Variety of Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) Growth and Yield in Response to Various Organic Fertilizers in Makurdi, Nigeria

Abstract

This study was conducted in 2023 at the nursery of the Teaching and Research farm of the Department of Crop production of Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria. The experimental treatments were two (2) varieties of lettuce (ice berg and Butter head) and three (3) organic manure sources (Poultry dropping, cow dung, goat manure) and a control. An experiment was set up as a 2 x 4 factorial design using a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Data were collected from the following parameters, plant height, plant diameter, number of leaves, leaf area index (LAI), crop growth rate (CGR), roof weight, and fresh weight. All the study parameters of lettuce were significantly (P<0.05) different, on both organic manure, and variety. The iceberg variety surpassed the butter head variety, with statistically significant (P<0.05) differences observed in several parameters: plant height (20.32 cm), number of leaves (23.85), leaf area index (15.19 cm³), сrop growth rate (1.54 g m³ per day), chlorophyll content (23.32 mg/g), fresh weight (83.86 g), root weight (20.23 g), and yield (3.19 t/ha) Similarty, poutry droppings obtained significantly (P<0.05) better results in terms of plant height (21.73 cm), number of leaves (23 92), leaf area Index (16.75 cm²), crop growth rate (3.70 g m³ per day), chlorophyll content (25.73 mg/g), fresh weight (632.02 g), root weight (22.13 g) and yield (3.75 t/ha) as compared to other organic manure sources such as cow dung, goat manure and control. In addition, a significant difference (P<0.05) was observed in the interaction between lettuce varieties selection and organic fertilizers at various levels, particularly with the high level of iceberg x poultry manure