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VOL. 11, ISSUE 1 (2026)
Gherkin cultivation with different levels of inorganic fertilizers in the sandy regosols of Batticaloa district
Authors
S Sutharsan, M M S F Thasreeha Begum, M Rameskaran
Abstract
This experiment was conducted to assess the
optimum fertilizer level for gherkin (Cucumis anguria L.) in the sandy
regosols of Batticaloa district. A field experiment using twelve treatments
with four replications was conducted following Randomized Complete Block Design
at university farm, Eastern University, Sri Lanka from August to October, 2024.
The treatments included, T1 – 100% of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University
recommendation (TNAU), T2 –75% TNAU, T3- 50% TNAU, T4- 25% TNAU, T5 – 100%
Department of Agriculture recommendations (DOA), T6 – 75% DOA, T7 – 50% DOA, T8
– 25% DOA, T9 – 100% Modified application rate of the DOA recommendation
(MDOA), T10 – 75% MDOA, T11-50% MDOA and T12-25% MDOA. According to the
findings T1 (100% TNAU) reduced the vine length, leaf number, leaf area, and
yield by 7%, 8%, 36%, and 13.7%, respectively compared to T5. This hindered
performance might be associated with the high nitrogen level in T1 (150 kg/ha).
However, T2, T10 and T11 improved the overall crop performance compared to T5.
Treatments such as T6, T7, and T8 performed less than T5, could be due to the
absence of TSP in top dressing applications. The highest crop performance was
recorded in T9, which increased vine length (33%), leaf count (53%), branch
count (80.7%), leaf area (40.6%), fresh weight (77.6%), and dry weight of shoot
(193.6%) compared to T5. Moreover, T9 reached 50% flowering in 21 days and
produced a yield of 38.2 t/ha, showing a 229% increase over T5. The great
performance of T9 (100% MDOA) may be attributed to the addition of TSP in both
the first and second top dressings, which is absent in the DOA recommendation.
Adoption of the fertilizer application rate used in T9 could therefore support
better soil nutrient balance while maximizing gherkin productivity.
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Pages:25-31
How to cite this article:
S Sutharsan, M M S F Thasreeha Begum, M Rameskaran "Gherkin cultivation with different levels of inorganic fertilizers in the sandy regosols of Batticaloa district ". International Journal of Botany Studies, Vol 11, Issue 1, 2026, Pages 25-31
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