Organic liquid fertilizer as base nutrient solution for growing lettuce in hydroponics
2010
Peñaranda, G.L., Rizal System Univ., Tanay, Rizal, 198 (Philippines). Coll. of Agriculture
Chicken manure tea was used as an alternative liquid nutrient solution to grow leaf-type lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) var. Waldmann's Green in two hydroponics sytems: the aggregate culture and the nutrient film technique. Lettuce was fed with pure chicken manure tea (PCMT), fortified chicken manure tea (FCMT) and the products was compared with lettuce grown by using inorganic nutrient solution (INS). The PCMT consists of 0.02% total nitrogen (N), 0.02% total phosphorus pentaoxide (P2O5), 0.15% total dipotassium oxide (K2O), 0.02% calcium oxide (CaO), 0.05% total magnesium oxide (MgO), 0.03% Sodium (Na), 1.26 ppm zinc (Zn), Trace Copper (Cu), 3.789 ppm Manganese (Mn) and 64.28 ppm Iron (Fe). The FCMT was formulated using the PCMT by adding in a 50-liter PCMT, 34.4 grams of calcium nitrate and 18.41 grams of magnesium sulfate. Adding of these salts increased the Total Dissolved Solutes (TDS) of the FCMT to 4,238 ppm and had a pH of 7.3. All nutrient solutions were maintained at a pH of 5.8 to 6.4 and TDS of 500-600 ppm during the first week, 700-750 ppm during the second week and 800-850 ppm on final week of growing lettuce. Results showed that there was no significant difference on growth performance of lettuce grown in two hydroponics systems and fed with PCMT, FCMT and INS. Lettuce grown in aggregates obtained an average economic yield of 53.1 grams, mean root weight of 20 grams and with a mean total biolgical yield of 66.5 grams. The organic nutrient solution was negative of Escherichia coli (E. coli). Lettuce leaf was also negative of E. coli. The use of PCMT reduced the cost of production and increased the net income. The return on investment using PCMT was 39%.
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