Niveles de fósforo en el cultivo de pepino (cucumis sativus) en el cantón El Carmen.

Abstract

The trial was carried out in the canton of El Carmen, province of Manabí, specifically at km 9 of the Pupusa road, in the Palma Sola precinct. The general objective of this research was to evaluate phosphorus levels in the cucumber (Cucumis sativus) crop in this region. A randomized complete block design (RCBD) was used, which allowed an effective comparison between the different treatments applied. The independent variables included four phosphorus levels: 0 kg ha-¹, 35 kg ha-¹, 70 kg ha-¹ and 105 kg ha-¹, while the dependent variables studied were number of leaves, stem thickness and plant height. The results showed significant differences in the number of leaves per plant, being the treatment with 35 kg ha-¹ of phosphorus the one that presented the highest quantity, in contrast with the control that did not receive fertilization. In addition, an increase in stem thickness and plant height was observed as phosphorus levels increased, suggesting that adequate fertilization can improve the vegetative development of cucumber. These findings highlight the importance of optimizing phosphorus use to maximize crop yield in El Carmen canton.