Growth of lettuce seedlings in different substrates

Abstract

This research studied the growth of lettuce seedlings (Lactuca sativa L. cv. Veronica) cultivated under greenhouse conditions, using polystyrene trays with 128 cells and three different commercial substrates: Golden Mix, Plantmax and Plugmix. The statistical design was in the form of randomized blocks, with eight (8) replications. Fifteen days after sowing the seeds, samples (five in total) of plants were taken to evaluate the height, number of leaves, leaf area, leaf specific area, leaf specific weight, absolute and relative growth rates and net assimilation rates. The evaluated growth indexes showed that seedlings produced with the Plantmax and Plugmix substrates could be planted 25 days after sowing, since they have at least four definitive leaves. The Plantmax substrate showed, at the end of the evaluation, the best results in height, dry weight, leaf specific area, absolute growth rates and net assimilation rates.

Keywords

• vegetable
• physiological characteristics
• morphological characteristics
• nursery