Vol. 12, Issue 8 (2023)

Author(s):
A Kingsly Raj, KR Vijayalatha, V Jegadeeswari, A Sabir Ahamed and P Saravana Pandian

Abstract:
The study was contemplated to compare the performance of lettuce grown in hydroponic systems using the Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) (S₁) and the Dutch Bucket System (S₂), as well as three different media (M₁-Coco peat, M₂-LECA ball, and M₃-Rocl wool). Using a Factorial Completely Randomized Design (FCRD), the experiment was set up with two replications at the Department of Vegetable Science, Horticultural College and Research Institute for Women, Tiruchirappalli. The observations viz., Plant height (cm), root length (cm), shoot length (cm), number of leaves per plant, leaf area index (LAI), leaf Area Ratio (LAR), leaf chlorophyll content (LCC-SPAD Value), yield (g/plant) were determined. During the course of the trial, a constant pH between 6.5 and 6.8 and an EC of about 1.8 dS m^-1 were maintained. The results of the study revealed that (S₁M₁) NFT system with coco peat media recorded the highest yield and growth parameters when compared to other treatments. The treatment S₂M₂ dutch bucket system using LECA ball medium exhibited the lowest yield and other growth characteristics.