COMPARISON OF BIOSPHYSICAL PERFORMANCE OF CUCUMBER CROP UNDER DRIP AND SURFACE IRRIGATION IN HUMID CLIMATE

Abstract

In Nigeria, most farmers depend on rain fed crops while most of the vegetable crops that are needed all year round are raised through irrigation systems. Such crops as onions, pepper, carrots, cabbage, etc are said to be suitably raised by irrigation only in northern part of Nigeria having semi humid climate, hence don’t perform well in the middle belt region with humid climates like Nasarawa state. An irrigational experiment was carried out to compare the biosphysical performance of a vegetable crop (cucumber-cucumissativas) using surface and drip irrigation, under Nasarawa South humid climate. Cucumber was planted in a rain fed plot and studied during raining season which served as control. Agronomic parametres of leaves (major and minor diameters), height and fruits produced were recorded and compared with the results from surface and drip irrigated plot during dry season. The drip irrigated crops produced 217 leaves followed by rain fed plot with 210 leaves and surface irrigated with 182 leaves. Rain fed plot had a mean height of 81cm followed by drip irrigated with 67.4cm and surfaced irrigated with 54.89cm. Fruit yield was highest in rain fed plot with 240 fruits at end of harvest, followed by drip irrigated plot with 192 fruits and surfaced irrigated plot with 144 fruits. From these results, it is recommended that some vegetable crops can perform and produce better through irrigation farming under humid climates of Nasarawa state