EFFECTS OF FERTILIZATION REGIMENS ON THE FRUIT YIELD AND QUALITY OF CUCUMBER CULTIVAR ‘DZHERELO’

Abstract

Abstract. This is research relevant because the effects of different fertilization regimens on the fruit yield and quality of cucumber cv. ‘Dzherelo’ grown in an irrigated vegetable–forage rotation in the Left–Bank Forest–Steppe of Ukraine have been studied. Purpose: to evaluate the effects of different ways of optimizing nutrition regimens on the fruit yield and quality of cucumber cv. ‘Dzherelo’. Methods. Field, computational and statistical. Results. The effects of different fertilization regimens have been studied: mineral, organic, organic–mineral, resource–saving (local mineral fertilization), and complex with a calculated dose of mineral fertilizers and trace elements (foliar fertilizing with Reakom – R – cucumbers). The most effective fertilization regimens increasing the fruit yield and quality of cucumber cv. ‘Dzherelo’ grown in an irrigated vegetable–forage rotation have been selected. The nitrate content in cucumbers was shown to increase to 89.0–93.4 mg/kg of fresh weight after mineral fertilization, which was higher than the nitrate content after the other tested fertilization regimens but did not exceed the maximum permissible level of nitrates in outdoor–grown fresh cucumbers (MPL = 150 mg/kg). Conclusions. It was found that N, P and K from fertilizers were the most effectively absorbed by cucumber plants with broadcast mineral fertilizer at N90P60K60. In this variant, the utilization coefficients were as follows: nitrogen – 54%, phosphorus – 18.8%, and potassium – 51.8%. High yields (20.3 and 18.3 t/ha), marketability (87.7 and 88.0%) and fruit quality (dry matter content = 4.32–4.66%; total sugar content = 2.28–2 .35%; vitamin C content = 11.93–12.47 mg/100 g; nitrate content = 82.6–89.0 mg/kg) were recorded when cucumber cv. ‘Dzherelo’ was fertilized with broadcast mineral fertilizers at N200P210K200 with additional foliar fertilization with Reakom – R – cucumbers complex fertilizer or fertilized with organic–mineral fertilizers (66 t/ha of manure + broadcast N90P60K60), respectively.