Impact of Nitrogen Levels on Growth and Yield Performance of Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) under Balaghat Regions of Madhya Pradesh, India

Abstract

A study was conducted during the Zaid season of 2024 at the Horticulture Department field, Sardar Patel University, Balaghat (Madhya Pradesh), to evaluate the effect of different nitrogen doses on the growth and yield of the Japanese Long Green cucumber variety. The experiment used a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with nine different treatments; each replicated three times. The treatments included T0 (Control - Water spray), T1 (RDF 100% [NPK: 100:50:50 Kg/ha]), T2 (N at 80 kg/ha + PK at 50 kg/ha each), T3 (N at 90 kg/ha + PK at 50 kg/ha each), T4 (N at 110 kg/ha + PK at 50 kg/ha each), T5 (N at 120 kg/ha + PK at 50 kg/ha each), T6 (N at 130 kg/ha + PK at 50 kg/ha each), T7 (N at 140 kg/ha + PK at 50 kg/ha each), and T8 (N at 150 kg/ha + PK at 50 kg/ha each). The results showed that T6 (N at 130 kg/ha + PK at 50 kg/ha each) outperformed the others in terms of plant growth (like height and number of branches) and yield (including the number of fruits, fruit weight, and overall yield), with T1 (RDF 100% [NPK: 100:50:50 Kg/ha]) coming in a close second. T6 also provided the best net returns and benefit-cost ratio. Thus, using a combination of nutrients is suggested to boost cucumber productivity and improve overall results in Balaghat's conditions.