THE EFFECT OF COMPOST APPLICATION ON THE GROWTH AND YIELD OF CUCUMBER (A CASE STUDY OF CUCUMBER FARMERS IN IKA SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, DELTA STATE)

CHAPTER

ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is a creeping or climbing annual vegetable of the family Cucurbitaceae. It is grown for its fruits, which are eaten fresh in salads, sliced as a snack, pickled or blended into drinks. The fruits have a very high water content and supply small but useful amounts of vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre. Because the crop has a relatively short growing cycle and begins to bear within a few weeks of planting, it is attractive to smallholder farmers who need quick returns from a small piece of land.

Cucumber grows rapidly, spreads its vines widely and bears fruits continuously over several weeks, so it needs a steady supply of nutrients. Its root system is comparatively shallow, which means that it depends on nutrients available in the upper layer of the soil. In much of Nigeria, however, this layer is easily depleted by heavy rainfall, leaching and repeated cropping. Soretire et al. (2023) identify soil nutrient depletion and possible degradation as key reasons for lower crop yields in Nigeria, and this is one of the main reasons farmers add fertilizers to vegetable crops.

Mineral fertilizers can restore nutrients quickly, but they are costly, are not always available when needed, and may not improve the physical condition of the soil. Many farmers therefore look to organic materials. Compost is one of the most common of these: it is made by the controlled decomposition of crop residues, kitchen waste, sawdust, animal manure and similar materials. When well prepared, compost supplies nutrients slowly, adds organic matter, improves soil structure and water-holding capacity, and supports soil microbial activity. Its disadvantages are that it contains lower nutrient concentrations than mineral fertilizer, is bulky to handle, and varies in quality according to the raw materials used and the length and management of the composting process. Bhunia et al. (2021) reviewed the agronomic efficiency of animal-derived organic fertilizers and their effects on the biology and fertility of soil, and Abebe et al. (2022) examined the growing use and impacts of chemical fertilizers and assessed alternative organic sources, both of which reflect the growing interest in organic nutrient management.

Recent Nigerian research has examined compost specifically on cucumber. Soretire et al. (2023) composted maize cobs, groundnut pods, sawdust and a mixture of these wastes, with Trichoderma harzianum inoculum at 0, 5 and 10 ml, incubated the compost for 12 weeks and applied it to cucumber. They reported that growth parameters (plant height, number of leaves, leaf length, leaf girth and stem girth) increased with increasing levels of the inoculum, that compost made from corn cobs, groundnut pods and the mixed wastes significantly promoted growth, and that the highest fruit weight (105.84 g per plant) came from compost inoculated with 10 ml of the fungus. In south-eastern Nigeria, Amutaigwe et al. (n.d.) tested kitchen waste compost, poultry manure, mineral fertilizer and their combinations on cucumber at Nnewi over the 2024 and 2025 seasons, and reported that kitchen waste compost and poultry manure boosted growth and yield, while the proximate composition of the fruit also varied with the fertilizer treatment.

These experiments show that compost can improve cucumber growth, yield and even fruit quality, but they were carried out on research plots, in pots or in other parts of the country. Whether farmers actually use compost, how they prepare and apply it, and what effects they observe on their own farms are different questions that experimental trials do not answer. Farmers' practices and perceptions determine whether a technology is adopted, and a survey that records them is a useful complement to experimental evidence.

Ika South Local Government Area is in Delta State, where cucumber is grown by smallholder farmers as a source of food and income. This study therefore used a structured questionnaire to examine the use of compost and its perceived effect on the growth and yield of cucumber among farmers in the area.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Cucumber farmers in Ika South Local Government Area depend on soils that are naturally low in fertility and are subject to leaching. They must decide whether to apply mineral fertilizer, organic manure, compost, or nothing at all. Compost can reduce the cost of fertilizer and improve the soil, yet its use is not uniform, and it is not clear how many farmers use it, how they prepare it, or how they judge its effect on cucumber.

The studies reviewed here (Amutaigwe et al., n.d.; Soretire et al., 2023) were experimental, were carried out outside Ika South, and did not record farmers' own practices and perceptions. The literature consulted for this study did not reveal a survey of compost use among cucumber farmers in Ika South Local Government Area. Farmers may also face constraints such as shortage of raw materials, the labour and time needed to prepare compost, and lack of technical knowledge, but these have not been documented locally.

As a result, extension agents and policy makers lack reliable information on the extent of compost use, the benefits farmers perceive and the barriers to wider adoption. Without this information, advice may not match farmers' real circumstances, and the potential of compost to improve cucumber production in the area may remain unrealised. This study was therefore undertaken to provide it.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

The main objective of the study was to assess the effect of compost application on the growth and yield of cucumber among farmers in Ika South Local Government Area, Delta State, using a structured questionnaire. The specific objectives, each of which corresponds to a section of the questionnaire, were to:

(i) describe the socio-economic characteristics of the respondents, namely age, sex, educational level, farming experience, farm size and source of labour

(ii) identify the methods of compost preparation and application currently used by the respondents in the production of cucumber

(iii) ascertain the respondents' perception of the effect of compost application on the growth of cucumber ;

(iv) ascertain the respondents' perception of the effect of compost application on the yield of cucumber

(v) identify the constraints faced by the respondents in the use of compost application and the measures they suggest for improvement .

1.4 Research Questions

The following research questions, which correspond to the sections of the questionnaire, guided the study:

(i) What are the socio-economic characteristics of the respondents?

(ii) What methods of compost preparation and application do the respondents use in the production of cucumber?

(iii) How do the respondents perceive the effect of compost application on the growth of cucumber?

(iv) How do the respondents perceive the effect of compost application on the yield of cucumber?

(v) What constraints do the respondents face in the use of compost application, and what improvements do they suggest?

1.5 Research Hypotheses

The following null hypotheses were tested at the 0.05 level of significance:

H01: There is no significant relationship between the socio-economic characteristics of the respondents and their use of compost in cucumber production.

H02: There is no significant difference in the perceived growth of cucumber among respondents who differ in their level of compost use.

H03: There is no significant difference in the perceived yield of cucumber among respondents who differ in their level of compost use.

1.6 Significance of the Study

The findings will provide extension agents with information on how cucumber farmers in Ika South use compost, what benefits they perceive and what limits wider use, so that training can be targeted. Farmers will benefit from the identification of compost practices that they consider effective and from recommendations on overcoming the constraints.

The study will also assist policy makers and non-governmental organisations that promote organic and low-cost soil fertility management, and will serve as a reference for students and researchers carrying out related work.

1.7 Scope and Limitations of the Study

The study covers cucumber farmers in Ika South Local Government Area, Delta State. It is limited to compost application and covers the respondents' socio-economic characteristics, compost practices, perceived effects on growth and yield, and constraints. It does not include laboratory analysis of compost or controlled field measurement of yield.

Limitations include reliance on respondents' recall and perception, which may not always match measured yield, the limited number of respondents who could be reached within the study period, and possible reluctance of some respondents to disclose information. The findings should be applied with care outside the study area.

1.8 Definition of Terms

Compost: a stable organic material produced by the controlled decomposition of plant and animal residues.

Compost application: the spreading or incorporation of compost into the soil or planting hole before or during crop growth.

Growth: the visible development of the plant, such as vine length, number of leaves and vigour, as perceived by farmers.

Yield: the quantity of cucumber fruits harvested per unit area or per plant.

Perception: the opinion or judgement of respondents about the effect of a practice.

Questionnaire: a structured set of written questions used to collect information from respondents.

REFERENCES

Abebe, T. G., Tamtam, M. R., Abebe, A. A., Abtemariam, K. A., Shigut, T. G., Dejen, Y. A., & Haile, E. G. (2022). Growing use and impacts of chemical fertilizers and assessing alternative organic fertilizer sources in Ethiopia. Applied and Environmental Soil Science, 2022, Article 4738416. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/4738416

Amutaigwe, N. N., Okore, I. K., & Onunwa, A. O. (n.d.). Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) fruit yield and quality response to kitchen waste compost, poultry manure, mineral fertilizer, and their combinations in a humid tropical area, Southern Nigeria. Nigerian Agricultural Journal. https://www.ajol.info/index.php/naj/article/view/324850

Bhunia, S., Bhowmik, A., Mallick, R., & Mukherjee, J. (2021). Agronomic efficiency of animal-derived organic fertilizers and their effects on biology and fertility of soil: A review. Agronomy, 11(5), 823. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11050823

Soretire, A. A., Ezema, C. A., Awaogu, C. E., Okafor, C. C., Umoren, A. S., & Adeyemi, N. O. (2023). Biotransformation of organic wastes through composting using Trichoderma harzianum and its effects on cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) yield. International Journal of Recycling of Organic Waste in Agriculture, 12(Special Issue), 191–199. https://doi.org/10.30486/ijrowa.2022.1957121.1452