The cucumber yield per acre in Nigeria is 2 – 40 tons depending on the agronomic practices implemented by the farmer. An acre of cucumber can yield 40 – 100 bags depending on how the farmer cultivated the crop.
A harvested bag of cucumbers weigh 35 – 45 kg depending on the type of bags used. Cucumber farmers usually use the blue and yellow feed bags to pack harvested cucumbers in Nigeria.
The yield is one of the factors that is closely monitored by farmers when they grow cucumbers. The yield of cucumbers determines the profitability of the business of cucumber farming in Nigeria.
Factors that impact cucumber yield in Nigeria
The following factors impact the yield of cucumber in Nigeria:
- The fertility of the soil
- The type of fertilizers used
- The intensity of pests and diseases
- The quality of pesticides used
- Climatic conditions
- Availability of labour
- Weeds
The fertility of the soil
The level of nutrients in the soil can impact the yield of a cucumber farm. Soil rich in humus and the necessary nutrients can often lead to a high yield in cucumber farming.
Poor soil like sandy soil cannot support a high yield in cucumber cultivation.
The type of fertilizers used
A significant percentage of fertilizers sold in Nigeria are of a low quality. Using high quality fertilizers like calcium nitrate and potassium nitrate can lead to a high yield in your cucumber farm.
Using cheap and lesser quality fertilizers can lead to poor yield in your cucumber farm. You should do a soil test and get an agronomist to advise you on the right type of fertilizers to use for your cucumber farm.
The intensity of pests and diseases
Cucumber as a crop attracts a lot of pests. You are likely to see beetles and aphids on cucumber farms. Due to the climatic nature of Nigeria, there is a high risk that your cucumber plants will be affected with downy mildew.
If pests and diseases are not well controlled on your cucumber farm, your cucumber yield may be significantly low.
The quality of pesticides used
Nigeria has a problem of substandard pesticides and agro-inputs. Unfortunately, a lot of farmers do not know the intensity of this problem.
You should only buy your pesticides from accredited dealers. If you use low quality pesticides, you are likely to record a low yield in your cucumber farm.
Climatic condition
Cucumbers have a higher risk of getting diseases in hot tropical areas like Nigeria. This can reduce the overall cucumber yield.
Availability of labour
Without adequate labour, you will not be able to adequately weed your farm. You may not also be able to harvest your cucumbers on time. These problems can significantly reduce the yield of cucumbers.
Weeds
Weeds can reduce the yield of cucumber by almost 100%. It is not uncommon to see cucumber farms recording no yield at all because of weeds.
Herbicides and good weeding culture can be used to address the problem of weeds.
Do you grow cucumbers in Nigeria? If yes, why not share with us your cucumber yield per acre in the comments’ section.
Read about our latest article on Cucumber Spacing here.