ISHS Acta Horticulturae 807: International Symposium on Strategies Towards Sustainability of Protected Cultivation in Mild Winter Climate
IMPROVED CULTIVATION OF LETTUCE WITH A LOW COST SOILLESS SYSTEM IN INDIGENT AREAS OF NORTHEAST BRAZIL |
| Authors: | M. Fecondini, M. Casati, M. Dimech, N. Michelon, F. Orsini, G. Gianquinto |
| Keywords: | Lactuca sativa, simplified hydroponics, urban agriculture, sustainable horticulture |
| DOI: | 10.17660/ActaHortic.2009.807.73 |
| Abstract:
The purpose of this research was to determine the performances of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) using low cost soilless gardens in peri-urban areas of the city of Teresina (Piaui-Brazil). In the suburbs of main cities, the introduction of gardening activities may be a sustainable tool to reduce poverty and improve food security. However, due to low access to fertile land horticultural production is constrained. The introduction of low cost hydroponic gardens may be a sustainable way to launch horticultural production in roof, terraces and courtyard. The proposed soilless system is constituted by sloped lines of plastic bottles connected together into a closed pipeline. Four experiments were conducted between June and September 2007, in order to evaluate the effects of garden orientation (west-east vs. east-west), applied nutrient solution (comparison between two nutrient solution, namely Maceiò and La Molina) and cultivar (‘4 Estacoes’, ‘Elisa’, ‘Banchu’, ‘Grand Rapids’, ‘Solaris’, ‘Veronica’, ‘Isabella’, ‘Red Comet’), garden slope (17, 22, 27%). Best performances were achieved with east-oriented slopes, Banchu and Red Comet cultivars and lower slope (17%). Period from sowing to harvest was particularly short (44 days), and yield reached 3.7 kg m-2. | |
Download Adobe Acrobat Reader (free software to read PDF files) | |
