COMPARING TWO CUCUMBER PLANTINGS
RLF Crop Nutrition Program versus Traditional Fertiliser Management
‘Fruit cucumber’, as it is known, has been increasing in consumer popularity in recent years. It brings high prices if high quality benefits can be demonstrated and more and more vegetable farmers have begun trying their hand at growing this vegetable crop.

In order to help the growers increase yield and economic benefits, the RLF Technology Team established a standard demonstration field in a greenhouse in Ruian, Wenzhou to gauge and measure the application effects of an RLF nutrition program for cucumber.

Demonstration Trial Details

Measurement of the Leaf

On 9th October 2019, twenty cucumbers were randomly selected from both the Control and RLF-treated fields and marked. Measurements were taken by plant height, leaf thickness at the same position (the fifth leaf from bottom to top) and chlorophyll content.

Leaf measurement data (before applying crop nutrition fertilisers)

The plant height and leaves of the test group were slightly weaker than that of the Control group, but the difference was not significant.

On October 25th, measure the related statistics again according to the previous marks:

Leaf measurement data (after applying crop nutrition programs)

All three indicators showed that the crop treated with an RLF crop nutrition program were better than that of the Control crop. In terms of leaf colour, the leaves of the RLF-treated crop were thicker and greener.

Measurement of the Fruit

Ten cucumbers were randomly selected from both the Control crop and the RLF-treated crop. The length, diameter and weight of each single cucumber was measured individually.

Cucumber measurement data taken on day-1, 1st November 2019

Cucumber measurement data continued on day-2, 2nd November 2019

After two days of measurement and comparison, the results showed that the advantages of cucumbers treated with an RLF crop nutrition program were obvious. The cucumber sticks were longer and thicker, the single fruit was heavier, and the economic benefits from the marketplace were better.

Measurement of Weight

From 1st – 17th November 2019 commercial cucumbers were picked and measured a total of eleven times.

At the same time defective and deformed cucumbers were picked and measured a total of five times.

The schedule of the weight measurement data is as follows:

Measurement Financial Returns

The income comparison data is as follows:

Based on the purchase price of 5.6 yuan/kg, and using the 11 times measurement comparisons, the yield of cucumbers treated with RLF products increased by 19.1 kg, the commercial rate increased by 1.7%, and the income increased by 107 yuan.

Measurement of Overall Trial

In the greenhouse cucumber cultivation environment, the RLF nutrition program has demonstrated the following characteristics:

1. Preservation of green leaves and prevention of premature aging
2. Improved qualities of the single cucumber, such as weight, thickness and length
3. Reduced rate of malformed and inferior fruits, and
4. Increased production and overall income

The Products Used