Combined application of bacterial biofertilizers, seaweed, and Thymbra spicata extract enhanced productivity, nutritional value, and postharvest shelf life of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.).

Environmentally friendly biostimulants and biofertilizers have emerged as promising alternatives to synthetic agricultural inputs for improving crop productivity, fruit quality, and postharvest longevity. This study investigated the effects of Thymbra spicata L. extract at 0% (E0), 10% (TE1), and 20% (TE2), applied individually or in combination with seaweed biofertilizer (1%) (SB) and bacterial biofertilizer (10%) (BB), on the growth, yield, physiological responses, and postharvest characteristics of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L. var. eureka) under field conditions. The experiment was conducted as a factorial arrangement in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The results showed that the combined application of TE1 + SB + BB was the most effective treatment with respect to yield, vitamin C content, antioxidant activity, and postharvest longevity. Compared with the untreated control, this treatment increased fruit number by 29.32%, total yield by 43.23%, fruit firmness by 22.34%, vitamin C content by 33.25%, antioxidant activity by 72.93%, and shelf life by 121.67%, while reducing fruit weight loss by 45.67%. Although several other treatments improved specific physiological and biochemical traits, TE1 + SB + BB provided the greatest benefits for the major yield- and postharvest-related attributes evaluated in this study. These findings indicated that integrating 10% T. spicata extract with seaweed and bacterial biofertilizers enhanced cucumber yield, antioxidant capacity, and postharvest longevity, and could represent an effective and sustainable approach for cucumber production.