increase in N application resulted in maximum fruit length,
fruit weight, vine length and yield of cucumber (5, 7 and 8). There
is a paucity of information on the response of cucumber to P
fertilizer in soils of south eastern Nigeria. However, favourable
responses of other vegetable crops to P application have been
documented. Bigger fruits of pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) were
obtained with, 44 kg P/ha while the highest yield of pepper with the
application of 13 kg P/ha was reported (9 and 10). Phosphorus
Inflence of Nitrogen and Phosphorus... 10250

significantly increased the growth and yield characters of

watermelon with the best performance achieved with 34 kg P/ha
(11). Inadequate N and /or P has been shown to adversely affect
fruit length, shape and taste of cucumber (11-13).
Ashley cucumber variety is widely grown by peasant
farmers in this agro ecology but quantitative data on development
and yield potential of the variety under field conditions with the
combined use of N and P fertilizers are scarce. This study was
therefore, initiated to determine the influence of mineral N and P
fertilizer rates on the growth and yield of this cucumber variety on
the acid plain soils of the Calabar area.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Two field experiments were conducted during the early planting
seasons from March-June of 2006 and 2007 in Calabar, South
eastern rainforest zone of Nigeria (4° 57'N, 8° 19'E; 37m above sea
level) (14). The experiments investigated the response of Ashley
cucumber variety to four levels of nitrogen (0, 50, 100 and 150 kg
N/ha) and three levels of phosphorus (0, 13 and 26 kg P/ha).
Potassium at the rate of 80 kg K/ha was also applied to all the
plots. The treatment combinations were laid out in a split-plot
design and replicated three times with N assigned to the main plot,
while P was assigned to the sub-plot. Gross plot size for the main
treatment was 9.0 x 2.8m (25.2m2) while the sub treatment plot
size was 3.0 x 2.8m (8.4m2). Six plants in each plot occupying
2.52m (1.8 x 1.4m) area made up the net plot area from which
growth and yield attributes were estimated. Before land
preparation, soil samples were taken at 0-3 0cm depths from the
experimental sites and analyzed for physico-chemical properties
using standard procedure (Table I) (15).
The sites were ploughed and harrowed once before planting
on the flat in early March each year. Three seeds were sown per
stand at the spacing of 70 x 60cm. The seedlings were later thinned
to one per stand two weeks after sowing (WAS) to give 20 plants per
sub-plot and plant population of 23,809 plants/ha. All the
D. F. Uwah, et al. 10251

phosphorus and potassium with half of the nitrogen for each

treatment were broadcast and worked under a day before planting
using single super phosphate, muriate of potash and urea
respectively. The second Split of urea was top-dressed 5 WAS.
Manual weeding with native hoe was done twice at 4 and 8 WAS.
The crops were sprayed three times at 4, 6 and 8 WAS for insect
and disease control with basudin 600 and Nogos 50EC at the rates
of 2 litres and 1.5 kg ai/ha. Cucumber fruits were hand harvested at
2 to 3 days interval when the fruit colour had turned deep green
from the net plot areas for a total of 8 to 10 harvests starting 6
v t weeks after sowing. The parameters measured were vine length,
1 number of leaves, number of branches, number of days to 50%
flowering, number of fruits/plant, weight of fruits/plant and total
fruit yield (t/ha) from plants in the net plot areas. Dry weight of
vine was determined from four randomly selected plants from each
plot at 8WAS. Data generated were subjected to statistical analysis
and differences among treatment means were compared using
Fishers' Least Significant Difference (LSD) at the 5% level of
probability (16 and 17).

RESULTS
Effects of nitrogen and phosphorus
On the basis of averages for the two growing seasons, length of
vine, number of leaves and number of branches/plant were
significantly increased across N and P rates except for number of
leaves that did not respond to P application (Table II). Every
incremental rate of N resulted in significant increase in length on
vine with the longest vine (253.88cm) obtained at the 150 kg N/ha
rate. The length of vine produced at the 26 kg P/ha rate was
statistically similar to that at 13 kg P/ha, but higher than that of the
control. The number of leaves/plant produced at 50,100 and 150 kg
N/ha rates were statistically similar, but the 150 kg N/ha rate had
significantly higher number of leaves than the control. The highest
N rate equally produced the highest number of branches/plant
which however, was not significantly higher than that produced at
Inflence of Nitrogen and Phosphorus... 10252

100 kg N/ha rate. The applied P rates produced similar number of

branches/plant, while the control had the least. The heaviest dry
weight of vine was obtained with 100 kg N/ha which however,
was statistically at par with those produced at the 50 and 150 kg
N/ha rates (Table II). The response of dry weight of vine to P
application was highest at the 26 kg P/ha rate, which was 49.7 and
26.1% higher than those at zero and 13 kg P/ha rates respectively.
The mean effects of N and P on the reproductive attributes
for the two seasons are shown (Table III). Nitrogen and
phosphorus application significantly reduced the number of days
to flowering while the number of fruits/plant was highest with the
highest rates of the two nutrients. The response of length of
fruits/plant to N and P was not significant. Increasing N from 0 to
100 kg/ha, significantly increa.
sed cucumber fruit weight, but not beyond, while the fruit weight
produced at 26 kg P/ha was 66.9 and 25.3% higher than those at 0
and 13 kg P/ha rates respectively. Each increment in N rates
significantly increased total fruit yield up to the 100 kg/ha rate, but
yield reduction of 8.4% occurred at the 150 kg N/ha rate. Total
fruit yield was increased by 63%, when P rate was increased from
0 to 13 kg/ha; and by additional 11.3%, when P rate was further
increased from 13 to 26 kg/ha.

Interactions
The N x P interaction effects were not significant on all the growth
and yield attributes except dry weight of vine and total fruit yield
(Table IV). The combination of N at 100 kg/ha with P at 26 kg/ha,
produced the best performance in terms of dry weight of vine and
total fruit yield. The dry weight of vine obtained with this
combination was more than three times that obtainable from the
control plots, while the total fruit yield more than doubled that
obtainable at the control.
D. F. Uwah, et al. 10253

DISCUSSION
The positive response of the growth characters to N application is
attributable to its role in plant growth as N has been known to
stimulate crop growth and enhance fruit set in most vegetable
crops. Growth and development of all characters except number of
leaves/plant were also influenced by P application. The positive
response to these two nutrients, confirmed their essentiality in
plant growth (18). The application of N, P and K fertilizer have
been shown to enhance the vegetative growth of cucumber (4 - 6,
8, 19 and 20). Dry weight of vine increased with increasing N and
P rates. Nitrogenous compounds make up a significant part of the
total weight of plants and P is essential for cell division and
development of meristermatic tissue, which favours growth
through enhanced nutrient uptakes for vigorous vegetative growth.
Increases in N and P supply therefore must have led to efficient
utilization of carbohydrates to form protoplasm and more cells,
which translated to increased dry weight of vine (21 and 22). The
increase in dry weight also must have been derived from the
observed increases in vine length, number of leaves and branches
that constituted the vegetative growth. These parameters were
significantly increased by N and P application, and therefore will
also increase the dry weight of vine. Gradual increases in N and P
rates reduced the number of days to 50% flowering up to a certain
limit. The deficiency of major nutrients must have caused the slow
growth rate in control plots resulting in maximum days taken to
flower. Phosphorous has been shown to increase earliness to
flowering in cereals and vegetables while similar results were
obtained with N for peppers and for cucumber (7, 10, 18 and 22).
In this study, fruit number, fruit weight and total fruit yield
showed positive response to N and P fertilization. This could be
directly linked to the well-developed photosynthetic surface and
increased physiological activities leading to more assimilates being
produced and subsequently utilized in rapid fruit development and
production. Cucumber has been reported to produce high
percentage of flowers and fruits on receiving high levels of N and
Inflence of Nitrogen and Phosphorus... 10254

P when compared with low levels (7 and 20). Such plants also
exhibit longer leaf retention and lower flower and fruit abortion
thus leading to high fruit set and yield. Hence, the positive
response of fruit yield and components to increased rates of N and
P could be adduced to high flower production and increased fruit
setting activities stimulated by N and P application. The increase
in yield attributes and total fruit yield with higher rates of N up to
100 kg/ha rate could be attributed to increased vegetative growth
which resulted in greater leafiness and branching of the plant.
Significant increase was reported in cucumber growth and yield
with 75 kg N/ha in Samara, Zaria (23). The best yield was
obtained at 80 kg N/ha, whereas the best yields and yield attributes
were obtained in cucumber with 100 kg N/ha which conformed
with the present findings (19, 20 and 24)..
The observed increases in dry weight of vine and total fruit
yield due to N x P interaction were as a result of the
complementary action between the two elements. It was reported
that N enhanced the uptake of P by plants and the influence of P on
the plant in turn results in a more efficient utilization of N (25). It
was also observed that without the application of P and K
fertilizers, the yield response to increasing levels of N was smaller
than when adequate amounts of P and K were applied (26 and 27).
This possibly explains the observed significant response of
cucumber yield when both N and P were applied together than
separately.

CONCLUSION
Nitrogen and phosphorus had positive effects on growth and yield
of cucumber as they significantly enhanced its production. The
combination of 100 kg N/ha and 26 kg P/ha optimized dry weight
of vine and fruit yield in our study area. Fertilization of cucumber
on these soils would require N and P in the fertilizer regime unless
the inherent levels of N and P are shown to be adequate from pre-
sowing soil analysis.
D. F. Uwah, et al. 10255

Table I. Physico-chemical properties of soils at

experimental fields in 2006 and 2007 growing
seasons at Calabar
Soil characteristics 2006 2007
Physical composition (g/kg)
Sand 810 820
Silt 40 80
Clay 150 100
Textural class Sandy loam Sandy loam
Chemical composition
pH(H20)( 1:2.5) 5.50 5.30
pH in 0.01m CaCl2 (1:2.5) 5.20 4.90
Organic Carbon(%) 1.25 1.86
Total N (%) 0.09 0.08
Available P (mg/kg) 133.04 98.19
Exchangeable bases (cmol/kg)
Ca 1.87 3.20
Mg 0.64 1.50
K 0.29 0.09
Na 0.08 0.08
CEC 8.75 7.44
Base saturation (%) 32.94 65.46
Inflence of Nitrogen and Phosphorus... 10256

Table II. Effect of nitrogen and phosphorus on number of

leaves/plant, length of vine/plant, number of
branches/plant and dry weight of vine of cucumber
in 2006 and 2007 at Calabar
Length of vine No. of No. of

Treatment (cm) 8WAS leaves/plant 8WAS branches/plant 8WAS Dry weight of vine (g)
8WAS

Nitrogen (kg/ha) 0 177.64 54,5 7.11 33.52

50 212.11 83.5 - 10.78 49.07

100 227.66 97.6 13.42 57.53
150 253.88 117.7 17.89 52.92
LSD (0.05) 15.252 46.537 4.936 18.374
Phosphorus (kg/ha) 76.7 8.92 38.48
0 185.26
13 203.22 86.6 12.25 45.69
26 217.52 101.8 14.28 • 57.61
LSD (0.05) 14.710 NS 3.759 11.658

NS = Not significant

Table III. Effect of nitrogen and Phosphorus on number of

days to 50% flowering, number of fruits/plant,
length of fruit/plant (cm), weight of fruits/plant (kg)
and total fruit yield of cucumber in 2006 and 2007
at Calabar.
Treatment Days to 50% No. of Length of weight of Total fruit yield
flowering fruits/plant fruit/plant (cm), fruits/plant (kg) (t/a)

N(kg/ha) :

0 47.22 4.76 15.54 1.24 24.44

50 45.55 6.56 16.38 1.29 35.83
100 44.65 8.68 17.32 2.59 45.11
150 46.11 10.52 18.11 2.39 38.94
LSD (0.05) 0.840 2.401 NS 0.852 8.623
P (kg/ha)
0 46.83. 4.83 16.42 1.75 26.25
13 45.45 , 7.85 17.56 2.33 38.44
26 45.25 : 11.12 18.23 2.92 42.79
LSD (0.05) 1.283 , 3.221 NS 0.924 10.23

NS = Not significant
D. F. Uwah, et al. 10257

Table IV. Interaction between nitrogen and phosphorus on dry

weight of vine (g) and total fruit yield (t/ha) of
cucumber in 2006 and 2007 at Calabar.
Phosphorus (kg/ha) Phosphorus (kg/ha)
Treatment 0 13 26 0 13^ 26
Nitrogen (kg/ha) Dry weight of vine Total fruit yield (t/ha)
0 28.74 35.44 27.64 26.23 28.72 33.53
50 24.90 44.18 79.59 29.60 32.22 48.84
100 27.60 53.68 88.86 36.72 45.32 58.62
150 46.59 65.54 56.64 42.31 47.73 44.72
LSD (0,05) 23.314 9.882

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(Accepted 26 July 2011)