Evaluation of the response of some lettuce cultivars to growth, production, and quality indicators using hydroponic systems

AMAN IDELBE; HASSAN OBEAD; REYAD BALADIAH

AMAN IDELBE Department of Rural Engineering, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering, Damascus University, Syria
HASSAN OBEAD Department of Horticultural sciences, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering, Damascus University, Syria
REYAD BALADIAH Department of Rural Engineering, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering, Damascus University, Syria

Keywords: NFT; DWC; DST; Carotenoides; Romaine and Iceberg lettuce cultivars; Hydroponics

Abstract

The research was conducted at Abi Jarsh Farm in the Faculty of Agricultural Engineering at Damascus University during the first season of 2020-2021 and the second season (experi- mental repetition) of 2021-2022. The experiment aimed to study the evaluation of growth, production, and quality indicators for two lettuce varieties, Romaine and Iceberg, within various hydroponic techniques: Nutrient Film Technique (NFT), Drip System Technique (DST), Deep Water Culture (DWC), and using three different concentrations of nutrient solutions (100%, 50%, 25%). The results of the analysis of variance, according to chemical analyses, showed that the average of the Romaine variety had the highest percentage in the Carotenoids pigment estimation index for lettuce leaves compared to the Iceberg variety. Additionally, the Romaine variety recorded the highest percentage in the Total Soluble Sol- ids (TSS%) estimation index for lettuce leaves compared to the Iceberg variety. Meanwhile, the results of the variance analysis, according to physical tests, indicated that the average of the Iceberg variety had the highest percentage in the number of leaves compared to Ro- maine, while the Romaine variety recorded the highest value in the indicator of the total green length and inner stem