Organic manures are becoming important in the smallholder sector because of their ability to maintain ecosystem health and cheaply replenish nutrients that are lost due to soil erosion, leaching and crop removal. A field experiment was conducted in Mjinga communal area in Hurungwe District of Zimbabwe between July and October 2015, under irrigation to investigate the effects of organic manure application rates on the growth rate and fruit yield of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.). Two factor experiments were laid out in a randomized complete block design with 3 replications, with basal fertilizer type and nitrogen source as factors. Four application rates of cattle manure; 25 tonnes/ha, 50 tonnes/ha and 75 tonnes/ha as well as 600 kg of compound D (8% N; 14% P2O5; 7% K2O) (Control) were used as basal fertilizers, with ammonium nitrate (34.5% N) and poultry manure (1.2% N) as nitrogen sources. At 4 and 8 weeks after planting there were highly significant (p<0.05) trellis length differences due to both basal (p<0.05) and top dressing fertilizer effect (p<0.05). Interactions effect between basal and topdressing fertilizer types was also significant (p<0.05). The plots where 75 tonnes of cattle manure, and where compound D fertilizer were applied as basal fertilizer and in both cases, poultry manure applied as nitrogen source were superior in the parameters tested. These two treatments should therefore be considered for organic butternut production for both cost reduction and environmental protection.

Keywords: Communal farmer, cucumber, organic manures, cheap nutrient source, soil conditioner.