Integrated nutrient management in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.)
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Date
2021
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AAU, Jorhat
Abstract
A field experiment was conducted at the Experimental Farm, Department of Horticulture, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat during the year 2019-20 and 2020-21 to study the effect of integrated nutrient management on growth, yield and quality of lettuce. The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design (RBD) with eight treatments replicated thrice. The treatments were T1: Control, T2: 40:20:40 Kg NPK ha-1, T3: 40:20:40 Kg NPK ha-1+ FYM 2t ha-1, T4: 40:20:40 Kg NPK ha-1 +FYM 2t ha-1 + PSB, T5: FYM 3t ha-1+ PSB, T6: 40:20:40 Kg NPK ha-1 +VC 1t ha-1, T7: 40:20:40 Kg NPK ha-1 + VC 1t ha-1 +PSB and T8: VC 2t ha-1 + PSB. Observations of the growth parameters were taken at 30 days after planting (DAP), 45 days after planting (DAP) and at harvest.
Analysis of variance during 2019-20, 2020-21 and across the years revealed significant mean square due to treatment for all the characters under study. The characters studied were plant height, leaves per plant, leaf length, leaf breadth, leaf canopy spread, leaf area, fresh weight, dry weight, days to marketable maturity, yield per plot and yield per hectare.The pooled analysis across 2019-20 and 2020-21 revealed that the treatment T7 recorded maximum plant height (14.25cm, 19.17cm and 26.92cm) and maximum leaves per plant (10.00, 17.17 and 29.17) at 30 DAP, 45 DAP and at harvest, respectively. The leaves per plant in the treatment T4 (9.88) at 30 DAP was statistically at par with treatment T7. Maximum leaf length (16.33cm, 22.67cm and 27.64cm) and leaf breadth (16.08cm, 22.17cm and 27.67cm) were exhibited by the treatment T7 at all the three growth stages. Leaf length in the treatments T4 (16.00cm) and T6 (15.48cm) were statistically at par with treatment T7 at 30 DAP. Maximum leaf canopy spread (12.6cm, 21.33cm and 29.75cm) and maximum leaf area (198.95cm², 347.29cm² and 543.33cm²) were observed in the treatment T7 at 30 DAP, 45 DAP and at harvest, respectively. Maximum fresh weight of leaves (206.33g) as well as dry weight of leaves per plant (13.85g) were exhibited by the treatment T7 whereas, minimum of these were recorded by the treatment T1. The highest yield (27.5 t/ha) was exhibited by the treatment T7. Minimum number of days to reach the marketable maturity was observed in the treatments T4 and T7 with values 53 days whereas maximum number of days (63 days) for the same character was observed in the treatment T1. The highest moisture content (96.28 %) was observed in the treatment T6.
The integrated application of organic, inorganic and biofertilizers influenced the nutritional content of lettuce significantly. The ascorbic acid content (3.76mg/100g), calcium content (20.67mg/100g), non-reducing sugar content (3.98 %) and chlorophyll content (3.77mg/100g) were recorded maximum in treatment T7 whereas the maximum iron content (1.50 mg/100g) was observed in the treatment T5.The highest nitrogen (0.23%) and the crude protein content (1.44%) were observed in both the treatments T6 and T7. Maximum reducing sugar content was observed in T4.
The highest net return (Rs. 192703.00) was obtained in the treatment T7 with benefit cost ratio 2.34. However, the highest benefit cost ratio was exhibited by the treatment T4 (2.58) with a net return of Rs. 189703.00 due to high cost of production in T7.