Effectiveness of manure under protected cultivation conditions

In modern agriculture, optimising the use of fertilisers is a key factor in enhancing cucumber yields. Manure, as a traditional organic fertiliser, alongside modern agronomic inputs such as mineral fertilisers and nanohumic substances, plays an important role in supplying plants with essential nutrients. This study aimed to conduct a comparative analysis of the effectiveness of traditional organic fertiliser (manure) when applied alone and in combination with nanohumic substance and mineral fertilisers on cucumber crops under greenhouse conditions. Such a comparison made it possible to determine optimal fertilisation strategies to achieve maximum cucumber yields. The research was carried out in greenhouse conditions using the cucumber hybrid Absolut. Various combinations of fertilisers, including manure, mineral fertilisers, and nanohumic substances, were applied during the experiment, followed by an analysis of their effects on yield and fruit quality. A positive influence of the full range of fertilisers – both mineral and manure, whether applied individually or in combination with nanohumic substance – on the productivity of cucumber plants were established. A particularly significant increase in cucumber yield was observed following the application of manure, although the average fruit weight was lower compared to the use of mineral fertilisers. However, the number of fruits per square metre significantly exceeded that recorded with mineral fertilisers, resulting in a higher overall yield. Thus, the application of mineral fertilisers increased cucumber yield to 14.88 kg per square metre, which was double the control value. When manure was used, the yield rose to 16.38 kg per square metre, representing a 10.08% increase compared with mineral fertilisers and a 2.2-fold increase over the control. The results of this study may be used by greenhouse operations and farmers to optimise cucumber fertilisation systems, thereby improving both yield and product quality