Effect of composted greenhouse wastes on macro-nutrients concentration and productivity of cucumber

Abstract

Attention of many investigators had been given to the increase in soil nitrogen through the effect of manureing. Availability of phosphorous in soil may involve the composite effect of several processes occurring at various levels of decomposition and humification of added organic matter. Potassium has been repeatedly reported to be related to organic matter in soil. A two-year field trial (1993/1994, 1994/1995) was conducted at El Bossily Greenhouse Farm on the West Side of Rosetta branch of the river Nile of Egypt. The objective was to study the effect of different organic matter application (chicken manure and composted cucumber plant wastes) on concentration of macro nutrients (N, P, and K) in fruits and early and total yield of Cucumber plants (Cucumis sativus cv. Pasandra) grown under protected cultivation. Results show significant increase over control in N concentration in cucumber fruits for both early and final stages where, at the early stage the increase over control reached 48 % and 34% for chicken manure and compost application respectively while at the final stage the increase over control were 80% and 86%. The corresponding data for P concentration show that, at the early stage the increase over control were 36% and 73% while at the final stage were 90% and 260% for manure and compost application respectively. The corresponding results of K concentration were 59% and 93% at the early stage and 53% and 99% at the final stage. Regarding the effect of chicken manure and compost application on the yield, results show that application of organic matter increased the early and final yield. The increase in fruit final fresh weight ranged between 15 to 34%, while the increase in the fruit early fresh weight reached 17.6 and 22.4% over control for compost and chicken manure application respectively.