2026 Vol-6 Issue-2 | GROWTH AND YIELD RESPONSE OF CUCUMBER TO DEFICIT DRIP IRRIGATION AND ORGANIC SUBSTRATE BLENDS

Water scarcity and poor substrate management pose significant challenges to sustainable vegetable farming in sub-Saharan Africa. This study explored how deficit drip irrigation and organic waste-based substrates affect cucumber growth, yield, and water-use efficiency (WUE) under controlled conditions. Researchers conducted a factorial experiment with three irrigation levels (100%, 75%, and 40% of crop evapotranspiration) and three substrate mixtures (soil, sawdust, and poultry manure). The design included three replications to ensure reliability. Results indicated that the combination of irrigation and substrate significantly influenced cucumber growth and yield. The highest yield of 1.64 kg per plant occurred with full irrigation and a substrate mix of 50% soil, 30% sawdust, and 20% poultry manure. Interestingly, the 75% irrigation level yielded nearly the same at 1.64 kg per plant, with only a slight reduction. WUE peaked at 23.8 kg per cubic meter under the 75% irrigation, showing a notable improvement over full irrigation. However, severe deficit irrigation (40% ETc) resulted in a 36.2% yield drop. The study highlights that combining moderate deficit irrigation with optimised organic substrates can boost cucumber production while conserving water, offering a sustainable solution for farming in water-scarce regions.