EFFECTS OF NANOTECHNOLOGY LIQUID FERTILIZERS ON THE PLANT GROWTH AND YIELD OF CUCUMBER (Cucumis sativus L.)

Various fertilizers are used in order to increase the yield and quality of the cultivated vegetables. Therefore, products obtained from different sources can be used as fertilizer. Fertilizers produced with nanotechnology are one of them. Fertilizers derived from nanotechnology have started to attract attention in agriculture nowadays. This study was undertaken to determine the effects of nanotechnology liquid fertilizer on the plant growth and yield of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.). The experiment was carried out in the Department of Horticulture at Ataturk University under unheated greenhouse conditions in Erzurum, Turkey, in 2011-2012. The doses of 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0 L ha(-1) of Nanonat and Ferbanat were used as fertilizer source. The plant leaves were sprayed with Nanonat and Ferbanat suspension until becoming wet at ten day intervals for three times during plant growth. The results showed that the fertilizer treatments significantly improved the yield compared to control. According to the average of years the highest yield (149.17 t ha(-1)) occurred in Ferbanat 4.0 L ha(-1) application. As a result, this study suggested that the foliar applications of liquid fertilizer could improve the plant growth and yield of cucumbers.