Dubai Trial: Growing Cucumbers In The Desert
International Centre for Biosaline Agriculture
Efficacy of Swift Grow Liquid Fertilizer on Cucumber Yield Response Under UAE Condition
TRIAL OBJECTIVES
Reducing fertilizer and water use in crop production is an overarching goal to ensure more sustainable and responsible use of resources. One way to achieve this goal is to use organic fertilizers. Therefore, it is important to develop and test organic fertilizers in the market for their effects on important parameters such as yield and water use efficiency.
In this research, we tested the efficacy of a fish manure organic liquid fertilizer with the Swift Grow trademark, produced by River Stone Fish Farm, Australia (known in the UAE as Ocean Bio Fert), on cucumber crop cultivation. Cucumber was chosen as the trial representative crop commonly grown and consumed in the UAE to empirically determine the yield comparison with mineral fertilizer under UAE hot and dry growing conditions.
TRIAL APPROACH
The two fertilizers effect on cucumber yield were tested in two substrates (peatmoss and sand mixed with compost) in fan cooled greenhouse with inside temperatures reaching up to 45 degrees Celsius. The study was conducted in partnership between River Stone Fish Farm, Australia; Desert Group LLC UAE (UAE distributor of Swift Grow), and ICBA September 2021.
KEY TRIAL FINDINGS
- 20% yield increase from Swift Grow Liquid Fertilizer in the sand substrate and 6% more in the peatmoss substrate than the control NPK fertilizer applications.
- Swift Grow liquid fertilizer increased the number of cucumbers harvested in both substrates at 30% more in the sand substrate and 2% more in the peatmoss substrate.
- The plants growth speed (plant height, internode development) was similar between treatments.
- Chlorophyll content of the leaves which indicates leaf N level was not affected by the fertilizer.
- Swift Grow fertilized soils had 14 – 20% higher soil moisture in the sand/compost substrate, and 11-14% higher soil moisture levels than control fertilized soils in peat moss substrate. This higher soil moisture level is partly as a result of a higher soil water holding capacity of the SG fertilized substrates as demonstrated by lower runoff (drainage) volume as in these substrates.
