INFLUENCE OF VARIETIES ON THE PERFORMANCE OF CUCUMBER (Cucumis sativus L.) IN MUBI ADAMAWA STATE, NIGERIA

A field experiment was conducted during the 2025 cropping season at the Food Agricultural Organization (FAO)/ Tree Crop Production (TCP) Teaching and Research Farm, Adamawa State University, Mubi, to evaluate the performance of three cucumber [Cucumis sativus (L.) varieties Dasher II, Vietnam, and Persian—under rain-fed conditions. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. Results showed significant varietal differences in vegetative growth and flowering behavior. Dasher II recorded the tallest plants at 3, 6, and 9 WAS with mean heights of 8.80 cm, 38.30 cm, and 61.65 cm, respectively, while Persian had the shortest (6.03 cm, 24.50 cm, and 47.81 cm). Leaf number differed slightly, with Vietnam having the highest leaves at 6 and 9 WAS (22.93 and 46.27, respectively). Vietnam flowered earliest with 35.66 days to first flowering and 42.66 days to 50% flowering, compared to Dasher II which flowered last (44.33 and 49.00 days, respectively). In yield attributes, Dasher II produced significantly the longest fruit (21.63 cm), while Vietnam had the highest fruit diameter (62.83 mm), fruits per plant (9.66), and fruit yield (3.33 kg/plant) though these were not statistically significant. Persian consistently recorded the lowest yield values. The study revealed that Vietnam was superior in earliness and yield traits, while Dasher II excelled in vegetative growth and fruit length. Persian performed the least across most parameters.