Effect of Soil and Soilless Media on Agro Morphological, Yield and Economics of Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) Cultivars Under Protected Condition

Abstract

An investigation was conducted at CPCT, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi in 2022 to 23 to study the impact of soil and soilless media on lettuce cultivars. The study used a factorial randomized block design with 3 replications. Various agro morphological and yield parameters were analyzed for different lettuce genotypes. The results showed that lettuce grown in soil media had better outcomes, except for root length and weight, which were higher in soilless media. Among the varieties, V9 (Lollo Rossa) performed well, while V12 (Red Rose) performed poorly in leafy types. Concerning head types, V16 (Great Lakes) performed well, while V15 (Butterhead Green) performed poorly. Regarding economics, the cost of cultivation was consistent across all cultivars. However, V9 (Lollo Rossa) had the highest gross income, net returns, and benefit-cost ratio for leafy types, while V12 (Red Rose) had the lowest. Among the head types, V16 (Great Lakes) had the highest gross income, net returns, and benefit-cost ratio, while V15 (Butterhead Green) had the lowest. Soilless media resulted in higher cultivation expenses and lower gross income, net returns, and benefit-cost ratio than soil-based cultivation. In conclusion, Lettuce production has been determined to thrive best in soil, making it the most suitable medium for cultivation.