Optimizing Water and Nutrient Use Efficiency Through Deficit Irrigation and Fertilization Strategies in Cucumber (Cucumis Sativus L.)

Water scarcity and declining soil fertility are major constraints to sustainable vegetable production in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly under rain-fed and poorly managed irrigation systems. This study examined how deficit irrigation, together with integrated fertilization methods, affected water-use efficiency (WUE) and nutrient-use efficiency (NUE) in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) plants. The study utilized a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications to conduct experiments in Asaba, Delta State, Nigeria. The study applied three irrigation treatments, including full crop water supply at 100% and reduced supplies at 75% and 50% of crop water need, together with two NPK treatments at 60 and 120 kg/ha, two poultry manure treatments at 3 and 6 t/ha, and control plots. Fruit yield fluctuated drastically over the course of the experiments; it ranged from 2.26 t/ha with I50N0M0 to 4.78 t/ha with I100N6M6, an increase of 111.5%.