Effect of cultivar, spacing and dose of NPK on vegetative growth, yield, quality and cost benefit ratio of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) under naturally ventilated polyhouse

The present investigation was conducted 2017-19 was carried out at Vegetable Research Farm SHUATS, Prayagraj, Allahabad U.P. with three replications. In this way, the experiments were comprising of total twenty seven treatment combinations of three cultivars namely, Pant Parthenocarpic Cucumber -2 (V1)' Pant Parthenocarpic Cucumber -3 (V2) and Hilton (V3); three plant geometry i.e. 60 x 30 cm (P1), 60 x 40 cm (P2) and 60 x 50 cm (P3) and three NPK, fertilizers doses like, 20:10:22 Kg/1000m2 (D1), 25:15:27 Kg/1000m2 (D2) and 30:20:32 Kg/1000m2 (D3) of NPK combination.. The results revealed that all the treatments and their combinations had significantly influenced the growth, yield, quality and BC ration of treatment combination. Among the different cultivars used in the study, Pant Parthenocarpic Cucumber -3 (V2) were found statistically superior to enhance vine length (2.73 m), stem girth (0.80 cm) leaf area (412.34 cm2), Internodal distance (8.38 cm) minimum days required to first flower bud initiation (42.14 DAS), days to first fruit harvest (55.42 DAS), number of fruits per vine (21.89), average weight of fruit (116.41 g), fruit length (18.35 cm) and fruit width (3.45 cm) which ultimately gave maximum yield per vine (2.82 kg per plant) during pooled, respectively. Further, among the various spacing treatments, spacing (P3) i.e. 60 x 50 cm was found to be significantly superior with respect to vegetative growth, yield per plant and quality of fruits except yield per sq. meter significantly higher yield per sq. meter was recorded in spacing P1 (60 x30 cm) and least in P3 (60 x50 cm) during both the year. In case of dose fertilizer application, the application of fertilizers through manually apply the root zone of plant was found superior to maximum fertilizers apply compared to minimum fertilizers apply. Maximum number of fruits per vine, average fruit weight (g), yield per vine (kg) and yield per sq. meter (kg) were recorded in both the year maximum fertilizers apply in D3.