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Effect of nutrient concentration and growing seasons on growth, yield and quality of leafy lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) in a hydroponic system
Dissertation (MInstAgrar)--University of Pretoria, 2012.
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University of Pretoria
2013
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| _version_ | 1867613457436639232 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author2 | Soundy, Puffy |
| author_browse | Soundy, Puffy |
| author_facet | Soundy, Puffy |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | © 2012 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria |
| description | Dissertation (MInstAgrar)--University of Pretoria, 2012. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/25849 |
| institution | University of Pretoria (South Africa) |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:36:27.243Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| publishDate | 2013 |
| publishDateRange | 2013 |
| publishDateSort | 2013 |
| publisher | University of Pretoria |
| publisherStr | University of Pretoria |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| spelling | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/25849 Effect of nutrient concentration and growing seasons on growth, yield and quality of leafy lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) in a hydroponic system Soundy, Puffy Du Plooy, C.P. chiloanes@arc.agric.za Chiloane, Thikanang Silence Lactuca sativa l. Quality Yield Growth Leafy lettuce Growing seasons UCTD Dissertation (MInstAgrar)--University of Pretoria, 2012. Lettuce is becoming an increasingly important vegetable, both as a fresh market product and a ready-to use vegetable, especially in urban areas of South Africa. Nutrient solution concentration is one of the most practical and effective ways of controlling and improving the yield and nutritional quality of crops for human consumption. However, optimal fertilizer concentration for leafy vegetables also depends on the prevailing environmental conditions. This study was carried out to determine the effects of different nutrient solution concentrations and growing seasons on growth, yield and quality of leafy lettuce. The trial was conducted in a black and white shade net structure and the nutrient concentration treatments were 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, and 4.0 mS.cm-1. Measurements taken included: leaf number, leaf area, fresh leaf mass, dry leaf mass, dry root mass, as well as chlorophyll content. The sensory evaluation procedure was only done on plant samples grown during summer and winter seasons. The results showed that growth was less affected by nutrient concentration than by growing season. Regardless of the nutrient concentration, plants grown in summer reached maturity quicker as compared to plants grown in winter. Generally, leaf number, leaf area, leaf area index, fresh leaf mass, dry leaf mass and dry root mass did not significantly increase with increasing nutrient concentrations and therefore, yield was not influenced by nutrient concentrations. Quality was influenced by nutrient concentrations during the summer-autumn seasons where increasing nutrient concentration induced increased chlorophyll content of the leaves. During the winter-spring seasons this phenomenon was not significant. The study demonstrated that growth, yield and quality of lettuce were not significantly influenced by nutrient solution concentrations of 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0 mS.cm-1. The sensory evaluation also showed no significant differences on the colour (quality) and flavor of the lettuce samples grown during summer and winter seasons and unfortunately it was not done during autumn and spring seasons. Irrespective of the nutrient solution concentration, growth was influenced by growing season because plants grown during summer reached maturity quicker as compared to plants grown during the other seasons. Plant Production and Soil Science unrestricted 2013-09-07T00:55:05Z 2013-06-27 2013-09-07T00:55:05Z 2013-04-12 2012 2013-06-25 Dissertation Chiloane, TS 2012, Effect of nutrient concentration and growing seasons on growth, yield and quality of leafy lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) in a hydroponic system, MInstAgrar dissertation, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd < http://hdl.handle.net/2263/25849 > E13/4/555/gm http://hdl.handle.net/2263/25849 http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-06252013-130638/ © 2012 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria application/pdf University of Pretoria |
| spellingShingle | Lactuca sativa l. Quality Yield Growth Leafy lettuce Growing seasons UCTD Effect of nutrient concentration and growing seasons on growth, yield and quality of leafy lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) in a hydroponic system |
| title | Effect of nutrient concentration and growing seasons on growth, yield and quality of leafy lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) in a hydroponic system |
| title_full | Effect of nutrient concentration and growing seasons on growth, yield and quality of leafy lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) in a hydroponic system |
| title_fullStr | Effect of nutrient concentration and growing seasons on growth, yield and quality of leafy lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) in a hydroponic system |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effect of nutrient concentration and growing seasons on growth, yield and quality of leafy lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) in a hydroponic system |
| title_short | Effect of nutrient concentration and growing seasons on growth, yield and quality of leafy lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) in a hydroponic system |
| title_sort | effect of nutrient concentration and growing seasons on growth yield and quality of leafy lettuce lactuca sativa l in a hydroponic system |
| topic | Lactuca sativa l. Quality Yield Growth Leafy lettuce Growing seasons UCTD |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/2263/25849 http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-06252013-130638/ |