Effect of Liquid Vermicompost on Quality Properties of Different Lettuce Varieties

Abstract

The experiment was conducted in one of the unheated plastic polyethylene (PE) greenhouses of Ege University- Bayındır Vocational Training School -TURKİYE during the winter-early spring of 2019-2020. The goal of the trial was to evaluate the effects of liquid vermicompost (LVC) on Iceberg (Head salad) and Lolo rosso (Lactuca sativa) lettuce in a floating hydroponic system. Two types of growing pools were used as the growing media, one was made of galvanized steel and the other plastic polyethylene. Both pools were covered with a polyethylene at a height of 1 meter from the ground. Lettuce seedlings were transplanted into pools filled with water and a week later Liquid Vermicompost (LVC) and Hoagland Nutrient Solution (HNS) were added to the growing media according to the treatments. The trial was set up in a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with 3 treatments and 3 replications in both of the lettuce varieties. 1. Application: HNS +LVC; 2. Application (HNS); 3. Application (LVC). Lettuce leaves were harvested 84 days after the LVC and HNS applications and prepared for analysis. In this research, in order to determine the impact of liquid vermicompost on Iceberg and Lolo rosso lettuce varieties total yield, marketable yield, the number of leaves discarded, root length and root weights were determined after harvested plants. In both of the lettuce varieties, results indicated that the highest marketable yields were obtained in the first treatment (HNS+LVC). The highest root length and root weight were also determined in the first treatment. It can be concluded that adding liquid vermicompost (100 ml / 100 L water ratio) to the growing solutions of Iceberg (Head lettuce) and Lolo rosso (Lactuca sativa) lettuce varieties, high performances can be obtained.