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vol. 7, nr. 4 (2006)
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Straw substrates for lettuce cultivation
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Agnieszka Stępowska1, Jacek S. Nowak2
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1 Research Institute of Vegetable Crops, Department of Vegetable Cultivation and Nutrition |
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2 Research Institute of Pomology, Department of Ornamental Plants, ul. Pomologiczna 18, 96-100 Skierniewice |
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vol. 7 (2006), nr. 4,
pp. 1003-1014
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abstract:
Butterhead lettuce was cultivated on organic substrates in a greenhouse directly after a cucumber crop (summer cycle) and after a previous lettuce crop (autumn cycle). The following substrates were tested: coarse chaff of cereal straw (1cm pieces)-CC, fine chaff (0.5 cm pieces)-FC, fine chaff with composted pine bark mixed at 2:1 (FC/B1) and 1:2 (FC/B2), fine chaff with pine saw-dust at 2:1 (FC/S). The substrates were pressed in the form of slabs 100 x 20 x 10 cm and covered with plastic film. The physical properties of the substrates were measured before and after the cucumber crop, and chemical analysis was performed after cucumber and both lettuce cycle. The head weight, its marketable quality, and nitrate accumulation in leaves were evaluated. The lettuce heads quality and nitrate accumulation were affected by the physical properties of substrates and by macroelements uptake. Due to the good air-water conditions in mixed substrates, the rate of lettuce growth was better than in coarse and fine chaff. In consequence, the appearance of heads was superior, although no significant differences between average head weights and nitrate accumulation on chaff or its mixture with pine bark were noted. The results from both lettuce cultivation cycles were comparable.
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keywords:
aftercrop, organic substrates, straw, lettuce, plastic tunnel
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original in:
Polish
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