EVALUATION OF PLANTING PERIODS AND FERTILIZER TYPES ON GROWTH AND YIELD OF CUCUMBER INTERCROPPED WITH PAWPAW VARIETIES

Abstract

In a two phased field experiment conducted between 2006 and 2008 at the University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, the performances of cucumber (Cucumber sativus L.) var. Market-more introduced into pawpaw (Carica papaya L.) var: ‘Homestead selection’ and ‘Sunrise solo’ at the early, simultaneous and late times of introduction using 10 t/ha OMF as basal application was evaluated. Also in the mixture, the best fertilizer type involving 10 t/ha OMF or NPK 15:15:15 at 125 kg / ha / month using the zero (0 t/ha) application as control was determined. The factorial experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design replicated three times. The results indicated that except at early cucumber introduction, growth and yield depression occurred in the crop mixture compared to the sole in the main vine length, leaf area, number of fruits, fruit yield and relative yield total (RYT). The cucumber performance was better in juvenile pawpaw (one year old) than in mature pawpaw (two year old). Both early and simultaneous introductions under juvenile and mature pawpaw were significantly better than late introduction. The cucumber with OMF was higher than those with NPK treatment in main vine length (101.6 cm and 53.3 cm respectively) and both were significantly better than the control (38.6 cm), though plants with OMF and NPK both were not different in leaf area (4,844 and 4,874 cm2 respectively), while plants with NPK compared to OMF recorded higher number of fruits (16 and 14 respectively) and higher fruit yield (13.8 and 11.2 t/ha respectively). The LER > 1.0 recorded for both cucumbers in Sunrise or Homestead indicated yield advantages of the mixtures compared to the sole.Â