Performance of Lettuce Cultivars Applied with Organic Concoctions

Abstract

Lettuce (Latuca sativa L.) is widely consumed leafy vegetable known for its high nutritional value and fast growth cycle. The application of organic concoctions offers a sustainable alternative to synthetic inputs, potentially enhancing the growth, yield and quality of lettuce crops. This study was conducted to determine the performance in growth, yield and sensory quality of Lettuce Cultivars applied with different organic concoctions. It was laid out in 3x4 factorial design replicated three times, factor A with different lettuce cultivars such as (A₁) Lollo Bionda, (A₂) Lollo Rossa and (A₃) Eton, while the Factor B were treatments with different organic concoctions: (B₂) Fermented Plant Juice, (B₃) Fermented Fruit Juice, and (B₄) organic commercial foliar fertilizer along with (B₁) control were tested under greenhouse condition. Base on the findings the application of Treatment B₂ (Fermented Plant Juice) significantly enhances the vegetative growth of lettuce across all measured parameters: plant height, number of leaves, leaf and root length with results comparable to Treatment B₄ (Organic Commercial Foliar Fertilizer) and in some cases, Treatment B₁ (Control). The biological and economical yield was significantly influenced by the application of FPJ in Eton variety. The plant height, number of leaves, leaf and root length, biological and economic yield, sensory evaluation parameters such as aroma, appearance, crispiness, and general acceptability were not significantly affected by the different varieties and their interaction with organic concoctions. While the taste of lettuce significantly influenced cultivar Lollo Bionda with FPJ application and their interaction. FPJ also significantly improve the sensory quality of lettuce in aroma, appearance, crispiness and general acceptance. These findings suggest that fermented plant juice is highly effective in promoting growth and yield and improving sensory quality attributes of lettuce cultivars, making it a promising and sustainable organic input for leafy vegetable production.