EVALUATION OF SUBSTRATE COMPOSITION ON CUCUMBER (Cucumis sativus L.) GROWTH AND YIELD
This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different planting medium compositions on the growth and yield of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.). The experiment was conducted from February 3 to March 27, 2023, in Bajulan Hamlet, Ngampel Village, Papar District, Kediri Regency, East Java Province. A one-factor Completely Randomized Design (CRD) was utilized, comprising seven treatment levels based on varying compositions of soil, goat manure, and chicken manure (measured in kilograms), with four replications per treatment. Each replication consisted of two polybags (duplo), resulting in a total of 56 experimental units. Non-destructive observations included measurements of plant length (cm), number of leaves, and number of branches. Yield-related parameters assessed were fruit length (cm), fruit diameter (cm), number of fruits per plant, and fruit weight per plant (g). The data were analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), followed by the Least Significant Difference (LSD) test to determine treatment effects. The results indicated that the composition of the planting medium had a statistically significant influence on both vegetative growth and yield components of cucumber. Specifically, plant height, leaf number, branch number, fruit length, fruit diameter, fruit count, and fruit weight were all significantly affected. The most optimal performance was achieved in the treatment with a balanced mixture of 2 kg soil, 2 kg goat manure, and 2 kg chicken manure (designated as Treatment K1).
Index Terms– growing media; manure; organic; substrate
