Effect of fertigation on growth and fruit yield of cucumber ( Cucumis sativus L.) grown under open ventilated polyhouse condition

Abstract

An experiment was conducted during kharif, 2017 in polyhouse, Department of Agriculture, Mata Gujri College, Fatehgarh Sahib to study the effect of different level of fertigation on growth, and fruit yield of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.). The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with seven fertigation treatments viz. T1 - 120% RDF, T2 - 110% RDF, T3 - 100% RDF, T4 - 90% RDF, T5 - 80% RDF, T6 - 70% RDF and T7 - Control. The treatments were replicated thrice. On the basis of results summarized that maximum plant height (cm), days to first flowering, days to 50% flowering, days to first picking, number of primary branches, harvest duration (days) and harvest index (%) were recorded with the application of 100% RDF (T3) which was statistically at par with application of 110% RDF (T2) and yield attributes viz. average fruit weight (g), number of fruits per plant, fruit diameter (cm), fruit length (cm), fruit yield per plant (kg) and fruit yield per hectare (t) with application of 100% RDF (T3). Thus, drip fertigation helped to improve the cucumber plant growth and fruit yield, particularly the composition 100% RDF/ha compared to others.