PERFORMANCE OF LETTUCE CULTIVARS OF THE CRISP AND BUTTER GROUP, IN HIDROPONICS CULTIVATION

Abstract

The objective of this study was evaluate behavior of ten lettuce cultivars, 6 of the crisp group (Deisy, Elba, Sabrina, Summer Green, Vera e Verônica) and 4 of the butter group (Áurea, Elisa, Lívia e Regina), on hydroponic ‘NFT’. Nine experiments were carried out at three seasons (autumn, winter and spring ), in completely randomized desing with four replications, in Marília, São Paulo, Brazil. In crisp group, fresh mass of aerial part and leaves/plant number were influenced by cultivation environment (P<0,01). In the same group cultivars influenced the first characteristic (P<0,05). Interaction between cultivars and cultivation environment were significant only for leaves/vegetable numbers. There were also significant differences for both characteristics in better group concerning environments, but among cultivars significant differences occurred only for leaves/plant number. The cultivar Summer Green was the only one showed fresh mass better performance. For leaf number, cultivars Summer Green and Vera presented lower values, but ‘Vera’ stood out for production. Verified for lettuces crisp group there was a great behavior variation of the cultivars, in relation to the environment they are submitted, showing that in hydroponics systems is also important to evaluate the different kinds of cultivars offered in market, looking for determinate the bests ones to grow in different seasons of the year. Keywords: Lactuca sativa, protected cultivation, hydroponics crop.