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Light Intensity and Nitrogen Level as They Affect Sex Expression, Growth, and Yield of Two Cucumber (Cucumis Sativus L.) Varieties
Thesis Abstract:
The experiment was conducted to determine the influence of light intensity and nitrogen level on sex ration, growth, and yield of two cucumber varieties.
Plants grown in the shade had developed significantly longer from seed emergence to the last harvest. They also had more branches with small stem diameters, late flowering, and narrower sex ratio. Shading also significantly increased the percentage of fruit setting and yield.
Incremental nitrogen had significant effect on the duration from seed emergence to the last harvest and diameter of stems. Insignificant effects were observed on the number of branches, and days to first flower emergence, sex ratio, fruit setting, and yield. Seed emergence to the last harvest took longer when 300 kg N/ha was applied; beyond this amount, a marked decrease was noted. Stem diameters increased as the levels of nitrogen increased, following a linear trend to as high as 500 kg N/ha. A highly significant interaction was noted between light intensity and nitrogen level, particularly their combined effect on stem diameter and number of branches.
Results indicated that when plants were grown in the shade without nitrogen fertilization, they tended to produce stems with smaller diameter but with greater number of branches than unshaded plants treated with varying levels of nitrogen. A correlation test showed that fruit yield was associated with the duration from seed emergence to last harvest, stem diameter, number of branches, days to first male flower emergence, sex ratio, and percent fruit setting.