Impact of humic acid and micronutrients on economics of parthenocarpic cucumber under walk in net tunnel

Introduction

Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L., 2n = 14) is also called Khira and is believed to have originated in India. It thrives in tropical and subtropical climates (Thamburaj & Singh, 2005) [9] . It is a high-temperature preferring, frost-sensitive plant that thrives in warm and bright light. Area under cucumber in India is 131.49 '000 ha with production of 1759.07 '000 MT (Anon., 2023 a). [2] . The important cucumber growing states are West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Tripura, Telangana, Tamilnadu, Sikkim, Rajasthan, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Gujrat, Bihar, Haryana, Karnataka, and Chhattisgarh. In Chhattisgarh cucumber is grown on an area of 0.015 '000 Ha and production is 0.158 '000 MT (Anon., 2023 b) [3] . Major cucumber growing districts are Bijapur, Raigarh and Sukma. Cucumber may be grown all around the year in protected structure with great fruit yields and low disease and insect incidence. The nutrients elements that are required in small quantities are referred to as micro or trace elements. Plant growth and development are significantly influenced by micronutrients. Zinc is an important micronutrient for the activity of some enzymes and for the synthesis of tryptophan, a precursor of indole acetic acid (IAA) which increases the production of photosynthates and biomass accumulation, promoting plant growth and yield (Haleema et al., 2018) [4] . Iron is necessary for maintaining the structure and function of chloroplasts. Additionally, it is required for the synthesis of cytochrome and chlorophyll, which significantly boosts yield and growth (Kazemi, 2013) [5] . Boron helps in more photosynthetic activity hence more production and storage of carbohydrates. It also helps plants to flower and produce fruits hence enhancing their growth and yield (Patidar et al., 2017) [6] . Humic acid application significantly increases N, P, and K uptake in plants, which ultimately influences higher branches, number of flowers, fruits, yield (Sivakumar et al.,2007) [8] . Economics analysis of different nutrient treatments in cucumber is important for identifying cost-effective treatments.

Materials and Methods

The present experiment was conducted during 2025 Rabi season at Centre of Excellence on Protected Cultivation and Precision Farming, Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Raipur (Chhattisgarh). The geographical condition is extends from latitude 21° 23′′ to longitude 81° 65′′ and located at elevations 289.56 meters above sea level. The soil of the experimental field is clay-loam and having soil p H (7.2), electrical conductivity (2.0 dS m -1 ), organic carbon (0.472%), available nitrogen (154.78 kg ha -1 ), available phosphorus (52.08 kg ha -1 ) and available potassium (416.86 kg ha -1 ).The experiment was laid out in Randomized block design (RBD) with three replications and thirteen treatments consists of T 1: ZnSO 4 @ 20 ppm (FS) + Humic acid @ 0.1% (D), T 2: ZnSO 4 @ 20 ppm (FS) + Humic acid @ 0.2% (D), T 3: ZnSO 4 @ 40 ppm (FS) + Humic acid @ 0.1% (D), T 4: ZnSO 4 @ 40 ppm (FS) + Humic acid @ 0.2% (D), T 5: FeSO 4 @ 50 ppm (FS) + Humic acid @ 0.1% (D), T 6: FeSO 4 @ 50 ppm (FS) + Humic acid @ 0.2% (D), T 7: FeSO 4 @ 100 ppm (FS) + Humic acid @ 0.1% (D), T 8: FeSO 4 @ 100 ppm (FS) + Humic acid @ 0.2% (D), T 9: Boric acid @ 20 ppm (FS) + Humic acid @ 0.1% (D), T 10: Boric acid @ 20 ppm (FS) + Humic acid @ 0.2% (D), T 11: Boric acid @ 40 ppm (FS) + Humic acid @ 0.1% (D), T 12: Boric acid @ 40 ppm (FS) + Humic acid @ 0.2% (D), T 13: Control (only water spray). Humic acid was applied through drenching at 20, 40 and 60 days after sowing, whereas micronutrients were applied as foliar sprays at 25, 45 and 65 days after sowing. The economics of different treatments were calculated based on the cost of cultivation, gross return, net return and Benefit: Cost (B:C) ratio.

Economics of Cultivation

The input and output costs were determined treatment-wise based on current market prices, and various economic measures, such as the net profit and Benefit: Cost ratio, were calculated.

Cost of Cultivation

Each treatment's cultivation costs were determined individually, accounting for all cultural customs used in cucumber production. The cost of cultivation varied slightly among the treatments due to differences in the application dose of humic acid and micronutrients.

Gross return

Gross return is the total monetary value of produce obtained from a unit area during a cropping season, calculated by multiplying the yield with the prevailing market prices, without deducting the cost of cultivation.

Net return

The net return for each treatment was calculated individually by using the following formula.

Net return = Gross return-Total cost of cultivation

Benefit Cost ratio

The economics of cucumber production under a walk-in net tunnel were calculated using the prevailing prices of inputs and produce. The income per rupee spent (B:C ratio) was estimated in order to determine the feasibility of the treatments.

Gross return (Rs. ha -1 ) B:C ratio = Cost of cultivation (Rs. ha -1 )

Results and Discussion

The economic analysis of different treatments is presented in Table 1. Significant variations were observed among the treatments with respect to gross return, net return, and Benefit: Cost (B:C) ratio. Among all the treatments, T 12 recorded the highest gross return (12,33,000 Rs. ha⁻¹), net return (8,61,748 Rs. ha⁻¹), and B:C ratio (3.32), which was primarily attributed to its higher marketable fruit yield. The enhanced economic returns may be due to the positive influence of humic acid and micronutrients on plant growth, yield, and fruit quality, leading to increased productivity and better market value. In contrast, T 13 recorded the lowest gross return (9,09,000 Rs. ha⁻¹), net return (5,49,319 Rs. ha⁻¹), and B:C ratio (2.53), which could be attributed to its comparatively lower yield despite having a similar cost of cultivation. The higher profitability achieved under the superior treatment indicates that the additional investment in micronutrient application was effectively compensated by the increased yield and economic returns. These findings are in agreement with those of Sidhu et al. (2020) [7] , who reported a higher net return (6,28,660.38 [1] , who observed that the combined application of salicylic acid and micronutrients significantly enhanced crop productivity and economic returns.

Conclusion

The result of Economic analysis conclude that the most profitable treatment was T 12 [Boric acid @ 40 ppm (Foliar spray) + Humic acid 0.2% (Drenching)], resulting in the greatest gross return, net return, and Benefit: Cost ratio. Therefore, this treatment may be recommended for commercial cultivation to generate more economic profits.

References

1. Akshata, Shalini, M., Vasanthi, B. G. and Mallikarjuna Gowda, A. P. 2023. Effect of foliar application of Salicyclic acid (SA) along with Micronutrients (Boron & Zinc) on growth and yield of Parthenocarpic Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) Biological Forum-an Int. J., 15(11): 436-442.
2. Anon., 2023 a. National Horticulture Board, Ministry of Farmers and Welfare, Government of India, Statistics, Area and Production of horticultural crops. (3 rd Advance Estimates).
3. Anon., 2023 b. Directorate Horticulture and Farm Forestry, C.G., Department of Agriculture, Govt. of C.G. Raipur. Horticulture Statistics, Area and Production district wise.
4. Haleema, B., Rab, A. and Hussain, S.A. 2018. Effect of calcium, boron and zinc foliar application on growth and fruit production of tomato. Sarhad J. of Ahricult., 34(1): 19-30.
5. Kazemi, M. 2013. Effect of Zn, Fe and their combination on the growth and yield of tomato. Bulletin of Environ., Pharma. and Life Sci., 3(1): 109-114.
6. Patidar, D. K., Maurya, I. B., Singh, P., Khatik, V. K. and Singh, B. 2017. Effect of micronutrients on yield and economics of gynoecious cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) var. Kian under naturally-ventilated polyhouse. Int. J. Farm Sci., 7(2): 29-32.
7. Sidhu, M. K., Raturi, H. C., Singh, S. K., Bora, L. and Shukla, Y. R. 2020. Effect of foliar application of boron, iron and zinc on growth, yield and economics of cucumber grown under naturally ventilated polyhouse condition. Vegetable Science, 47(1): 110-115.
8. Sivakumar, K., Devarajan, L., Dhanasekaran, K., Venkatakrishnan, D., and Surendran, U. 2007. Effect of humic acid on the yield and nutrient uptake of rice. Oryza, 44(3): 277.
9. Thamburaj, S. and Singh, N. 2005. A Textbook of Vegetables, Tuber crops and Spices. ICAR, New Delhi. p. 254.