An analysis of rain-fed and irrigation in the growth and yield of cucumber (cucumis sativus l.)

Abstract

Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) requires relatively more water for growth and yield than other crops, yet its cultivation in most of the tropical region including Nigeria is characterised by threat to optimum water availability (rainfall). Thus, artificial water supply is accepted as an alternative water source to make cucumber available during the dry season farming. With the changing climate and its’ impact on water supply, there is need for more information and data to understand the synergy between cucumber production and water for proper planning. This paper therefore aimed at determining the response of cucumber production to rain-fed and irrigation focusing on the growth and yield parameters. Two experiments were carried out one on irrigated control cucumber cultivation and the second on open cultivation of cucumber which depended on rainfall for seven weeks. The same treatments were given to both experiments except their water need. Data on plant height (cm), weight of harvested cucumber were collected and determined. Rainfall data(mm) between July and September was sourced from the University of Lagos Meteorological Station for a comparative analysis. The result depicted rainfed cucumber plants recorded a higher mean value of the number of harvested fruits (3.33) and weight of harvested fruits (1.33kg) than irrigation cucumber plants 1.33 and 0.5 kg respectively. Thus, the rainfed technique is better for high cucumber yield. The study suggested that cucumber cultivated with rain water perform better with significant differences in the height, growth and yield performances that with borehole irrigated water.