engleski

YIELD AND QUALITY OF LETTUCE (Lactuca sativa L.) CULTIVARS AS AFFECTED BY IRRIGATION

The field study was conducted in the eastern, continental part of the Republic of Croatia. The study period was during the lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) growing period, from the 4th of March to 21st May, 2019. The impact of irrigation and cultivars on the yield (kg m2) and quality (head weight (g), head diameter (cm), number of leaves per head, root length (cm), root weight (g), and root diameter (cm)) of lettuce was studied. The field study was set up as a split-plot scheme in three replicates. Lettuce was irrigated with a dripping system. Irrigation water added in one irrigation event was as follows: a1=5 L m2, a2=10 L m2, and a3=15 L m2. Two cultivars of lettuce were planted: crystal (b1) and butterhead lettuce (b2). Net irrigation rate was: a1=20 mm, a2=40 mm, and a3=60 mm. A significant impact of irrigation (p<0.01) treatment was noted for leaf number per head, whereby the maximum number of lettuce leaves was recorded on a3 irrigation treatment (n=22), which is the treatment with the highest irrigation rate. The maximum root length was recorded on a1 irrigation treatment, which is the treatment with the lowest irrigation rate (a1=14.9 cm, a2=14.7 cm, and a3=13.5 cm). The lettuce cultivar significantly affected the yield, whereby a significantly higher yield (p<0.05) was achieved with the crystal lettuce cultivar (b1=3.63 kg/m2). Also, the lettuce cultivar significantly (p<0.05) affected the lettuce head weight (b1=0.38 kg) as well as the diameter of the lettuce head (b1=32.96 cm) and the number of leafs per head (b1=23, b2=17). A strong negative correlation was found between yield and root length (r=-0.8), head weight and root length (r=-0.8), and leaf number per head and root length (r=-0.9). A strong positive correlation was found between yield and head weight (r=0.9), head diameter (r=0.8), and leaf number per head (r=0.8).

Irrigation rate ; lettuce cultivar ; yield ; quality

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