Objectives This research evaluates the effects of different chicken manure application rates on cucumber yield, quality and soil properties in a 4-year experiment to provide a theoretical basis for the sustainable production of cucumber in the study area.

Methods Field experiments were conducted from 2015 to 2018 in an irrigated desert soil and fluvo-aquic soil in Zhangye, Gansu Province, using ‘Jinyou 35’ cucumber cultivar as test material. Both experiments had five chicken manure application rates: 0 (CK), 15 t/hm² (CM15), 30 t/hm² (CM30), 45 t/hm² (CM45), and 60 t/hm² (CM60). In 2018, samples of the whole cucumber plant were collected for yield and quality analysis. Further, soi samples (0–20 cm topsoil) were collected to determine soil bulk density, pH, organic matter content, and enzyme activities.

Results Compared with CK, cucumber yield in CM15 did not increase significantly. However, CM30, CM45, and CM60 (P < 0.05) similarly increased cucumber yield significantly. The values ranged from 26.4%～33.0% in irrigated desert soil and 48.7%～50.1% in fluvo-aquic soil. Compared to the other treatments, CM15 and CM30 recorded higher values for the contents of soluble solids, soluble protein, soluble sugar and Vc in cucumber but the nitrate content in them decreased. An increase in chicken manure application rate decreased soil bulk density and pH but increased organic matter content, especially under CM30–CM60. The soil urease, invertase, alkaline phosphatase, and catalase activities were higher in CM30 and CM45 treatments. Cucumber yield was negatively correlated with soil bulk density and pH and positively correlated with soil organic matter content, urease, invertase and catalase activities. There were (P < 0.05) negative correlations between cucumber soluble solids and bulk density, soluble sugar content and soil pH, nitrate content and organic matter and soluble solids. In contrast, significant positive correlations were found between nitrate content and soil pH, Vc content and soil alkaline phosphatase activity, soluble protein and soil invertase activity, and soluble sugar content and soil invertase activity.

Conclusions Chicken manure application reduced soil bulk density and pH, increased organic matter content and enzyme activity, which correlates with the yield and quality of cucumber. Considering cucumber yield, quality, soil physical and chemical properties, and fertilizer efficiency, we recommend the application of 30 t/hm² chicken manure in both soil types tested.