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Effects of Plant Spacing and Mulching on Yield and Profitability of Lettuce (lactuca Sativa L.)

M. MONIRUZZAMAN
Agricultural Research Station, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Raikhali, Chandraghona, Rangamati Hill District, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

A field experiment with three levels of spacing (40 x 20 cm, 40 x 30 cm and 40 x 40 cm) and two levels of mulching (mulch and non-mulch) was conducted to find out the effect of plant spacing and mulching on yield and profitability of lettuce cv. Green Wave at the Agricultural Research Station, Raikhali, Rangamati Hill District for the two consecutive years during 1999-00 and 2000-01. Plant spacing, mulching and their interaction showed significant effect on yield and yield components of lettuce. The highest fresh yield of lettuce was obtained from the closest spacing (40 x 20 cm) that was statistically similar to that recorded of medium spacing (40 x 30 cm) during both the years. Significantly higher fresh yield of lettuce was obtained from the mulched plants than that of unmulched plants. The highest yield (25.9 t/ha in 1999-00 and 28.3 t/ha in 2000-01 with an average of 27.10 t/ha) was observed in the spacing of 40 x 20 cm with mulch, which was statistically at par with the spacing of 40 x 30 cm with mulch. The results also revealed that higher Gross Return (Tk. 216, 800.00) was obtained from the closest spacing in combination with mulch followed by medium spacing (40 x 30 cm) with mulch (Tk. 210, 160.00). The treatment combination of 40 x 30 cm spacing and mulching gave the highest benefit cost ratio (8.84). But the benefit cost ratio (4.22) from the treatment combination of 40 x 20 cm spacing and mulching was less due to the involvement of higher seedling cost.

Keywords: Spacing, Mulching, Lettuce, Yield, Profitability

Location: Agricultural Research Station, Raikhali, Rangamati Hill District.

Start Date: 00-11-1999

End Date: 00-02-2001

Program Area: Crop-Soil-Water Management

Commodity: Lettuce

Objectives:

The present investigation was carried out to find out the optimum plant spacing and effect of mulching to achieve better yield and profitability of lettuce.

Methodology:

The experiment was conducted from November 1999 to February 2001 at the Agricultural Research Station, Raikhali, Rangamati Hill District. The soil was sandy clay loam with 5.4 pH and contained 1.48% organic matter. The total nitrogen, available phosphorus and exchangeable potassium were 0.078%, 8.0 mg/g and 0.17 meq/100 g soil, respectively. The treatments of the experiment comprised of three different plant spacing (40 x 20 cm, 40 x 30 cm and 40 x 40 cm) and two levels of mulching (mulch and no mulch). The experiment was laid out in a factorial randomized complete block design with three replications. The size of the unit plot was 4.0m x 1.2 m. The lettuce (cv. Green Wave) seeds were sown on 5 November 1999 and 15 November 2000 in poly bag (7 x 6 cm) filled with a growing medium composed of 1:1 mixture of well-decomposed cowdung and sandy loam soil. Watering was done to polybag everyday with a fine-meshed water can. Twenty five days old seedlings were transplanted on 01 December 1999 and 10 December 2000. Manures and fertilizers were applied @ cowdung 10 ton, Urea 300 kg, TSP 200 kg and MP 150 kg per hectare. Half of the cowdung was applied during land preparation. The remaining cowdung, one third urea, the entire amount of TSP and half of MP were applied during final land preparation. The rest of MP and urea was top-dressed in two equal splits at 7 days interval after transplanting in both the years. Irrigation along with other intercultural operations was done as and when needed. The crop was harvested at 54 and 52 days after sowing on 31 December 1999 and 07 January 2000 at the edible maturity stage. Data on plant height, canopy width, plant fresh weight and dry weight, leaf number and yield per plot at harvesting stage were collected from 10 randomly selected plants of each plot. The data were statistically analyzed and the treatment means were separated by Least Significant Difference (LSD) test at 5% level of probability. The economic analysis was also done to assess the profitability of lettuce.

Source of Information: J Agric Rural Dev 4(1&2), 107-111, June 2006 ISSN 1810-1860

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

The results of the present study suggest that lettuce cv, Green Wave can be grown in tropical areas at a plant spacing of 40 x 30 cm with mulching done by dried rice straw for higher economic return.

Knowledge Management: Journal