Variety, plant spacing, and NPK fertilizer rate influence postharvest quality and nutritional composition of cucumber fruits in Southwest Nigeria
- 1Centre of Excellence in Agricultural Development and Sustainable Environment (CEADESE), Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB)
- 2Department of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology, The Bells University
- 3Department of Plant Physiology and Crop Production, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB)
Abstract
Sustainable intensification of smallholder vegetable production in sub-Saharan Africa requires management strategies that advance crop yield, nutritional quality and fertilizer efficiency simultaneously, yet most tropical agronomic trials optimise only one dimension at a time. This four-trial, two-year field study evaluated two cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) varieties (CU 999, Monalisa), three plant spacings (75 × 25, 75 × 50, 75 × 75 cm) and four NPK 15-15-15 fertilizer rates (0, 100, 200, 300 kg ha−1) in a split-split plot RCBD with three replications at FUNAAB, southwestern Nigeria (2019–2020). The core finding was a consistent and mechanistically coherent trade-off: CU 999 at 75 × 75 cm × 300 kg ha−1 NPK ranked highest under multi-criteria analysis (TOPSIS closeness coefficient CC = 0.768), while treatments maximising per-hectare yield (CU 999, 75 × 25 cm) produced fruits with lower vitamin C concentrations driven by nutrient dilution at high plant density. CU 999 produced consistently firmer fruits, while Monalisa exhibited greener skin colour (more negative CIELAB a*) across all four trials. NPK at 300 kg ha−1 significantly increased vitamin A (up to 35.93 µg/100 g), vitamin C, vitamin K, dry matter and carbohydrate across trials. The principal recommendation is that CU 999 at 75 × 25 cm × 300 kg ha−1 NPK maximises per-hectare yield, while both varieties at 75 × 75 cm × 300 kg ha−1 are recommended for nutritional quality-premium markets. Economic and environmental feasibility of the 300 kg ha−1 rate warrants dedicated investigation under smallholder conditions. This study provides one of the first integrated multi-criteria decision frameworks for cucumber management in West Africa, advancing the methodological standard for sustainable intensification analysis in tropical vegetable systems.
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BibTeX
@article{falaiye2026variety,
title = {{Variety, plant spacing, and NPK fertilizer rate influence postharvest quality and nutritional composition of cucumber fruits in Southwest Nigeria}},
author = {O. O. Falaiye and A. O. Kasali and N. O. Adeyemi and O. E. Oni and R. A. Somoye and O. M. Falaiye and E. A. Adekunle},
journal = {Discover Plants},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1007/s44372-026-00957-7},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s44372-026-00957-7},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Variety, plant spacing, and NPK fertilizer rate influence postharvest quality and nutritional composition of cucumber fruits in Southwest Nigeria
AU - O. O. Falaiye
AU - A. O. Kasali
AU - N. O. Adeyemi
AU - O. E. Oni
AU - R. A. Somoye
AU - O. M. Falaiye
AU - E. A. Adekunle
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/25
JO - Discover Plants
DO - 10.1007/s44372-026-00957-7
UR - https://doi.org/10.1007/s44372-026-00957-7
AB - Sustainable intensification of smallholder vegetable production in sub-Saharan Africa requires management strategies that advance crop yield, nutritional quality and fertilizer efficiency simultaneously, yet most tropical agronomic trials optimise only one dimension at a time. This four-trial, two-year field study evaluated two cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) varieties (CU 999, Monalisa), three plant spacings (75 × 25, 75 × 50, 75 × 75 cm) and four NPK 15-15-15 fertilizer rates (0, 100, 200, 300 kg ha−1) in a split-split plot RCBD with three replications at FUNAAB, southwestern Nigeria (2019–2020). The core finding was a consistent and mechanistically coherent trade-off: CU 999 at 75 × 75 cm × 300 kg ha−1 NPK ranked highest under multi-criteria analysis (TOPSIS closeness coefficient CC = 0.768), while treatments maximising per-hectare yield (CU 999, 75 × 25 cm) produced fruits with lower vitamin C concentrations driven by nutrient dilution at high plant density. CU 999 produced consistently firmer fruits, while Monalisa exhibited greener skin colour (more negative CIELAB a*) across all four trials. NPK at 300 kg ha−1 significantly increased vitamin A (up to 35.93 µg/100 g), vitamin C, vitamin K, dry matter and carbohydrate across trials. The principal recommendation is that CU 999 at 75 × 25 cm × 300 kg ha−1 NPK maximises per-hectare yield, while both varieties at 75 × 75 cm × 300 kg ha−1 are recommended for nutritional quality-premium markets. Economic and environmental feasibility of the 300 kg ha−1 rate warrants dedicated investigation under smallholder conditions. This study provides one of the first integrated multi-criteria decision frameworks for cucumber management in West Africa, advancing the methodological standard for sustainable intensification analysis in tropical vegetable systems.
SN - 3005-1207
ER -