Influence of different doses of organic fertilizer from poultry fertilizer pellets on melon and cucumber crops

Organic fertilization is beginning to be widely applied in Romania, replacing with very good results chemical fertilizers, which led to pollution of the environment and food. The aim of this experiment was to establish the optimal dose of organic pellets fertilizer, from poultry farms, for melon crops in the field and cucumber crops in the greenhouse. Poultry fertilizer pellets were used, in doses of 1.5, 3, 4.5 and 6 t ha^‑1 and were applied on the soil surface and incorporated into the soil, before planting. The best results were obtained at a dose of 6 t ha^‑1, for both melons (35.812 t ha^‑1) and cucumbers (56.18 t ha^‑1). The average weight of the melon fruit was 1.456 kg, which was 308 g fruit^‑1 higher than the unfertilized control variant. Organic fertilizer from pelletized poultry manures also had a favourable influence on the early yield. Organic fertilizer from pelletized poultry manure, at a dose of 6 t ha^‑1, ensured significantly higher yields than unfertilized controls with 14.04 t ha^‑1 for melon crops and 10.76 t ha^‑1 for cucumber crops. Organic fertilizer from pelletized poultry manure, at a dose of 6 t ha^‑1, is a perspective fertilizer for vegetable crops.